The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-10
international Labor Office Collects Facts
About the Working Out Of Bolshe-
vistic Theories, and Publishes an
Illuminating Book
By HAMILTON PELTZ.

illuminating exposition of the faila-
II ces of Bolshevism and of the utter
collapse of Lenine's Elusive theories
of Soviet government under the test OF
practical application has issued recently
from a highly authoritative source.
For the guidance of its mission of inquiry
in Russia the International labor Office has
published In London a voluminous bbiog
raphy collating and reviewing the most
cent available documentary evidence OF ac-
tual labor conditions in Soviet Russia.
The preface to the volume is written by
Albert Thomas the advanced French
Socialist leader and former French Minister
u Labor, who is now the director of the In
ternational Labor Office created under the
League of Nations. The published compen
:un- is by no means conclusive report on
present conditions in Soviet Russia, but is
preparatory to it, Final conclusions it is
expected, will be formulated after exhaustive
Investigations in Soviet Russia-if the
Soviet Government permits-by the special
mission, which is to consist of five employ
ers five workers and two Government dele
gates.
Mission Works Independently.
This mission is to represent the Interna-
tional Labor office exclusively, Mr.. Thomas
and the governing body having refused a
liaison with the League of Nations mission
Of inquiry to Russia on the ground that the
latter must be at least semi political in char
acter, while the inquiry conducted by the
International Labor Office is to concern it
self with an unprecedented effort to discover
the truth about labor conditions and the
situation of the working classes in Revo-
lutionary Russia.
AS soon as that policy was adopted by the
governing body last winter the international
Labor Office made an intensive effort to get
together at once all documentary evidence
available In Western Europe systematic re-
search work being prosecuted not alone in
London and Paris, but also in Switzerland,
Sweden, Italy and Germany. The prelim
mary report now under review is result of
that research It's impartial character is
above question. The summary written by
Mr. Thomas is particularly significant, com
ing. 1t does, from well known cham
pion of advanced Socialism. The publication,
moreover, is timely. 1t is given to the world
at the psychological moment when the prole-
tariat of Italy and other countries seem to
be yielding more and more to the specious
lure of Russian Soviet theories
Commenting upon the task of DIR. Pardo
and his associates, who collected this volumi-
nous documentary information, Albert
Thomas writes:
Our colaborators have put together and
classified particulars from the various scat
tered documents which were likely more or
less to satisfy desire for information.
Their first few weeks researches and pre-
liminary critical work led them to frame a
series OF fresh questions which, by their
precision as well as their distressing signih-
cance will certainly be a guide for the
members of the inquiry.
New and Acute Problems.
"Perusal of the work OF DR.. Pardo and
his collaborators will be enough to show
how new and how acute these problems are.
Take the question of the working day
I'm the first months of their Government the
soviets introduced legislation which seems
well drawn up and well considered with due
exceptions and allowances for the passing
from one system to another. But what Sc
quencc of events, what development of
thought. what overmasterng social mo-
lives induced them to establish Communist
saturdays, 10 and IL hour days and the
quest for greater intensity OF production?
That is the problem to be solved. Very
strange clues have come to light. What
they worth?
The Bolsheviks have won further popu-
l1rity with the working masses of the West
ern democracies by spreading the idea Of
compulsory work for all. This they pro-
claimed at the very beginning of their revo-
luton as their fundamental principle. They
have said and said again He who does not
produce shall not eat But having used
this formula to justify a new kind OF revo-
lutionary reign OF terror against the bour-
geosie, was not the only practical realiza-
ton OF this oft repeated principle OF COM
pulsion TO be found I'm the use and remobih
7ation of the Red Army for labor7 And was
not that which formerly presented as
an application OF perfect Communism really
a renewal of old traditional Jacobinsm?
'In reply to the questionings of Western
theorists. the Bolsheviks declare that the
trade unions, the Cooperatives and I'm a
word all the workers organizations In which
The Socialists and reformers OF Europe have
placed their entire confidence are part OF
the whole Soviet institution Their legisla-
ton does indeed, support this. But is It not