New-York tribune., 1921-10-23

Gays tnere was tyranny, to-day under
the Bolshevik there is worse and more
unenlightened tyranny, and where in
the Cars days there was freedom, TO-
cay there is tyranny also. In Soviet
Russia to-day no inhabitant can move
or speak or lie down to sleep with the
feeling that his action will not be fol-
lowed by i sudden arrest and q tenn
porsry or prolonged term of imprison-
nlent. Certainly since the last of the
nti-Bolshevist armies was beaten
that of General Wrangel-the atmos-
Ehere politically has become much
easier. But still it is far worse than
It ever was in the Cars days. You
are still likely to be spied upon, i'm
prisoned and even executed for of
lenses that in other countries would
not be crimes at all, or would entail
only slight punishment.
An English Member CT Parliament
belonging TO the Labor party, Jack.
Mills (member For Dartford in Kent)
arrived one dav in Moscow from War
saw. He was representing an English
anti-interventionist society, the Hands
Of Russia" Committee, and was also
acting as correspondent for the Lon
don ro-Boishevist journal, "The Daily
Herald" [ was IN the Bolsheyist For
sign Office, waiting to see somebody or
other, when ne arrived from the sta
ton in the company of another jour
nalist and g. Boishevist interpreter who
had been detailed TO meet them. His
only knowledge Of Soviet Russia was
gained from his drive through the
streets from the station, and, of course,
lie did not know o word of Russian.
But when W. were introduced he
stepped up to me and made the follow
ing observation, which I reproduce ex-
;-ctly as he said it:
There is complete liberty in this
country! AS We drove here from the
station we passed tho Anarchist Club
have you seen it?--where they are
openly selling literature against the
Rolshevist government. After that
low can anybody say that there is not
complete liberty in this country?"
OF Course He hadn't Seen
any One Selling Literature
He added that, though he was not
Communist himself, he thought that
ts'r was fair, and thac there was, he
repeated, complete political liberty in
the country. asked him if he lad
sctuallJ seen anybody selling the lit
erature of which he spoke, and ii he
could have read it # ne had. He re-
piled in the negative TO both questions,
and I warmly congratulated the Bcl-
shevist official who had conducted him
srom the staten on the efficient man
Ter in which he was guiding Mr. Mills
IN the way he should go. This was s
typical example ol intensive Bolshevist
propaganda.
| soon heard OF still more curious
example Of the similarity between the
new Russia and the worst features OF
Czarist times. A friend Of mine was
one day arrested in Petrograd and
thrown into prison on some fantastic
charge. His cousin went ut once to the
offices of the Bolshevist police to agitate
for his release. At the police head
quarters he was astonished to discover
that all the officials were those who
had held the same posts under the
Gar. Among them were come old ac
quaintances. He asked them how il
came about thaS they were still ir
power there and one OF them replied:
You see, when the revolution Of
March, 1917, came we were all driven out
OF our jobs. AZ first we thought tina.
the revolution might not be success
1ul and waited for the troops to crush
It and restore US to our posts. But
soon we saw that the Cars power
vas ut an end and we had TO look
<ound for some other means Of re-
gaining our positions. SO we Joined
~AN %'N'sii0s iotos W lell tney gOL power
N November, 1917, the Kerensky police
officials were driven ont and We got
our positions back again"
Travelling round the country, cam,
across equally striking examples OF tht
similarity between the old and ths
new Russia. in the old days, for in,
stance, one Of the CHIEF grievances Of
the Russian people was that at ever,
railway station there was, in addition
to the local police, body of gen.
DANES who were not under the con.
troll OF the local authorities, but whc
worked upon secret orders from the;,
own head offices in Petrograd and Mos.
COW. They were almost state within
q state. To-da at every railway sta.
tion and steamer pier throughout the
country therc is 3 detachmert II the
notorious "Cheka''-the Extraordinary
Commission for Combating Counter.
Revolution ana Speculation"-~who have
the same functions as the old gendar-
merle and who also do not act under
orders from the local authorities, but
are responsible only to their own OFF,
eaa in Moscow.
Boishevists Retain Worst
~