New-York tribune., 1920-12-26

elHplo means. he went TO ESthonia
to report the peace proceedings be-
tween Esthonia and Soviet Russia,
and while there he persuaded the Rus
sian delegation to take him back with
1t.
Lansbury's entire sojourn In Es-
thonia and Russia comprised nine
weeks. This none too lengthy stay
would be hardly enough to give auy
intensive knowledge Of the workings of
the revolution--but Lansbury appears
to have found ample corroboration for
his faith in this time. He met all the
leaders Of the revolution, and found
them all sharing in the privations of
the revolution. He gives sketches of
Tchitcherin, the Foreign Minister; Lu-
nacharsky, the Education Minister;
Zonovteff, head Of the Potrograd So
Wet; KamenefF, chairman Of the Mos
ccw Soviet. He missed meeting Trotz-
ky, who was away at the front, but he
met Lenine, for whom he has regard
that amounts to reverence His &C.
count of Lenine is good deal diffused
with rhapsody. Lansbury, who appears
himself TO be religious person, was
greatly distressed by Lenine's professed
unbelief. Lenine was very insistent
that Lansbury should understand that
he Is an atheist, not merely an agnos-
tic. This troubled Lansbury q good
deal, until he resolved it triumphautlv
by assuring Lenine that while he might
refuse to consider himself a Christian
he yet lived Christian life.
The food situation in Russia. while
stringent, he found tolerable. In the
extraordinary circumstances Of its ex-
istence the Soviet government, he
claims, has maintained internal order
in an excellent fashion. In the early
days Of the revolution there were out
breaks Of counter revolution and
brlgandage that required strong an
pearance Of authority. The statistics
show that about 5000 persons were
executed, though the Bolsheyists claim
that not one OF these was executed
without some form of trial All crimes.
save military ones, and all civil disputes
are adjudged in a uniform public law
court, and each district is provided with
Its own law court. For crimes against
property compulsory labor is nearly AL
ways imposed; for all other efenses
save those of violence fines predomj-
nate. Prohibition is strictly enforced
and Of those found guilty nearly 20 per
cent are punished by Imprisonment.
Lansbury retails an interesting en-
counter with Prince Kropotkin, the
famous old revolutionary. He found
Kropotkin very contemptuous Of the
Soviet government and all its meth
DDS. He Is q philosophical anarchist.
who believes the authority Of the oro-
letariat quite 40 bad as that Of tho
aristocracy. Listening to him. Il,
seemed to me tragedy that after all
the years Of toll and stress this brave.
confident fighter on behalf Of truth
should fnd himself in the midst Of g
revolution which he had done 50 much
to help bring about comparative
stranger. or at least unable to take
part in Its organizing work.
Nevertheless, Kropotkin Is bitterly
opposed to intervention. It is inter-
vention, he says. which has brought
his country to its present plight.
The Soviet government has among
Its administrators a good many men
who are not in sympathy with the Boil
shevist ideal-Tolstoyans anarchists.
idealists Of another sort-but who are
Tor the present uniting to present q
solid front to the world To Kropot-
Kin and to each Of these Lansbury put
the same Question-what they would
do in Russia's present emergency If
they had the power7 And each replied
in the same way. that under the cir
cumstances there seemed nothing 20
do but what the Bolshevists arc now
doing.
Lansbury Is a little sentimental. but
discounting this the picture he gives
OF Russia differs in no essential from
the recent accounts of n. G. Wells
and nraiisford. of The Manchester
Guardian