The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-03-25
SAYS RUSSLAbOR
ISFIRMLY UNITED
AGAINST SOVIETS
Conditions of Working Men I'M
der 8oIshevik Regime Worse
Than Those of Peasants,
Is Declaration
BY Associated Press

New York, March A.-George B
Stroonillo, a Russian labor leader, who
arrived in the United States this week
and conferred yesterday with Samuel
Gompers. president of the American Fed
GRAFTON of Labor. tonight issued state
ment regarding present conditions in his
country He quoted Mr. Gompers as up
holding the position taken by Russian
labor against bolshevism and promising
that Stroomillo's arguments about the
distressing experiences of working men
and peasants would be distributed
throughout this country for the informa-
ton of American labor.
Mr.. Gompers, the Russian labor leader
said, authorized him to say that the Ia
Dor movement in the United States
would not give countenance to bolshe-
vism, either in this country or Russia
and that the labor movement stood tor
the right of the Russian people to ex-
ercise their function to determine theil
form of government"
Stroomilo is a member of the board OF
trade unions of metal workers OF tne
Peru district and was delegated by the
trade unions of Ural to proceed TO otnei
countries for the purpose OF warning Ia
Dor against bolshevist principles.
PITIFUL PLIGHT
Equipped with statistics concerning lis
destruction of Russia s Industries, trans
port and agricuitur, under the boisneVis1
regime, he said, he was prepared to snow
chat the conditions of the working men
under the bolshevist dictatorship of ths
system of INFLAMMATION of labor are even
worse than those of the peasants. Whiis
the greater part of the Russian peasantrs
spread over an immense territory, Is OUT
of reach of the bolShevist dictatorship
and is able at least to live its own me-
the Russian working class as whoie rs
the immediate sufferer under the boishe-
visits regime.
"As the result of the destruction of
industries said Mr.. Stroomillo. the
Russian proletariat has shrunk to one
fifteenth of its former size. Freedom
of the unions is abolished. The unions
are established and work under the
control of the soviet authorities ana
can act only in the way prescripe1
by the soviet authorities. Freedom
of meetings and of speech Is abolished.
. 1t is a crime to utter word against
the bolsheviki. Strikes are declared
counter revolutionary acts. Workmeh
who go on strike are punished with
brutality unheard of in western coun-
tries Strikers are not only impris-
oned but deprived of their rations. AL
most all branches of industry are I'M
der martial law. Workers cannon
change from one factory or occupation
to another. They are forcibly en-
listed in the so-called labor armies
and overtime is compulsory.
DROWN REVOLT IN BLOOD
"The pitiful condition to which boil
shevism has brought Russia resulted
in the upheaval against the bolshevis'
tyranny which I'VE witnessed recently
in the very heart of Russic, in Kron-
stadt, Petrograd and Moscow. once
more the bolshevist tyrants have sue
ceeded in drowning in blood the revoi'
of the Russian people against them
But the revolution against the boil
shevist power is not confined to Kron-
stadt, Petrograd and Moscow alone
1t is spread all over Russia. What we
witness today is only temporary
victory of bolshevism in the center oil
Russia. AS the result, the bolshevisl
regime may last few months longer
but it's end is well at hand
THE Russian working class share.
the gratitude which all the Russian
people feel toward the people and the
government of the United States fo'
their policy of unselfish friendship
toward Russia. The Russian people
will never forget the American uncom
promising policy toward bolshevisn
and the American endeavor to safe
guard the territorial integrity of Rus
STA against the policy of dismember
ment pursued unfortunately by SOM
of Russia's former allies
The statement by Secretary Hoove
declaring that the trade really con
cluded by the bolsheviki with Grea
Britain is not trade treaty at all
but purely a political move on tn
part of both the bolsheviki and tn
government of Great Britain wa
praised by Mr.. Stroomillo. He de
clared Mr.. Hoover correct in announc
ing that re-establishment of norma
trade intercourse with Russia is i'm
possible until Russia is re-establishe
as a producing country. This will b
impossible, he said. until the bolshevil
regime is overthrown and norma
political and economic conditions ar
established in Russia