The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1921-10-24
RUSS|A'S GOT TO
Be BOILED OUT
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER SEES
NATION SOME YEARS HENCE,
WORLD POWER.

pOnQent OF Ihe Associated PreSS)-
The question uppermost in the minds
of all visitors to Russia is: What
can be done to revive Russia's broken
down economic and industrial situ-
alton. The writer put that query to a
Russian-American Jew who had just
befriended him during an alteration
with Red guard over the cores
pondent's right to occupy a seat in a
train jammed to overflowing, 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 latters 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. 1.-THE process may
take 20 years but when it's finished
there'n be but two great peoples on
earth, Russians and the Americans.
And they'll be as like as twin broth
ers, both in agriculture and in miner
al wealth.
'What Russia now needs is factory
products, is trained engineers to put
her on her feet, to help set to work
her mines and whoever gets in on
that job is bound to make big for
tunes.
"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
discouraged. The people were ex-
plotted by the wealthy and educated
few"
This keen Russian-American told
of himself and his present needs. He
was earning a big salary, 100000
rubles a month, exactly one dollar at
the present rate of exchange and
enough to keep his family going for
about a day. The rest, the millions of
rubles necessary 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
tablet of quinine, or one dose, cost
10000 rubles and bad quality at that.
Also, his only son had tuberculosis as
a result of underfeeding and medi-
cines at prohibitive prices were re-
quired.
Was this man satisfied with the So
Wet 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 intelligence
and he considered the crowd in Mos
cow a lot of fools.
Up to 1916, he had been in America,
had his three automobiles and a big
agency, owned his home in
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 be-
cause he can make his fortune back.
He hated the old artistocratic class
because they tried to have everything
for themselves, because theirs was a
system that led to laziness, drunken
ness and non-production and finally
the extinction of their class in the
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 cor
respondent had best look out for his
pockets and his baggage-but to be
caught stealing meant execution.
Another excellent institution of the
Soviet was the Red Army, yes, that
was a thing to be proud of. Discip-
line was fine. 1t was better than the
Cars army. Now only men up to "a
were enrolled. There were five mil
lion 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 together.
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.
1t would take $1,000 to get back to
The United States, which meant 100,-
700 rubles. Speculate as he might, he
could never get together such sum.
Maybe he might arrange to get sent
over on a commission, when Moscow
got the Americans to accept the trade
dea. Just now he had $5 in American
rubles-which he had
given his wife as a birthday present.
Well one had to make the best Of
,hings in Russia One gets used to
He was supposed to
have a private car, but it was in the
repair shop and tonight he was sleep
ing on the floor of the car we were
IN. He couldn't find a seat and was
glad Of the floor space. Thousands
lad been left at the station in Batum,
waiting for another train.