The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1919-07-14

IN RUSSIA
By FRANK ]. TAYLOR.

NEW YORK, July 12.-More peo-
pie in Soviet Russia are learning to
read than are learning to write. The
bolsheviks want people to know how
to read in order to facilitate the
spread of "communistic gospel" A
widespread refnite system of educa-
tion is being put into effect, not only
for youngsters, but also for the eld-
ers.
The bolsheviks have established
schools that are a wide departure
from anything known in Russia here
tofore. Many features are not radi-
fcally differene from elementary
American schools, which the Russians
are copying.
The first feature to by the
board in Russia was religion. Schools
were formerly conducted by priests
aand the curriculum was two-thirds
religion and one-third education.
This order is reversed now. The
bolsheviks are teaching two-thirds
socialism and communism and one
third education, the latter being most
ly reading and writing. Since many
of the children in the cities were
starving, the bolshevik government in
/ n
Moscow and Petrograd is serving a
noon meal to children in school. In
many schools clothes are being issued
to the children whose, parents cannot
supply them.
The education program, consider
ed by bolshevik leaders to be far in
advance Of anything in vogue today,
practically takes the raising and ed
ucating of children out of the hands
Of the family and places children in
charge of the. state.
The Russian code of labor requires
that everyone work, women as welII
as men, except that women have
eight weeks before and eight weeks
after the birth of child during which
time they may stay at home.
At all times the mother must leave
her babes at public nurseries, where
the state will take charge of them
and educate them. Already some of
these nurseries have been established |
and the bolshevik government antic-
ipates bringing up the next genera
tion according to certain proper"
theories.
The bolsheviks are working out
their educational system in The cit
les, and thus far have done nothing
for the children of the country.
They plan to extend their system to
the rural districts later The peas
ants have been slower to accept the
benevolences of paternal bolsheviks.
In developing their educational sys-
tenn the bolsheviks face tremend-
GUS problem, due to the enormous
percentage of illiteracy in Russia.
Systems of adult night schools have
been started in the cities for the
grown-ups who do not know how to
read and write, or who want to take
up special studies. The universities
have been opened to everyone, free
of charge, and for the most part are
attended by older people The nor
NAL student body is mobilized at the
front.
Lectures and meetings are the most
popular form of education at pres
ent. There are meetings by the thos-
sands everywhere. In soviet Russia
there is little else to do but go to
in the evening, aside from a
limited number of theatres.
Cafes, to which the Russians used
to flock, are closed by order Of the
soviet government. Restaurants and
all other gathering places likewise
are no more. In places of these Eu-
ropean institutions the bolsheTks of
fer specially arranged meetings, at
which are served lectures on social
ism, communism and world-revolu-
tion.
The state has on its pay-rolls a Il
staff of speakers, many of whom were
formerly street agitators in America
and England, who are engaged as ed
lcators Of the people. To attract
people to these meetings the most I
noted singers, musicians and dan {
,ers give performances after the lee 8
.ures. The press and the theater is
lsed to spread bolshevik education. q
Public places and clubs have been I
,onfscated for the meeting places. r
n Moscow the nobles' club has been j
urned into labor temple, and is i
he principal meeting place. The
'ublic has opportunity to attend the :
heater and opera on a partly COM g
nunistic and partly capitalistic ba- a