The daily morning oasis. [volume] (Nogales, Ariz.) 1917-1920, 1920-06-24
By CHARLES McMANN

By CHARLES McMANN
Omitted Press Staff Correspondent
LONDON June 23.-'"Take every
abroad engine in Europe to Russia
and it will take two years to build up
.ne country's transportation system
to normal
This was the startling statement
made by me Of the foreign office ex-
perts on the Russian trade situation,
and was advanced as an argument
against those who talk optimistically
of getting vast supplies of grain and
foodstuffs out of Russia in ebay"
Russia's transportation system, isn't
Il simply doesn't exist--as transpor-
ton systems are conceived in coun'
tries like he United States and Great
Britain, >tficials well informed de-
clare. Reliable information CLEAN
ed by the British intelligence depart
ment shows that only six out of every
hundred engines in Russia were in
working order early in 1920. And
of these *, me majority operated
on wood md o,her inferior fuel.
Furthermore. whenever an engine
broke down, the worn parts were re-
placed from al,otfer engine, thereby
rendering that engine doubly inca
naciated and immensely harder to
repair wacn meterfafs finally became
available
Railway cars and freight cars also
re insufficient and in bad repair.
Hundreds of thousands Of worn out
heels which only need retiring are
piled at the railway terminals. The
aribrake system doesn't exist because
My few cars in train have valves
which arr in working condition. Ma
turally sreed in transportation bis
obtained "a, the sacrifice of safety.
Another difficulty which Russia
will have to overcome before her
mrcense transportation system can
Je re-established is training and re-
-rutting Dc large force of railway
Employees Who have the interest of
the roads at heart. Since the war
the personnel Of the railways never
much to speak about, has deterior-
ated rapidly. Thousands of the best
mechanics have been killed, died of
disease, or left the country. Other
thousands have gone into other in
'ustr1es G. ceased work altogether
Tor the more lucrative vocation of
being member of the "Red Army"
The viii to work, Investigators re-
Fort, is conspicuously absent among
the former laborers. Their limit.
ed taste Of Communist Utopia has
merely served to whet their appttites
LOT more leisure. Lenin, Trotskv
and Company have at last realized
"he boomerang effect of certain of
'helr doctrines and have taken de.
clslve sters to remedy the situation
Inc "adustrlal army" was their
reply. What the success might have
oeen no enc ventures an opinion
unfortunately the Polish offensive
forced their immediate re-transfer.
ence into fighlng units again.
That Great Britain, Italy and even
france are very DESTROYS of openlno
u trade with Russia is unquestion-
''hle Europe at large desperately
needs grain and foodstuffs. Where
comes from IS no great moment.
The reported under acreage and Door
crop prospects in America have only
'erped to accentuate the situation
Ala eady hreadstuffs have taken un.
residential Increases here. France
.rd Italy are almost certain to be
m ration, again this winter. OF
Germany, no one in the entente cum
tries, except the statesman gives g
thought. But even there conditions
ere bound to be worse than in entents
ountries.
Consequently the allies are anxious
&c Put Russia to work as her pro
'etariat rulers themselves appear te
be
But even though Russia produces
they are again confronted with the
task of getting the grain to the sea
board. What the outcome will BE-
nobody knows. The hopelessness Of
the outlook has driven more than on.
government official into despair.
The most deplorable DEVELOPMENT