The New York herald., 1920-12-12
New York Herald Bureau. |
London, Dec. 2. (

is certainly the most wonderful institution
OF it's kind in the world l enjoyed peculiar
advantages for studying it, inasmuch as I
made the acquaintance of its agents in ST.
IBERIA, got letters of introduction from them
TO the chiefs of the service in Moscow and
was once able to penetrate into the Kremin
and examine there at my leisure an exhibit
ton devoted to the work of this organiza-
ton, which is known as the Rosta, a word
formed out of the initials of the phrase
Russian Socialist Telegraph Agency"
To get into the Kremln is very difficult
for, as Lenine Trotzky and the other Ma
tional Commissars live there, the place ie
strongly guarded noticed, however that
those who went in first received ticket in
exchange for stamped permit of some kind
from little box office near the gate and
then presented it to one of the guards By
speaking in German to this girl saying 1
was a journalist, and suddenly remembering
that had an appointment with my friend
Radek' Ca Commissar whom / rad never
seen in my life) / managed to bluff this girl
into giving me ticket without receiving
any document in exchange. Her last sus-
ricions were removed when, knowing that
she would not like to telephone and hoping
fervently that the telephone did not work.
professed great reluctance to accept the
ticket (for fear of getting her into trouble)
until she had first telephoned to "Comrade''
Radek. She did not telephone but told me
to pass on and in few moments / was
inside the Kremlin. There l was fairly safe
for the mere fact Of being in the Holy of
Holes presupposed that had got there by
legitimate means.
Churches Closed; Ancient Chapel
Converted for Use as Garage
1 met Trotzky crossing in his usual i'm
petuous style from Lenine's department TO
the cavalry barracks and talked to him for
while, but without hearing anything of
interest. Then / examined the whole en-
closure. which is not much changed from
what 1t was in 1914 The statues of the en-
perors have of course been removed, and the
churches were all closed and had been closed
apparently for a long time shown by the
great piles of soft untrodden snow on the
steps
The ancient and much venerated Chapel
OF the Virgin inside the quadrangle formed
rage, the imperial apartments are unoccu-
pied and the other habitabe buildings are
filled with Cd the Commissars, (2) their
STATS and servants and (3) Red soldiers
and their families. Not much damage was
done to the Kremln during the fighting in
October. 1917; one of the gateways was
damaged by shell. but it Is now hidden by
scaffolding and being repaired. On all the
buildings and towers the imperial double
headed eagle still remains and the only
external sign of the Bolshevk occupation
is the Red flag flying over the dome shaped
Palace of Justice.
On entering one large building which had
been converted into Government offices and
was full of people hurrying to and fro. dis
covered that there was, in one of the halls
exhibition of the Rosta, intended solely
however, for the Deputies of the Ninth Com
munist Convention then sitting. In order
to obtain admission even these Deputies had
TO exhibit a pass well as their identity
papers; but luckily 1 met a prominent Red
official who managed. by breaking all the
rules. to get me admitted.
The walls were covered with innumerable
charts and diagrams prepared with great
skill, and accuracy and showing at n glance
all the various activities of the Rosta, the
whole effect being that of highly technical
and scientific exhibition by a we'll equipped
Government department IL Is the first time
I'm history that the press has been treated by
Government as seriously as, say. industry
commerce, finance or public health is treated.
Every Journalist in Russia
Becomes Communist Servant
The Rosta, which is the successor of the
old Russian Telegraph Agency, an organza-
tion resembling Reuter-, has now become a
great and most ingeniously constructed ma
chine for the Bolshevization OF Russia. a
country which, 1t must be remembered. con-
tains fewer Communists in proportion to its
population than England. On the principle
that charity begins at home" the Reds are
making Russia Communist before turning
the full force of their propaganda on the
rest of the world. though In the meantime
they are not quite neglecting us. Their pro-
cedure is simple. They have nationalized
the whole press so that every journalist In
Russia Is now a Government servant and
Trotzky intends to make them all wear a
special uniform.
All news. home and foreign, goes first to
tho headquarters of the Rosta, a large build
Ing on the Lubyanka, where II is cooked and
poppered till Il has the right Communist
flavor. Then II is sent by wireless to the
correspondents of the Rosta throughout
Russia, and they give II to the local press.
Even contents bills, headings of articles and
summaries of news are prepared with great
journalistic skill in Moscow by expert ed-
tors of the Rosta and sent by radio all over
Russia. AS far east as Ekaterinburg I have
lsfn