The Washington times., 1922-04-03
Russia Crushed By Bolshevists,
KrOpOtkin Told Miss Goldman

il was difficult to visit him. Special
permission had to be procured to
travel, and that involved much effort
and time. In the winter IL was almost
altogether impossible. Thus he. who
had in the past gathered at his homo
the best in thought and ideas from
every land. was now forced to the
life of a recluse.
Only Peasant Visitors.
His only visitors were unfortu-
nate peasants. workers of his village,
and some OF the intelligenzia who
would come to him with their daily
misfortunes. remember that the
evening of our visit Kropotkin had
received letter from an old friend
In Moscow. a scientist. The man
was living with his wife and two
children in one room. Only n
small lamp was lighting up the
family table at which the children
had to prepare their lesson. the
wife copy some manuscripts. while
he used one corner to do his scien-
tific research. He was employed
at a place twelve versts from home
and had to walk that daily.
Kropotkin. who had always kept
in touch with the world through
numerous publications in every
tongue. was now cut off entirely
from that source Of life. He was
not even able to learn what was
happening in Moscow or Petrograd.
His only channels of news were the
two government papers. the Pravda
and the Izvestia. He was much
handicapped in his work on ethics
while he lived in Dmitroff. He
could not obtain the necessary
books Of research. In short. Kro-
potkin was mentally starved, which
was. no doubt, greater torture to
him than physical malnutrition. He
received a much better payok, or
ration, than most people. But
even that was by far not sufficient
to keep up his vitality.
Helped by Friends.
Fortunately. he received from time
to time assistance-in the form Of
provisions-from various sources.
Thus his comrades from abroad. as
well as those from the Ukraine. often
sent him foodstuffs. He also received
similar gifts from Makhno, then her.
aided by the Bolsheviki as the terror
Of the counter.revolutiona forces in
southern Russia. But especially was
felt the lack Of light and fuel. When
l visited the Kropotkins. in 1920. they
were considering themselves fortu-
nate to have light in more than one
room. During part Of 1918 and all OF
1919, Kropotkin wrote his ethics by
the flicker of tiny Oil lamp that
nearly blinded him.
During the short hours Of the day
he would transcribe his notes on 4
typewriter. slowly and painfully
pounding out every letter. However.
It was not his own discomfort which
sapped Kropotkin's strength. 1t was
the hardships Of Russia. the suffer
ing about him, the suppression OF
every thought, the persecution and
imprisonment for opinion sake. the
endless arztrels OF people. which
made his last years the deepest trag.
edy.
II only he could have done some
thing to help. to lessen the suffering.
to bring the dictators OF Russia to
their senses. But he could not. He
could not, like some OF the old revo-
lutionary guard. make common
cause with the enemies OF the revo-
luton. Even had he found way Of
having his protests published in the
European press, the reactionists
would have used them against Rus.
sia. No. he could not do that. And
he knew only too well that it was
useless to protest to the Bolsheviki
government.
V..t