Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-04-29
RULE Of SOV|ETS
PROVES POPULAR

WASHINGTON. - "'The Soviet
government is in no danger from it's
opponents within Russia. 1t has
great popular support, and all the
initiative and enterprise are enlisted
in the Soviet forces. In the opposi-
ton, there is neither energy nor
moral force"
That is the opinion brought back
to Washington by H. w. Truesdell,
agricultural expert formerly with
the United States department. of Ag-
riCulture, after IL months in the
service of the Soviet government.
Truesdell's views of life in Rus
STA. however, are scarcely as glow
ing as his opinion of the stability Of
the present government. Although
himself an official representative Of
the "All Russian Soviet Peoples
kommissariat," he at times was
weak from undernourishment.
81 lived for one period of 80 days
on cabbage and black bread" he eX-
plains, land for similar period l
had a diet of only black bread and
summer squash. The bread ration
was limited to one pound day. One
could eat all the summer squash he
could hold. But I often found that
after I had eaten all 1 could Of this
diet I was still hungry. 1t filled
one up, but didn't satisfy.
I'm northern Russia, even in Pet
rograd and Moscow" Truesdell
says, 'the people are living chiefly
on black bread, soup made from
grains and cooked grains and tea.
Kasha, which is dried grains, chiefly
wheat, barley and millet, is the sta
pie food.
There is much actual starvation
and undernourishment and hunger
are general. I myself was hungry
most of the time was in Russia"
AS an expert on agriculture, con-
corning which he was employed to
advise the Soviet government Trues-
dell says Russia. has much to learn.
Before she can get production in
creased to meet the needs of her
great population, she must accept
modern methods to increase effi-
cheney.
''The production per capita of
farm workers is very low" he says,
"even in times when climatic and
crop conditions are good.
"In fruit growing, for instance,
they still follow to a great degree
the practice of hand spading the or
chards. One good man in America,
with American methods and imple'
ments, will do as much as from five
to eight Russian workers.
"In an industrial way, small In
ddstries have been making rapid
progress since the decision Of the
government to license small bust
ness.
Zone of the great steps forward
that has been taken under the Sow
lets, is the identification of all the
larger cities. The electric utilities
have been developed under Soviet
control far beyond what they are in
other European cities.
Money is always a problem. Be-
cause of the tremendous issues Of
paper currency and it's depreciation,
it's value is uncertain. In one week
before I left Moscow, the price of
bread-advanced from
9 1000 to $4,000 roubles a pound. Part
1y this was due to the shortage of
bread, partly to further depreciation
Of the rouble.
"Just before T left Moscow new
issue of paper currency was started,
one rouble of which was equal in
value to 10000 roubles of any pre-
Vious issue.
oddly enough, foreign currencies
are worth more in Russia than gold
coins of the same countries. That
is due to the comparative ease in
getting currency out of Russia,
while it is almost impossible to get
out any gold"