The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1920-02-05
SOVIET PLAN IS
HIT BY G0MPERS
A. r. Of L. Chief AssaiIs Three
American Magazines.
BoLsHevlSM is CONDEMNED
Declares He Knows Az About the
Cruelty. Intolerance and Auto.
e'st Concept Of Minority Die -
tatorship OF lenine Regime.

Washington. Jan. 2a.--writipr IN
the current number Of the Federation
ist official organ ~ the American Fed-
Grafton ~ Labor. Samuel Gompers
condemns bolshcvism completely.
finally and for all time"
The American labor lead says he
doubts whether the propngnnd, which
emnnrtes from the bOlsheyist orpanl-
zntiOn Itself Is more effective than
that conducted by those who cinIm
10 he entirely detached from Russian
Influence and Russian pay rolls"
lie says he doubts whether publ
cations issued by Russian bolshevlst
agents have as great an effect In
America ms those which Ike To he
known rs 'journals Of opinion such
rs the Nation. the Dial aud the New
Republic"
Mr.. Gompers makes an extended
reference Ia the argument American
people know little about what II going
on In Russia und the argument II is
unfair and unwise TO pnss Judgment
Soviet Rules Known.
fA"iN NV h''tNNbN9 ruN NiIs NNfu-
lsrs, "for Americans 10 know exact
conditions In Germany before passing
judgment on the form Of government
there. II WIS necessary only 10 know
the form of government and rules II
operated under.
We do not have To whit for infOr-
nation about the form ~ government
existing In what Is called soviet Rus
STA. All the Information necessary To
passing of judgment on bolsheyism
and the system OF government and a.
n state society'is al hand from authen-
nc sources.
"rhe plea ~ those misguided per-
sons In America who say whit for
facts before passing judgment ~ moth
ing more than an excuse. which. II IL
hoped viii gain time for the Russian
experiment and enable II 20 spread to
other countries"
Quoting from the new bolshevist
constitution. Mr.. Gompers points out.
while the nth Pan-Russinn congress
declares for dictatorship NJ the pro-
letnriat and the poorest pensantry.
great portion Of the peasantry Is dis
frunchised. and the largest bolsheyist
estimate Of the proletnriat calculates
them as only one-fifth Of the number
Of peasants.
Majority Not Represented.
Even fairly prosperous working
man. by this calculation Mr.. Gompers
says Is not proletarian. Bolshevist
statistics. he says. show the bolshevist
minority does not even represent the
masses Of factory workers In Moscow.
the bolshevlst stronghold.
Qnotlng from lSlshevist Official
documents to show the extent of
massed terror by the bolsheviki. Mr..
Gonpers said economic condition In
lntrrnal Russia at the present time
has absolutely. nothing TO do 18th the
merits or dement's OF the bolshevist
philosophy Of government" and adds:
ut should have no influence In de
terinlnlng the judgment Of any person
upon II ms such"
What They Do TO Labor.
Mr. Gompers quoted as the most
direct information dispatch from
Russian trnde unionists to w. 40 kp-
pleton. president Of the International
federation ~ Trade Unions. which de-
.clares that bolshevlsts have split up
the reserve funds Of trade unions.
throttled the LABOR press, killed labor
organ lzations. split up trade unions
~ class aud put down strikes by
force OF arms and plentiful execu-
lions"
"In all concepts OF freedom within
the American nation. Mr. Gompers
said. zone fundamental principle Is
that apy involuntary servitude, that
Is. compulsory labor. shall not be en-
forced upon the working people"