New-York tribune., 1919-02-17
Soviet Regime
Ruins Workers.
Senators Hear.
Former Russian Manufact-
urer Denies That the Real
Toilers Are Bolsheviki
Nearly All Plants Closed
Riffraff Grasp Power and
Win Over Lower Element
for Privilege to Plumber
Ncw York Tribune
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Ncw York Tribune
Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON Feb 16-A vivic
picture of the ruin that has overtaker
industry in Russia was given the Over
man investigating committee one day
last week in executive session, but the
man who told the story still has
friends and interests in Russia which
would suffer if his identity should be-
come known. His testimony was made
public day, and refutes the claim of
the American Bolsheviki that the work
ers of Russia have benefited by the
Soviet government, or that they are
now voluntarily supporting it.
AS q result of the Soviet measures
virtually all the factories are closed,
the witness testified For long time
his own was enabled to remain open,
because the workmen themselves re-
fused to accept the Soviet decree and
armed themselves to defend it. He de-
clared the government is made up of
rlfraf, and only terrorism keeps the
Soviets in control. The witness also
told, from his own experiences, how the
peasants have turned against the Boil
sheviki
Il have been in Russia close to fif-
teen years" he said Il was located
there with factory where We had
several thousand workmen Even last
year we filled all our orders. The
workmen stood by us.
Workmen Not Bolsheviki
Il have heard and read the statement
that Russia Is q workmen's govern
rent, and all that sort Of thing In
my estimation that is absolutely false.
The workmen-I have been with the
workmen, that is all have done-and
the worhingmen in Russia in the fac
tories are not Bolsheviki, although
they do not dare to say they are some
thing else.
81 do not mean to say that there are
no workmen who are Bolsheviki.
am taking the workmen as a whole
II IS the worst element out of each
factory, the worst element in the coun-
try, that has come to the top, and they
are supporting the government. They
were supporting the government. being
paid, OF course, large sums and given
the privilege to loot or anything that
they vi he'd
The government is made up of the
rlf-raf of the industrial and the peas
ant world, and all these outsiders have
come running in from other countries
IT you go into Moscow to do any bust
ness with the Bolshevik government
and you come upon any of the people
higher up in the government you never
meet anybody that was born and
brought up in Russia up to the date
of the revolution. You meet man
that was born there probably, and went
out and came in from the outside after
the revolution was on
hat are the means used to ter
rorize them?" Major Humes asked.
shooting them. 1 can tell lots Of
incidents Of people disappearing by
being shot. In Russia they have no
jails in which to put them. They are
just shot that is all.
There was decree put out that
an factories were to be nationalized,
that the factories must be under the
control OF the Workmen's committees,
and so forth. We had a workmen's
committee in our factory. But our
workmen's committee said to US: we
do not want to control this factory.
We are perfectly satisfied as it is
In regard to our factory" continued
the witness, "the workmen opposed the
governments plan to nationalize it.
saying. If you nationalize this factory
you will close it up the same as the
others. and we want our factory to
work in
We had kept telling the workmen
rignt along DO not jump at these
tnlngs. Keep back, and let the other
fellows try it out, and if it is good per
hsps we will do it, So when they saw
what the other fellows did, that thcv
were all shut up in week or two. onr
workmen tn ught that they had better
not do this
I'VE went into that matter pretty
vel ana our workmen's committee did
ind out what was the cause Of thie
what started it. 1t had gone alon@
eight or ten months without talk of
natlonallzing our factory. They had
k1nd OF gone around us, but suddenlv
1t came up. After we went into II wa
round 1t was about the same as in
otner cases, somebody looking for the
}oo or managing the factory When
one hnds factory, he will 20 to the
Bolsheviki and say, Here is ioh
1iVe me this factory and will run it,
=" neither 1T runs or not he gets his
pay, and II it does not run. if thev
40 not manufacture anything, the gov
eminent gives him money to run the
factory on. know the instance of a
locomotive works where the govern
ment spent 100000 rubles nominal
" $4,000 ,000) to run the factory for
three months and in that time they
produced goods for 100000 rubles.
me government trled TO fine us in
every way, shape and manner; that is
10 levy taxes. We refused to nav. The
government used to get at the work
mems committee and ask, What kind
OF revolutionary shop ere you run
ning" We told the committee, DO not
De hard on us or we will get OUT
They were afraid TO use force on
US, and our committee backed us up
IN refusing 10 do what they wanted i
TO do, and then we had 300 armed men
at the factory. They were trained so
that If anything happened they could
start a little row.
"Altogether about 4.500,000 r,,blcs
were demanded Of us That is an or
binary tax
Before I came over from Russia !
tired to get out by way II Siberia
70 the CzcchoS Slovak front, and I was
In Mini Noygorod. But | had about
a month going from peasant door to
door asking them to let ma in at
night. spoke Russian well. and II
used TO have some pretty good talks |
witn the peasanta, and tried TO get
,ne'r idea Of the Bolshevik situation.
IN" psaSants in Russia are absolutely |
opposed ~ the Eolshcyiki. Before thcy |
would let me into the houge they wouId |
fay: Are you Bolshevik3 y And