The Washington times., 1922-03-31
Parasites of Russia
Preying on Children
Who Plead for Food

chine. earnestly striving TO defend
the interests Of the children: but
striving in vain, only to be finally
eliminated by the all-powerfui ma
chine.
I saw a striking illustration of
this phase In Moscow, shortly be-
fore left. In a certain district
there Is q model creche. the best
organized and equipped ! came
across in Russia. The matron was
very rare type of womanhood. an
idealist, an educator of long expe-
rience and a tireless worker. she
set herself sternly against the
dead soul' practice. She. wouid
not rob Peter to feed Paul. Sne
would not bribe the petty Officials
Of the sub-department.
Deprived Of Her Position.
A usual, q campaign was started
against her. The leading spirit IN
the. miserable attack was the physi-
clan of the creche. a Communist
All sorts Of accusations were aid Mt
the matron's door. none OF which
had any basis. But the machine
would not let up until the woman
was forced out Of the place. Incl
dentally that meant also being de-
prived of her room. The woman
was q mother Of a four-month old
baby.
II was in November, the weather
was cold, the damp penetrating. Yet
the matron who had fought for the
creche was ordered to leave he
cheche. For the sake Of her infa mt
she refused to go until assured Of
room in the building. She was then
given a little, dark, damp room in
q basement which could not have
been heated for three years. In that
tomb the infant fell sick and mas
been ailing ever since.
Does Lunacharsky know Of such
cases? Do the leading Communists
know Some no doubt do. But
they are too busy with important
state affairs" And they have be-
come callous to all such "trifles. "
Then, too, they themselves are
caught in the vicious circle. in the
machinery Of Boishevik officialdom.
They know that adherence to the
party covers q multitude of sins.
During my two years stay in
Russia visited many institutions,
but I met very few happy children.
In all that time heard a really
hearty child's laugh only once. in
Archangel may have occasion
to write about that experience in a
future article. On the whole. most
children in Bolshevik institutions
impressed me as colorless and ster-
eartyped. veritable children of orphan
asylums.
Starving for Affection.
There Is something practically
gripping about those children. They
are not only starved for food. but
even more so for affection-they
are lonely children. know this
does not correspond with the le-
gends circulated of the millennium
come to the child In Bolshevik
Russia. But. then, ] have no in
tention of perpetuating legends.
There was one other factor which
set the Communist state above the
other government-the abolition Of
child labor. That was its most sig
nificant achievement for which the
Communists deserved much credit.
But now that Lenin's new economic
policy lis fast resurrecting the dead
now that capitalism and private ex-
ploitation are slowly but surely re-
turning to Russia the Bolshevik
government will soon be the equal
of all other civilized governments
with child labor as its great source
Of national wealth.
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