The Washington times., 1921-09-04

giving them any compensation
whatever.
Lenin knew that Russia must
have food from her farms or 60 un.
der. He saw clearly that he was up
against an immovable body.
l knew from past experience that
the Russian peasant with the bit in
his teeth was the most stubborn In
vidual in the world. I knew. too.
that he absolutely controlled the
situation. II he did not plant, all
Russia and great part of Central
Europe would simply starve.
Daily the sun climbed higher and
higher. The SHOWS vanished. The
trees came into leaf. Yet the peas
ants maintained their stubborn re-
sistance to the demand for food un-
der Communist regulations and tax
ations. Every night I sat ponder.
ing how long that strong man sit.
ting in the Kremiin just across the
river could hold out against the in.
evitable.
Lenin knew that the peasant had
been crowded 70 the limit Of his toll
erance. siow-thinking though he was.
II the peasant could be soothed and
his hostility and resentment ailayed
moro time could be had for the
Communicate experiment.
FREE TRADING EDICT
REVIVED THE MARKETS.
In March. 1921. he promulgated
the free trading act that started the
farmers to planting. that revived the
markets of Russia, that broke the
grip Of the Soviet itself from the
neck Of commerce and that spelled
the fate of the strangest experiment
ever tried out In human history.
The popular response to that edict
was fairly hystericai. Russia be-
came trading mad. Markets that had
been conducted in the cellars and In
secret places appeared in the squares
under their old roofs. Sanity was
coming back into its own. The Com
rnunists were explaining and apollo
gizing. saying: This is but a sub
terfuge and q temporary condition.
After the crops are in we win go
back to first principles"
I knew better. The synchronixa.
ton Of the opening of trade reia-
tions with the outside world and the
free trade edict could mean only one
thing.
1t is impossible for the Russian
government to keep q secret. Ten
days before the happening the rumor
was all over Moscow that Lenin was
to issue this edict. Early on the
morning It was published ! hired a
droslxy and drove across the city
to where knew the principal mar
ket would be. -.
Over night capitalism had come
back with q rush. Merry. jostling.
excited crowds were pouring through
the streets Of the district. In the
great .mushrooming market build.
.ngs, men and women were pushing
carts or carrying produce upon their
heads ans backs. Food such AZ had
not been ssen for q long time ap-
peered out Of the nowhere.
SURRENDER OF THE KKEMLIN
WAS VERY RAPID.
Once started the surrender Of the
Kremlin was rapid. Orders were IT,
sued that stores could be obtained
by application to the commisar.
Within ten days there was not va
cant storeroom for rent In the city Of
Moscow. The rains commenced and
the traders were able to take over
storerooms that had been boarded
UP and empty for years or that had
been boarded up and empty for years
or that had been merely used by the
Soviet for stocirooms.
asked one Of the big traders
where he would get his goods.
God only knows" he replied, but
we will start by stocking our store
with personal belongings and with
articles from our own homes, and
then we win trust to the future"
Next Sunday--Another fsscinat-
Ing installmcnt Of MIR. Vanderiip's