New-York tribune., 1921-11-20

Viscount
Russia. Germany at the summit of
her supremacy on the Continent, be-
fore the World War, was unable to
feed herself without supplies from
abroad. She used to import annually
from Russia alone vast quantities of
cereals, eggs and threc-quarters of the
butter she consumend, whereas Russia
never imported foodstuffs. On the
contrary, she was the reservoir for the
requirements Of Europe.
Rusia's Export Reports
Showed Vast Resources
A mere glance at Russia's export
trade prior to the war will demonstrate
even more concretely the impossibility
of starving Russia by means Of a
blockade. Before the war Russia sup
piled threc-fourths of the export
wheat Of Europe. Besides meeting her
home needs she exported huge quanti-
ties Of sugar. In the cultivation Of
livestock she surpassed every country
in Europe, supplying half the horses Of
the Continent. Russia led all other na-
tions in the cultivation of cattle and
was inferior only to Germany in the
number Of hogs. Russia produced the
greatest quantity of wool next to
England. She used to supply four
ffths of the coal and pig iron she con-
sumed, 81 per cent Of the agriculS-
ural machinery and implements and
nearly all the steel; and, what is even
more striking, her railroads were sup
piled with homemade rails. The block
ade is not responsible for the condi-
tion of the railroads under Soviet rule
but rather Lenine's need Of war mate
rials. The munition factories consume
the supply Of materials which would
otherwise aid in maintaining the rail-
roads. Russia's lack of cotton is like
wise attributed to the blockade. In
1914 her cotton output, exclusive of
Russian Turkestan, was surpassed only
by tho United States and England. Be-
sides exporting to Asia and Rumania,
she had nearly enough for her own na-
tional needs. Contrary to the declara-
tions of our would-be authorities,
Russia offers no market for foreign
cotton excepting the very fine fabrics.
When the peasant speaks Of cotton he
means his own home product.
In view of these facts it is quite
clear that the blockade is not RESPONSE
BILE for starvation in Russia To be
sure, the blockade might have been in
strumental in keeping machinery, coal
and woolens from Russia. These are
the commodities she most needs. But
as q result of the war Europe had
neither coal nor woolens and, until very
recently, no machinery to export. What
is more, had the BoHheviki not sue
ceeded in demoralizing the Russian
mines along with the rest Of her in
dustrfes, Russia would have had moro
coal than the Allies. The cause of Rus
sian starvation is neither the blockade
nor yet the ruined condition of her
railroads. It is the result Of the war
and three years Of Bolshevik rule. The
bad condition Of the railroads is not
the core of the difficulty. The roads
are indeed in a deplorable condition.
But one must be careful not to Judge
them by European or American stan
dards. At any rate, the Soviet govern
ment seems to find enough cars and
rails for tho use of the army. The
trouble Is not, therefore, lack Of trans
portation facilities, but tho use they
are put to.
But even IL Russia had tho necessary
transportation facilities her people
still would be starving, for tho simple
reason that there is q shortage Of food
in Soviet Russia. Russian agricultural
production has been reduced to min
imum. The antagonistic attitude of
the peasants toward the Bolsheviki is
only in measure responsible for this
condition. The peasants have no con-
fidence in the Bolsheviki. The peasants
who seized the rich land owners land
are in doubt as to their right of own
ership. Certain that the Constituent
Assembly would have made the owner
ship Of their land legal, they blame
tho Bolsheviki for this condition. The
destruction Of The mar Is another
cause Of peasant discomfort. Under
the regime Of Nicholas II every village
or mir owned it's agricultural machin-
cry. The peasant was too poor to buy
his own implements. If this was an
economic fact in 1914 it became even
more the case after the Rolsheviki got
into power.
! At frst th% peasants kept up. the