New-York tribune., 1922-04-08

vas inspired for the service of labor
Ishould have received its death blow
from labor.
Judging by the proclamations of ths
RUSSIAN government the social revo-
| iution was undertaken in behalf Of
three groups-thc workmcn, the meas
! ants and the soldiers. The inclusion
OF soldiers in these groups was a
/ transition eXpedienr, made necessary
by the situation. in Europe and the
| military threat menacinc the now
state. The head of the Soviet govern.
ment would be the first to state that
neither soldiery nor the nationalisn,
| mat soldiers protect had any place In
tne ultimate ideal of communism.
as an economic program the Soviet
experiment. rested on the workmen and
! ene M peasants. Between these two
ciasSes thero remained to be worked
out system of direct exchange which
would dispense with money and ,s the
machlnery of capitalism.
"hlle this machinery was in nrocoss
OF construction it was importa if Il
| ooCh classes remain at work me
! products of the industry Of the one
were indispensable TO the rontinuinc
l,fc of the other OF the two clagses
! inc peasants continued at work until
| they were starved for the products of
.,huustry and the last grains from
| 'helr bins had gone to the city.
| !, we are in great shoe factory in
this factory has turned out only
enough shoes to supply the workers.
Today It's output is practically nil.
| 1T is now used not as factory at all
buf as an adjunct to the new system
of education practiced by the Depart
ment of Public Instructions There is
III the factory half million dollars
worth of machinery. To-day that ma.
chlnery is idle. Around each piece
group of high school boys is ex-
p,erlmentlng. discussing together the
character and uses of, the machinery
or topics more wonted for boyh ood.
! An instructor goes from group to croup
guiding the discussion, answering
| questions.
Raw Material in Plenty;
Guiding Spirit Is Lacking
| remember this scene when a little
later am in Samara and sec the
| great loads of hides which are being
p'led up as consequence Of the un-
usual slaughter Of cattle End horses.
The Russian people need shoes. the
hides are waiting for a market. And
| yet valuable shoe factory is being
| employed as a laboratory for the in
struction of youth.
Long after the industrial workman
had ceased to do his share the peasant
and the railroad worker continued to
support labor, and thus indirectly to
support the Soviet experiment. The
peasant cannot run his farm indefi-
nitely without fabricated materials,
clothing and plows. The railroads cam
not run indefinitely without sending
| the LOGON motivcs and cars to the repair
shops. All the peasants and railroad
men have asked was that in return for
the service they rendered the indus
trial labor of the country should con-
tinue to supply the conveniences and
necessities that belong to it's domain.
These labor has not Supplied Fabri-
Gated materials have disappeared. The
! repair shops have been closed for lack
OF labor.
Save among special classes in which
the vital spark seems still to glow,
notably the government officials, the
railroad men and the peasants, indus
try in Russia has been followed by in
ortia, labor has been succeeded by
lethargy. The JOY of production has
expired. Cynical distrust has taken the
place of creative faith.
Conditions such as these cannot arrive
without some deep cause. Whatever
may be the pretensions or the accom-
plishments of the government we must
look for this cause in the govern
ment's policies. pointing to these for
the collapse of that industry and CO.
operative effort by which alone the
structure of society can hang together.
The disappearance of industry from
Russia is less a matter Of mechanical
disintegration than of the death of the
| ICnntlnuad ON nana feur)