Great Falls tribune., 1921-12-05
RUSS|ANNEED
ISEDUCAT|O|V, SAYS
HIGH RED OFFICIAL
Associated Press Correspondent
Told It May Take 20 Years
to "Boil Nation Out"

4 ~A-
Iiflis..(By a Staff Correspondent
| of The Associated Press. THE ques-
tors to Russia is "What can be done
to revive Russia's broken down eco
nomic and industrial situation. The
writer put that query to Russian
American Jew who had just befriended
him during an alteration with red
guard over the correspondents right to
occupy seat in train jammed to over
flowing, during the trip from Batum
to Tiflis.
The friendly Jew. high official in
the soviet of Georgia, sent here from
Moscow to carry out In some degree
the latter's plans, sat down in the
crowded compartment and talked about
Russia from his point of view.
"Russia's got to be boiled out, that's
all" he explained. ''The process may
take 20 years but when it's finished
there'll be. but two great peoples on
earth, Russians and the Americans. And
they'll be as like as twin brothers, both
rich in agriculture and in mineral
wealth.
What Russia now needs is factory
products, is trained engineers to put
her on her feet, to help set to work
Ter mines and whoever gets in on that
Job is bound to make big fortunes.
Education Great Need
"The next and immediate need of
Russia is education. The soviet is
trying to do that. Every man in the
red army is taught to read and write.
But the job is a difficult one. Under
the old regime, education was dis
couraged. The people were exploited
by the wealthy and educated few
This keen Russian-American told of
himself and present needs. He was
earning big salary, 100000 rubles
month, exactly one dollar at the pres
ent rate of exchange and enough to
keep his family going for about day
The rest, the millions of rubles neces-
sary for the other days, he made up
by speculation, by shrewd practices for
which he would be shot if they were
known. But it was either that or
starvation. His wife lay i'll in Batum
with malaria and a tablet of quinine.
or one dose, cost 10000 rubles and
bad quality at that. Also. his only son
had tuberculosis as result Of under
feeding and medicines at prohibitiye
,rices were required.
Was this man satisfied with the
soviet regime? OF course not He
had worked hard for it for three
years; to keep going, he had held all
sorts of jobs that required high in
telligence and he considered the
crowd in Moscow lot of fools.
Lived In America
Up to 1916, he had been in Amer
lea. had his three automobiles and a
big importing agency, owned his
home IN Brooklyn still, but he had
been caught In the revolution and
couldn't get out. So he was helping
in the boiling out process. He's going
to stick on because he can make his
fortune back.
He hated the old aristocratic class
because they tried to have everything
for themselves. because theirs was
system that led to laziness. drunken
ness and n-production and finally
grand crash of ruinous revolution.
All the good he could think to say
for the soviet was that it had tried
hard. For one thing it had knocked
out alcohol. Yes. that was one OF
the troubles of old Russia. Too much
drink. among all classes. In Georgia.
where We were, there was still plenty
to drink, but toward Moscow drink
thinned out until none was to be had.
There was lots of thievery-the
had best look out for
his pockets and his baggage-but to
be caught stealing meant execution.
Proud of Army
Another excellent institution of the
soviet was the red army. Yes. that !
was thing to be proud of. Discipline !
was fine. 1t was better than the |
cars army. Now only men up to "A
were enrolled. There were five mil
lions of them--a great force to be
reckoned with.
Would the United States come in |
and help Russia This thought was !
uppermost in his mind. He hoped so. |
He wanted to get back to America |
for a time to get some money to- |
gether. Then he would return and |
make his fortune. He had taken out |
his first papers years ago, but his !
business in Russia had prevented his !
taking out the second papers. His |
wife was from Philadelphia. Born
there. So was his son.
It would take $1,000 to get back
to the United States, which meant |
1OO. .OOO, 600 rubles. Speculate as he |
might, he could never get together
such sum. Maybe be might arrange
to get sent over on commission,
when Moscow got the Americans to
accept the trade idea. Just now he
had IS in American money-50O. 600
he had given, his wife
rs birthday present.
Makes Best of 1t
Well, one bad to make the best of
things in Russia. One got used to
He was supposed to have
4 private car. but it was in the re-
pair shop aud tonight he was sleep
ing on the floor of the car we were
in. He couldn't find seat and was
glad of the floor space. Thousands
had been left at the station in |