The Cordova daily times., 1919-05-03
CONDITIONS IN
RUSSIA FOUND
CATASTROPHE

The fundamental principle of the Boil
sheviki that the soviets as organs of
revolutionary dictatorship must be
the strict expression of class govern
ment is undergoing marked changes,
according to member of the Moscow
All-Russian Central Cooperative AS
ISOLATION. He summarized the stu
alton when he left Moscow as fol-
were being induced to work in the
lows:
Russians of the intelligent class
sOviets and in other organizations for
restoration of the normal course of
life. The anarchist terror which had
prevailed since October had been
! stopped and arbitrary executions, in
some cases, had given way to pre-
liminary legal investigations and
trials.
The intelligentzia and some of the
officers, under the influence of hunger
and want, had relinquished the tactics
of sabotage. Others who were inclined
to do likewise were vacillating on ac-
count of doubts as to the durability of
the soviets and because they feared
the consequences under new regime.
The economic policy was essentially
the same as before. Naturalization
of ammunition factories and Of finan-
cial institutions was continued For
mer administrators of factories par
ticipated in the management as men,
| bers of factory committees. Small
enterprises had been left in the hands
of their owners, who worked in con-
tact with factory committees of their
districts. Many factories and mills
| were closed. Life was sustained by
drawing upon wealth previously &C
cumulated.
| 1t was then reported that the soviet
army would be increased to three
million men by spring. 1t was being
transformed into a disciplined army.
Army committees had been abolished
and former officers were being at
ltracted to service. The system of Sc
lection of officers was being sup
planted by appointments by chiefs
who had full charge Of directing op-
erations Commissars represented
the soviet political authority.
Public education was superintendent
by a commissariat and by special
body composed of representatives OF
educational sections Of labor organi-
cations. Many new schools were being
opened. Science and art were being
adapted to the understanding of the
I masses. A great deal of ardor and
temperament were shown but very
little system. The Moscow university
which formerly attracted hundreds OF
workingmen was attended only by
dozens.
The attitude toward cooperative or
| CARNATIONS has changed. Owing to
the results of disastrous experiments
| which have destroyed private COM
| mercial enterprise and failed to re-
place it with something else, the Boil
sheviki have begun to regard the sta
bility of the co-operatives with good
will. Special DEGREES have been issued
protecting them from soviet interior
ence. They are receiving big orders
| for the supply of various districts
with articles of necessity. The turn
over of capital of the Central Cooper
ative association for the year ex-
ceeded one billion rubles. The soviet
government has proposed to the as
sociation to undertake to supply the
whole country. The workers coopera-
tives asserted their right to direct the
activity of the association and sue
ceeded in electing one third of the
directors.
The National Bank, the financial
1 CcuLcI VI IHS temperatures, lido CSNAA
nationalized, but measures have been
taken to render realization of the re-
form less painful" All employees have
| been retained and the direction is
entrusted to a conference OF co-opera-
tives, corresponding roughly to a
meeting of stockholders. Under such
organization normal banking opera
lions may easily be restored
The relator concludes with sum
mary of the general situation which
he describes as Catastrophe"
Transportation facilities, he said,
are going from bad to worse. Food
sluffs are scarce. Articles in store are
being consumed and are not being re-
placed Starvation and epidemics are
exterminating entire villages.
A body of ore running from is to
go per cent copper has been struck
lat the $50 foot level of the Copper
King mine at Whitehorse according