The Washington times., 1922-12-04
RUSSIA SHOWS
4 INDUSTRIAL
Gains
Sydney HiIIman Tells How
Soviet Is Rebuilding Eco
nomic Activities.

/ nomio Activities.
Sydney Hillman, who holds a
elothes-n,ating franchise from the
Russian soViet government, and
sUho has raised $500 900 IN America
to carry for,0ard the project, has
just returned from Mosco,o. He
Is probably more familiar sUith
actual conditions IN Russia than
Gny other American.
BY SYDNEY HILLMAN.
President Amalgamated Clothing
Workers of America.
copyright. 1922, by Cosmopolitan
News service.)
NEW YORK, Dec. 4.-Soviet
Russia, having passed through the
crisis Of political revolution, the
dangers Of foreign intervention
and invasion, and the terrible
drain Of q famine, Is now at last
devoting all its energies to the
building up Of its industrial life
% that the gains of the revolu-
tion may be preserved.
Seeks Economic Revival. 80
The activity of Russia today In
not the testing Of economic theories
nor the excited activity Of period
OF revolution. 1t 10 the serious,
earnest effort to produce and dis
tribute the necessaries Of life so
that a population Of over one hum
dred and fifty million may live In
peace and comfort. With the rest
Of Europe In q state of economic
collapse, as 1t 10 today. no greater
contribution could be made to the
welfare of all peoples than the
economic revival of Russia.
II Russia can show the way to
q rebuilding of industrial life under
present conditions she will have
made a. positive contribution to
humanity which cannot be over
estimated.
OF course, there is still hunger in
Russia. although conditions are
Not every political question or diff.
ficulty Of foreign relations is set
tied yet. But there Is an accumu-
Attng force back of the movement
for economic. revival which over.
shadows in real importance all sen.
sational stories emanating from
Russia about famine or foreign
policy.
Find Communism Fails.
What Is being built up in Russia
ut present Is not communism. The
leaders of the soviet government
are idealist, and when they faced
facts they saw that under present
conditions communism could not
be establishmed in Russia. They
have flexible minds and have adopt.
ed q new economic policy in which
capitalistic institutions under pub
lie control are to play their part.
As an example, take the clothing
trade. There is the textile trust,
embracing the factories and plants
In the industry. and controlled by
tho Textile Syndicate. The latter
buys all the raw materials for the
factories, 1t determines prices, It
settles trade matters. II any plant
feels 1t is unjustly treated, II ap-
peals to the government.
Must Borrow Money.
The clothing industry needs work.
ing capital. This working capital,
which is to be used in furnishing
necessary raw materials, machin.
cry, etc., must bo borrowed from
abroad. For the use of this bor-
rowed capital the Russian clothing
industry will pay dividends in the
usual capitalistic way. At the same
time, however, the whole enterprise
remains, in its larger aspects, under
the control OF the government and
the physical plants and machinery
themselves remain public property.
II, with the aid of the foreign
capital, the industry can become
profitable enough to pay off its
debts. the loan can be repaid and
the industry will go on solely as
q public enterprise.
Aim To Eliminate Profits,
Competition is permitted. Amin
dividual may go into the textile
business, on the profit basis. Here
II IL that the new method must
demonstrate it's superior efficiency.
II II cannot meet this competition,
the whole idea of the new policy
Of Soviet Russia will fail. II II
can. then profits. as that term is
now used 90 indicate surplus for
individuals, will have been elm
mated from industry.
The matter of an appeal to the
government Is important. Over
here, people may complain that
bread prices are too high. The
government will Join in demagogic
attacks on the bread trust, let MS
say. In Russia. an appeal to the
government, which is the bread
trust and other trusts, is an appeal
Tor direct action for relief.
Government Rules Industry.
It is this greater responsibility of
the government which makes Il 30
susceptible to the dissatisfaction
among its people. when 1t arises.
For, while II has been found that
complete Capitalization in govern
ment was impossible, the govern
ment still has control over each
autonomous unit of industry.
Within a few years the expert.
ment will be decided. Meanwhile,
there is more disputing about the