The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1921-05-06
CONVERTED BY
VISIT TO RUSSIA
Former Champion of Bolshevik
Theory of Government Returns
Completely DisilluSioned.
GOLDMAN WOULD COME BACK
SAYS She'll Be Good Little Girl IT She
Can Only Return.-Rubin Narrow
Iy Escapes With His Life-Liv-
ina Conditions Horrible.

inc Conditions Horrible.
Milwaukee.-Jacob Ell. Rubin of this
city, who recently returned from
visit to Russia, says conditions In that
country are appalling under BolsheviK
rule. Mr.. Rubin has for number OF
years been a prominent socialist ana
went to Russia convinced that the BOZ
eheviki had set up an ideal state there.
Conditions In Russia today are al
most understandable" he said. people
In this country are made to understand
that Lenin and Trotzky are democratic
TO the extreme and every one loves
them. The truth is that the govern
nent over there at present is no diff
ferent from the one under the car
and Rasputin. Just as the peasants
feared the tyranical ROmanoff before
his overthrow, they fear the Soviet
leaders now.
"There are nine anti-BOlsheviki to
every adherent to Sovietism In Russia
today, even in such cities as Moscow
and Petrograd where the BOlshevlk1
are considered powerful But the peas
ants had to submit when the govern
ment was under the seal of the eagle
and they are afraid to do anything diff
ferent while IT Is under the red seal.
Uprising Called Futile.
1--WE read recently of an uprising
against the government in Kronstadt
Nothing came of 1t because the Soviet
officials there are too powerful. Like
wise there could be no successful cOun-
ter~revOlution in Petrograd or Moscow
The only places where they might
meet with a little success are Odessa
Kiev and Charkoff, which have not yet
been made Soviet strongholds."
Mr.. Rubin told of meeting Alexander
Berkman and Emma Goldman in Mos
cow, where they are working for the
government compiling data on the in
dustrial movement since the present
government has been established. They
are both very much dissatisfied with
their lot and Miss Goldman had com
planned to the interviewer frequently
that she was sorry she left America.
he said
''But you have free speech now and
should be satisfied Mr.. Rubin said he
told her
Forget it." was her reply.
In the course of her conversation
with him, she said:
''Mr. Rubin, if you use your infiuenc
in getting me back to America / prom
Use I'll be a good little girl" Emma is
only one out of many who has seen
the mistake in BOlshevism, said the
former socialist.
Every one in Russia is eyed with
suspicion by every one else. Even
Americans in Moscow refuse to talk
openly to other supposed Americans
for fear they might be spies, Mr.. Rubin
said. And he was no different from
the others. When it became known
he had a brother who is an officer
in the American Federation of Labor
and a daughter who had been active
in collecting money for the various
drives in this country during the war.
he was looked upon by every one with
suspicion. Gut when they learned that
he had sent a letter to a ST. Louis
appointed with practical socialism.
their suspicion became greater and he
was thought to be a spy.
Surrounded by Spiea
II knew / would be shot if let
them know what / thought of them"
he said, $50 l decided to be careful
with whom / spoke. One day a man
who said his name was Williams came
to me and declared he, too, was an
American and occupied the room next
to mine. When he began denouncing
Lenin's government and praised
America l realized he was a spy, so
I praised Russia and complained of
conditions in America. / thought /
had convinced him. but apparently
hadn't"
Regularly every week Mr.. Rubin's
room was entered either while he was
out during the day, or at night while
he was asleep, and the raiders
searched for papers which they thought
he might have in his possession. He
was put in prison three times while
he was in Moscow, he declared, but
was never kept longer than one night.
In Odessa, however, Rubin did not
fare as well, for he was forced to
spend seven weeks in a jail at the
orders of General Denikine, who
accused him of being a spy for the
Bolsheviki. He was arrested on Oct
a, 191a-just a few days after he
landed and was sentenced to be shot
on Jan. "a Some weeks before the
threatened execution, the American
ambassador obtained his release
Telling of living conditions In the
Soviet capital Rubin said that all
houses were nationalized, even the
large, costly mansions of the well-to
do. Every workingman, he said. mus
go to the housing commission for al
application for rooms. II he has 6
wife and one child he is permitted t.