New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-04-13


% ihe manager answers: 81 am"
we have come to return your the
atcr to your own charge" The man
ager thanks him and the commissar con-
'lnues: Before we do so you must
tell us what you will pay ;or the
rights. We have another bid"
1t is the first experience Of this man
ager with the new policy of the gov
ernmcnt by which certain private
| businesses are to be returned either
to their former owners or to a higher
bidder Before he is through with the
transaction the manager of the thea
ter is compelled to promise to pay a
very high tax to keep his theater. Tc
him. therefore, the return of the thea
ter means the withdrawal of state sup
port and the beginning of large burdens
winch he is not sure his theaten can
carry.
A former manager of factory max
ing felt boots, now in the employ Of the
government, is approached in like man
ner:
on are to give up your job, relin-
quish your salary and ration and take
over your old factory that is waiting
Tor you. We will put your factory in
order, but you must pay the wages and
obtain the rations Of your labor. We
will take half of your OUTPUT for the
state, The Labor Council will control
the number and hours of the workmen."
The man demurs, but the government
IS persuasive and he undertakes the
task
Average Man Must Lift
Gigantic Burden in Russia
Here is expressed. in terms of the
average man in Russia, the significance
OF the recent change on the part OF the
government from communism and the
NATURALIZATION of industry back to
small trading. Manifestly this change
carries with it some, difficultes for the
small trader and for the citizen.
While releasing the initiatives of
these people, the first effect of this
policy is greatly to increase their bur
dens. To the laborer it means that he
has lost his ration; to the parent it
means that he must now support his
own child; to the soldier and govern
ment employee it means that he has
lost his job. To all classes it means
immediate and drastic taxes and
| levies
The institution of the new economic
policy by the Russian government
means the temporary, if not the per
manent, collapse Of communism as a
policy Of the state. AS this collapse
is fraught with important conse-
/ auences it may be permitted to in
/ qulre just what part communism has
/ played in the Russian experiment and
! how essential communism is to the
| government to-day.
"There are three Communists left in
all Russia" says Lenine, who was born
j Ulianov. "These three are Lenine,
/ Ulianov and myself"
i Until year ago the ruling party of
Russia was credited with 100000 mem
hers. To-day it is said to have 300
900 mem bers. This reduced number is
! explained by the fact that many of
those lost were not communists, but
anarchists on the one side or social
revolutonares on the other.
Personal impression leads one to
think that it is easier to find Com
munists in the city Of New York than
in Soviet Moscow. The ruling party
of Russia, first the Bolshevst party,
or party Of the Many, did not become
the Communist party until six months
after the November revolution of 1917.
There are evidences that this party is
now slipping its moorings and is be-
coming party of radical opportunists.
! Rule Of Soviet Becomes
Despotism of Cotcric
How far, then, is the Russian govern
ment attached to the Communist doc
trine? Contrary to the common belief,
/ the Russian government is not prima-
rily a Communist government. The
( character of the Russian government
! is indicated in its name. 1t is
| Soviet is, committee govern
ment--and it is workers govern
ment. To-day the Russian government
/ is despotism Of a coterie. It's bonds
to labor and even its Soviet qualities
are being subordinated TO hardening
of the structure of the state. The chief
| objective before the present govern
ment is the maintenance of its own
| power.
In the ordering of the Russian gov
/ ernment communism stands as pro
gram and an implement. In order that
the government should be in any sense
a real government it was necessary
to get control of the capital resources
Of the nation. without these the gov
ernment would be helpless and its rule
a mockerv. But capital is notorlously