The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-11-05

Makes Living by Questionable Methods
of SpeeuIatiOn-Can't Make Enough TO
Get Back TO America-WouId Cost Him
1OO.OOO,O00 Rubles.
TIFLIS, Nov. ). (By a stan cores
pondent of The Associated Press)-The
question uppermost in the minds of all
visitors to Russia is: What can be
done to revive Russia 5 broken down
economic and inductrial situation? The
writer put that query TO Russians
American jew who lad just befriended
him during an alteration with a Red
guard over the correspondent S right to
occupy scat IN train iammed to over
flowing, during the trip from Batum to
Tihis
The friendly Jew, high Official in the
Soviet Of Georgia, sent here from Mos
COW to carry out in some degree the
latter 5 plans, sat down in the crowd
ed compartment and tailed about
Russia from his point a. view.
Russia 5 got to be boiled out, that :
ALL he explained 1.-The process may
take 20 years but when it 5 finished
there II be but two great peoples on
earth. Russians and the Americans And
they II lie as like as twin brothers, both
rich in agriculture and in mineral
wealth.
Russian Needs
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 fortunes.
The next and immediate need of
Russia IS education. The Soviet is try
ing to do that. Every man III the Red
army Is taught to read aud write. But
the Job Is difficult one. Under the
Old regime, education was discouraged
The people were exploited by the
wealthy and educated few
This keen Russiau,Ameriean told OF
himself and his present needs. He
was earning a biz salary, 100000 rubles
month, exactly 81 at the present rate
of exchange aud enough to keep his
family going for about day. The rest.
tho millions OF rubles necessary for the
other DAYS he made I'D BY sDeculat ion.
BY shrewd practices for which he would
be shot il 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
~ 900 rubles and bad quality at that
,AiSo- his oniY son had, tuberculosis as
at prohibitive prices were required
Soviet Lot of Fools
Was this man satisfied with the 1
Soviet regime: OF course not. He had
Tked hard FOR ii for three wears, tol
keen going, he lad held all sorts of Jobs |
that roquired high intelligence and he
considered the crowd in Moscow lot of
of FOOLS
Up to 1916, he had been in America.
had his three automobiles and big i'm
porting agency. owned his home in 4
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 ne can
make his fortune back
He hated the old aristocratic class be-
cause they tried to have everything for
themselves, because theirs was a system
that led TO laZineSs. drunkenness and
nOn-production and finally the extinc-
ton OF their class in the grand crash
of ruiRous 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 Z
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 thieyery- the !
correspondent had best look out for his
pockets and his baggages--but TO be
Has 100000 Army
Another excellent institution of the
Soviet was the Red army, yes, that was
thing to be proud of. Dieipline was
fine. 1t was better than the Cars army. |
Now only men IN TO 81 were enrolled. |
There were 100000 of them-a great /
force 10 be reekoned with.
Would the United States come in and |
help Russia This thought was upper
most in his mind He hoped So He !
wanted to get back to America for 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 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 100000 |
600 rubles Speculate as he might, he
could never get together such a sum. |
Maybe he might arrange TO get sent
over on commission, when Moscow
got the Americans TO accept the trade
idea, Just now he had IS i'm American
money-500.000 rubles-which he had
given his wife as birthday present.
Well, one had to make the best of
things in Russia. One got used to
makeshifts. He was supposed to have
private car, but it was in repair shop and
tonight he was sleeping on the floor of
the car we were in. IIe couldn't find |
a seat and was glad of the floor space !
Thousands had been left at the station
in Batum waiting for another train
Ask Daughter.
hoe t,ratS..s If tho 81, f.,t,