East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1919-07-14
STRANGE AUDIENCES
see MOSCOW BALLET
Schools, Lecturers Spring, up
to Spread Education of
BOlshevism.
BY FRANK j. TAYLOR

i(United Press Staff Correspondent
\ NEW YORK, July ,14.-More peo
pie in Soviet Russia are learning. {,
read than are learning to write. Th
bolsneviks want people to know hoy
to read in order to facilitate the sprea,
of the .'communistic gospel" A wide
spread definite system of education Il
being put into effect, not only fol
youngsters. but also for the elders.
The bolsheviks have established
schools that are a wide departure from
anything known in Russia heretofore
Many features are not radically differ.
ent from elementary American schools
which the Russians are copying.
! The first feature to go by the boart
i'm Russia was religion. Schools were
formerly conducted by priests and the
curriculum was two thirds religion and
one-third education, the latter being
mostly reading and writing. Since
many of the children in the cities
were starving, the bloshevilS govern
ment in Moscow and Petrograd is serv-
ing a noon meal TO the children in
school. In many schools clothes are
being issued to children whose parents
cannot supply them.
Thu education program. considered
by. bolshevik leaders to be far in ad-
vance of anything in vogue to-day,
practically takes the raising and edu-
eating of children out of the hands of
the. family and places children in the
charge of the state.
Women Must Work
The Russian code of labor requires
that eyeyone work, women as well as
men, except that women have eight
weeks before and eight weeks after
the birth of a child during which
they may stay at home.
At ali other 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 es-
tablished. and the bolsheyik govern
nept anticipates bringing up the next
according to certain prop
err theories.
The bolsheyiks are working out their
system in the cities. and
hus far have done nothing for the
children of the country. They plan
o extend their system to the rural
districts later. The peasants have been
lower to accept the benevolences of
,aternal bolsheviks.
In developing their education sys-
EN- the bolsheviks face a tremendous
roblem, due. to the enormous percent
ge of illiteracy in Russia. Systems of |
dult night schools have been Started
1 the cities for the grown-ups who do
ot know how to read and write. or |
Tho want to take up special studies. |
he universities have been opened to |
veryone, free of charge. and for the |
host part are attended by older peo- !
le The normal student body is mo- |
'ilized at the 'front.'
Meetings Everywhere.
Lectures and meetings are the most
opuiar form of education at present. |
here are meetings by the thousands
In. Soviet Russia there is
tile else to do but go to a meeting
1 the evening, aside from a limited /
lumber of theatres.
Cafes. to which the Russians used /,
, flock, are closed by order of the |.
1viet government. Restaurants and ,
IL other gathering places likewise are
0 more. In place. of these European 1,
lstitutions the bolsheviks offer spe-
ally arranged meetings, at which are
svered lectures on socialism, COM
unism and world-revolution. - ]
The state has on its payrolls a staff :
speakers, many of whom were for
lerely street agitators in America and
ngland, who are engaged as educa-
'rs of the people. !
To attract people to these meetings
Ie most noted singers. musicians and
ancers give performances after the
ctures. The press and the theater is II
sed to spread bolshevik education. |,
uhlic places and clubs have been con-
seated for the meeting places. In
oscow the mobiles club has been turn
into a labor temple, and is the
'incipal meeting place The public
as opportunity to attend the theater
Id opera on a partly communistic and
artly capitalistic basis. All theaters
e confiscated by the state, and their
rmer owners are gone. For the
ost part the stage stars remain the
me, monthly bonuses up to three :
ousand rubles per month being paid
em to encourage them to continue
cir roles.
The opera and ballet in Moscow is
well staged as ever and is beautiful
yond comparison with war time
in other capitals of
irope. The audience is the most in {
resting development, Almost splend- \
ly dressed people and beautiful wo-
en-, obviously of the former bourge- I
sic classes. people who have been I
lie to make their money last through S
e revolution, one sees unwashed. un- I
aved, rough workmen. dressed in I
rty work clothes. They are recipi-
is of tickets distributed free OF
arge by the government among fac
" workers and government employ
5. These sit without removing their
ps, apparently ENJOYING the theater c
: the first time in their lives. y
Ordinary people must buy tickets c
~ the privileged workmen or gov L
lment employee is guest--at the