Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1921-06-02
MORE LIGHT ON
B0LSHEv|ST RULE
Russian Farmers Resent Food
RequiSitions and Often Kill
Those Seeking It.
BITTER AGAINST AMERICA
Russian Government Does Not Take
Kindly to Visitors and Travelling
Has Been Made DifficuIt-Ameri-
cans Popular in Siberia.

New Iork.-A better economic sys-
TEN must be evolved by the soviet gov
eminent or it must surely give way
in very short time, according to
Harold V. Fay of Auburn, N. Y, who
has just returned from years all
sence in China, Russia and other
points in the Far East At the begin
ming of the war Mr.. Fay was in China,
and when the American forces went
to Siberia he resigned his position in
the University of Nanking and joined.
remaining with them until they re-
turned home when he went to Russia
as a correspondent.
"The soviets are pretty solid poiit-
ically, but economically extremely un-
sound" said Mr.. Fay "They may
have to give way to firmer form Of
government, and one wherein property
rights must have some say The people
in the cities are the most unfortunate,
for they are SO underfed. The govern
ment sends out expeditions to requisi-
tlon food from the farms, but the
peasants do not take kindly to the
appropriation Of their products, and
are heartily opposed to the soviets
although they will be slow to take
any action.
Real Property Taken.
Sometimes the peasants ambush
these expeditions and kill them, but
these cases have not been very numer-
Gus. All real property has been taken
from those who owned the land. 1t Is
not likely that they will ever be able
to recover any of it, but all this propa-
ganda by those who have come out Of
Russia and have lost their estates will
be of little avail, in my belief, for 1t Is
extremely unlikely that Russia will re-
turn to the old form of government.
There are very few Americans In
Russia now. The government does not
take kindly to visitors and travelling
has been made very difficult. They do
not like to have travellers come through
from Siberia, and no one Is allowed to
enter from the southern countries Of
Asia. Another newspaper man and my
self were the only two Americans COM
ing through from Siberia, and when
we arrived in Moscow the authorities
did not seem to like it, but finally they
sent us through to Finland, and in this
way we came out Of the country.
I'm Siberia Americans are very pOpu-
lar, as America has done a great deal
for Siberia In sending clothing and
other aid to the people, and also be-
cause the United States government
did not recognize Kolchak. But the
Russian people in the more western
areas are very bitter toward u.s. as
they feel that we offer greater re-
Sistance than any other country, and
they say that we are the last strong
hold of capitalism. Their ideas are
that communism is bound to prevail
all over the world, and that they will
win out
Issue Ration Cards.
"Rations are served to every one in
Russia, but there Is really great order
there. A traveller gets one pound Of
black bread day and one-half pound
of sausage and some salt, sugar and
tea, but the residents only get ono
pound of black bread and no sausage.
They give you ration cards for which
you can draw from the government
stores, but only one meal day. You
must buy the rest from whatever
sources you may be able to find. There
are government restaurants and there
are also some public markets in Mos
COW, but the government means to
eventually control all food products
and dispense with the public markets;
they would do that now, but they find
il difficult to prevent those that are
open.
There Is no gasoline to run the
trucks and automobiles but they use
as substitute a spirit made from
potatoes This Is also drunk quite gen.
orally as stimuant 1t is poorly
made alcohol and not so good as the
vodka that they used to have In former
times, but 1t Is consumed in great
quantities. Prohibition prevails,
though all over Russia and it seems
to be Il good thing.
THE American dollar is now worth
from 1000 to 5000 rubles, but the
money has to be exchanged secretly.
While | was In Moscow | heard that
Emma Goldman and Berkman had been
sent out to one Of the Russian prov
nces to collect data on some pretext
or another, as they were very unwel-
come to the Bolsheviki. The govern
ment was greatly annoyed that the
United States should send anarchists
to Russia. as they do not recognize
them there. The soviet form is not
anarchistic."