The Columbia evening Missourian., 1922-01-09
SOVIET RULE
is ABSOLUTE
IN RUSSIA NOW
Has Control of Administration
and Is Supported by Co.,
600 Members of Com
munistic Party.
BACKED BY LOYAL ARMY
No Factors Offer Possibility of
Overthrow of Soviet Re
gime-Covenment
Is Confident.
By JOHN GRAUDENz

fNS' -tacU cOfftsPONuf"-f
Moscow, by MaiD-The Soviet gov
crnmcnt is today probably the most alb
solute in the world.
With complete control of a reorgan
.zed administrative apparatus il is sup
ported by over six hundred thousand low
al communist members Of the Commu
nistic party, all Of whom arc holding
posts within the state machinery. Ii con.
trolls the entire transportation system
however poor il may be. Ii contols the
wireless. telegraph and pos, apparatus Ii
is backed by strong. well disciplined,
absolutely loyal and faialistic army. II
has no organized opposition. 1t controls
the entire press.
There is no factor offering the slight.
est possibility Of overihrowing the So
Wet regime from within Russia. There
has been and still is a certain amount
OF opposition from the workmen headed
by the trade unions against the socalled
New Economic Policy. but the govern.
ment is confident to be able to beat thai
opposition through measures. now un-
der way. which will enable the working
classes to buy the minimum existence ar
iicles at the free trade markets. The gov
ernment expects that the workmen will
yield 10 what Lenin considers an una
yoidable measure and offers no resistance
10 the new course.
Hopes that a possibility TO overthrow
the Bolsheviks might come through hun
ger revolts would prove more fatal to the
rest Of the world than the Soviet System
itself. Providing the hungry peasants
would have enough punch left to rise and
march towards the more prosperous re-
gions, the Soviet authorities are deter.
mined to direct the hordes towards the
west. with the help of the army. The
army need not FIRE a single shot if the
government simply puts up food stations
towards Poland. But il is a fact that the
Russian peasant, being completely dis
armed, is not capable Of a real riot.
The question therefore arises; shall
the world continue to wait for the un-
expected or enter Russia with capital and
reconstruct Russia? Everyone knows
Russia is unable to reconstruct herself
without outside help. On the other hand.
Russia knows the world needs Russia
as consumer. AT present, Russia is un-
able 10 buy all materials she wants TO
import in cash. She needs credit.
Assuming what has been said above
about the existence Of the Soviet gov
ernment-whether its existence is based
on democratic rights or not, does nat
alter the fsct-the only question which
Interests American capital remains:
what guarantees and prospects have con-
cessionair in Russia today?
With few exceptions, Russia is pre-.
pared to grant any concession in any un.
exploited and even already exploited dis
uict. While il refuses to acknowledge |
ine right Of private property and conse-
quenily wont return factories, mills. !
works, etc, to former owners. including
Americans, il is willing TO give the works |
back TO the former owners in a way Of |
concession. The concessionairs are per- |
mitied TO export their outputs, outside !
certain quantity which the government
needs for itself and either will accept as
payment for the concession or pay at the |
world market prices. With regard to the
concessions Of gold. platinum and silver
mines, Russia will reserve herself the
right Of priority to purchase the gold and
silver as a matter of precauiion to pre-
vent that Russia some day might be ex-
claded from the gold market entirely.
Lcnin says: LET the world make
money in Russia. as much as il wants.
We won't hinder il. All we want is TO
secure for our population the hygenic ra.
iion. This will be improved gradually
through the electrifcation and other
measures which will be carried out as
quick as possible In the end. the Rus
sian population will benefit of the ex-
ploilation Of Russia through the foreign
capital, anyhow"
The question asked repeatedly: What
guarantees have concessionairs that the
Soviet government some day wont con.
hscate our capital! is answered by Sow.
ct officials with the statement that the
Sovieis have lived up to their promises.
Also; once foreign capital enters Rus
sia and starts to reconstruct Russia's
transportation system.its factories, mines.
etc, Russia will be unable to cut
the ties without seriously injuring her