The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1920-06-02
MANS GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT

r4UGENE v. DEBs. for the fifth time the nominee Of the socialist
n, party for president Of the United States. was notified Of his latest
nomination last Saturday BY a vommittee Of martyr makers who
visited him in the federal prison where he is detained under sentence
for violation Of the espionage act. On this occasion Dehs is quoted
rs the Associated Press as having said Of the Russian boishevik
revolution;
Before beginning to serve my time here, I made several ad-
dresses supporting the Russian revolution, which l believe is the
greatest single achievement in the history Of mankind. l said l was
aholshcrik. ! meant IL then and I mean it now"
The fact that Debs defiantly reherates that he is a bolshevik,
from behind prison bars, does not mean much. A citizen has a right
to be a bolshevk in this country, if he behaves himself and does not
violate the law or infringe upon the rights Of others The significant
Daturc in connection with this statement is that there are a good
many thousands Of other citizens who are willing to nominate and
support for president Of the United States a man who is willing to
aesert that the boshevik revolution in Russia is the greatest achieve
ment in the history Of mankind. Among the supporters Of Debs are
a great many good citizens; men who pay their taxes. obey the laws
support their families, respect the homes Of other men anu are law
abiding save for a certain mental state which they communicate to
others, many others Of whom there are certain percentages lacking
in balance a moral fibre and who do not stop with pink conversation
but who are led ON into action Of a darker hue.
To the sober minded men who profess to be followers and up
holders Of Debs, or Of the party which has nominated him for pres-
dent, We commend this moderate picture Of conditions in bolshevik
Russia; il is taken from the current issue OF Leshes Weekly, from
Read ard think over this conservsiiveiy stated summary Of what the
greatest achievement in the history of mankind" has done for
"a short while ago / received two letters from Russia,
one from Petrogred dated February 9th, and the second
OF the letters is a young Russian officer, who had the cour-
age 70 g, INTO Soviet Russia ,s@a under Tssr. a , ? assumed ed name, and
picture Of the so-caled 'Boshevis.c PARADISE The officer
he gives a touching description. The streets of the saDital,
formerly brilliantly Illuminated, filled with many auto
mobiles and carriages and a lively crowd of shoppers, today
are deserted. The windows Of the shops are dark, the signs
torn. battered and floating in the wind, and the houses are
deserted. There are no more sidewalks, which are TOO
bourgeois Policemen and doormen re gone. The streets
are covered with ice, and one could skate on them. In the
middle Of the street one see a little fire, around which a few
pedestrians are clustered. And how pftabe these mser-
able creatures look. They have only one fixed idea-to find
some nourishment and some fuel. Wood is worth its weight
IN gold. and the government gives only forty pounds per
person in 4 month. Everything which could serve as fuel has
been used, wooden paving blocks, trees in the parks, even
entire houses built of timber. Whole families are living IN
Kitchens which enc heats IS well as one can, and the temper
allure hardly goes up 90 eight degrees Celsius. The people
clothes that keeps them warmer. There is no soap, no water.
And as for food-one is happy TO get some potatoes and a
piece Of salted herring. Bread is rare and a bottle of milk
costs $50 ruhles (S140 pre- war;. Mortality has reached ter
rffying proportions. During December $4,000 deaths were
registered. Three factories are busy making collins, but they
cannot satisfy the demand. For days, and even weeks, the
dead bodies await burial, and freeze in the meantime. In
a hospital al one time 1000 bodies were awaiting burial.
People often die in the streets. A friend Of mine, a gallant
diplomat and chamberlain TO the ear. was found three days
after he had starved TO death in one OF the capitals suburbs.
''The situation in Moscow is a little better, but still
very sad. There one can buy, although for a great deal of
money, any kind Of no rishment. In the central market one
can buy a bottle Of milk for 100 rubles $50 prewarl bread
go rubes a pound. even meat at fantastic prices. Money
has practically no value A eoachman asks four to i've
thousand ruhles for a ride. Articles Of necessity and luxuries
are sold at the same place. Precious stones, paintings, val
liable furniture, stolen from the palaces Of the imperial fam
iy and the houses Of the nobility and the rich merchants
everything is sold. so 20 speak, under the nose OF the auth
critics, in spite of the ruling of the government when per
mns only soviet shops but the latter usually are empty.
ANY new ernyal in Moscow is struck BIS the abundance Of
red flags on private houses and shops, which is q way to pro
tet oneself against the commissioner Of the people. There
are no hotels. One finds in Moscow only Soviet inns,
where for ~ rubes a day one gets a shabby room full OF
vermin.N