The Washington herald., 1922-05-08
By EDWIN w. HALINGER.

10 MOSCOW, AiTsi s-The entire
trend In Soviet Russia today is to-
ward strong Capitalization OF gov
ernment. both politically and eco
nomically." Ivan Sabiroff. president
of the Tartar Republic. told me.
I'VE have had enough of decen-
tralization. We tried IL out during
the early days of the Revolution
and IL wasn't practical. 1t brought
endless confusion. We realize now
that the one hope of a strong Rus
sia is a strong central government
as supreme throughout the country
as your Federal government in
Washington"
The 25-year-old prime minister
of the Tartar Republic. with his
boyish, face, his bright Tartar eyes
and his Charles Chaplin mustache,
nodded from his corner of the state
room.
President Sabiroff went on to ex-
plain how the autonomy OF the Tar
tar Republic now pertained only TO
cultural" educational or purely
local questions. In all matters of
more than local import, the Krem-
lin was supreme. He was content
il should be so. The states
w dS uNCihtut ~
he was concerned. Yet he is presi-
dent Of one OF the states"
Interview on Train.
our interview was in the presi-
Dental "stateroOm." in the Russian
Pullman which had been coupled to
the end of a regular Kazan-Mos-
COW passenger" 1t was the
second day out. There were long
waits at the stations en- route while
the engine crew were drying out
the damp wood and trying to get
up enough steam for another squirt.
There were the snowfields stretch
ing Infinitely away on all sides like
some great white sea. In the
crowded stateroom were the men
who were running the "auton-
Omous" republic. one of the most
important in the Soviet federation.
In the corner opposite the Prime
Minister sat the Chief Justice of
the Supreme Court, small kindly
voiced man. lightly bearded. dressed
in a corduroy suit and high boots.
He had never practIced. but he had
always been Interested in legal
matters. He had been a metal
worker. He spent a year in Ger
man prison camp during the war.
The controller" OF the republic,
the slant-eyed Tartar beside him,
had also been a laborer. He had
had two years in the lower gram
mar schools. which had taught him
20 read and write. after a fashion.
He had had the energy to continue
alone at night until now he could
read and write both Tartar and
W.. ss
French Communist in Moscow, he
had picked up some French. He
had made every inch of every op-
portunity.
JocuInr and Dignined.
His receding forehead lost itself
in a mass OF closely clipped black
hair. He was jocular without ever
relaxing from the dignity of the
East. He controlled" all the A.
nances and expenditures Of the Tar
tar eovernment-railwa Cheka,
schools, army-not a rouble could
be spent without his permission, he
confded.
The president himself was OF an
other type. He was small, without
having any of the personal mag
netism and snap of the little Prime
Minister. When he laughed he
laughed uncontrolledly. like a little
boy. But he could drink his votka
straichter than any man in the
crowd.
The little Prime Minister. who
would rather he studying law than
running. state. was easily the mas
ter of the crowd. He had left his
law studies in Kazan University at
the call Of duty" His strong, fine
features. his lightning play Of humor
and quick appreciation of both the
human and logical in any situation
compelled attention. He was the
boy wonder" OF the government.
II had been never-to- e-forgotten
trip, one that could not be duplicated
on any other presidential train. or
Congressional train. in any country.
We had sung sorgs-beautiful Rus
sian melodies that sounded like
Rimski korsakoff.
Premier Sings Baritone.
The Prime Minister led. with his
fine baritone. the president sang a
good tenor. and the chief justice.
bass. Try to imagine President
Harding. Hughes. and Taft singing
negro plantation melodies together
on their way to national conven-
tion. The controller jigged a Tartar
folk step in the doorway of the state
room. We told stories. beginning
with William Wahren. head of the
\. K. 4. in Eazan. Comrade H
translated. to the glee of the assem-
bled statemen.
The men possessed A fieXibility and
breath of interest which enabled
them to swing quickly from politics
to religion. philosophy. songs. funny
stories. as easily and as continuously
as il all. were so many links i'm
general mutual chain OF thought
Yet the majority were common la
borers' few years ago.
The Prime Minister had got all set
to start in on Capitalization" but
the conductor appeared suddenly in
the doorway with the news that there
was hot water at the station. So
We all seized the kettles. thcrmos
bottles or pals and trooped out into
the snow. to the little water shed.
feature of every well-regulated'
Russian station, and filled our ket-