Evening star., 1923-07-10
SECESSION BARRED
TO SOVIET STATES
New Constitution Gives Gen.
trail Government Power
to Veto Local Laws.
BY F.. A. MACKENZIE.

By Cable TO The Star and Chicago Daily News
MOSCOW, July 10.-The all-Rus-
sian executive committee, or Russia's
national congress, now in session
here. has adopted new constitution
changing the Russian socialist feder-
ative republic into a union of socialist
federative republics. This change
was adopted in principle last Decem-
Der when the all-Russian soviet, con-
sisting of delegates from all parts
of the republic, met in Moscow. Since
that time the proposed constitution
has been seriously debated.
Hitherto, soviet Russia has been
nominally a union of Independent
states, each possessing complete local
autonomy, but joining up with the
others here in a complete victory of
the principle of supremacy of the fed
eral government
The various states will still be
known as autonomous states. and as
independent republics will still exist
and maintain their state govern
ments, but the central government
now has direct control over all in
terstate enterprises and has the pow
er to veto or to change the DEGREES Of
any state.
Under the new constitution Russia
remains divided into four main
groups-Russia proper, white Russia.
Ukrainia and the Caucasian repub-
lies. The all-RusSia soviet consist
ing of 1000 or 5000 delegates will
meet once year in turn in Moscow.
Kharkov, Minsk or Tiflis, electing
two houses of parliament. the coun-
ell of nationalities and the council of
union. The council of nationaltties
will consist of five delegates from
each autonomous state. and one from
each small autonomous province. The
council of union Will be composed or
81 members elected from the diff
ferent states in proportion to popula-
ton.
These two councils together will
form the all-Russa executive COM
mittee. The constitution places abso-
lutte power in the hands Of this COM
mittee. 1t must consider any DEGREES
by the commissariats which involve
fundamental changes in the state,
and il will have power to suspend any
measure: 1t will have a cabinet called
prosidium, composed Of seven
members from each council and seven
elected by the united executive COM
mittee, or twenty-one in all.
This cabinet will be the supreme
organ of power between the sessions
of the executive committee 1t will
have authority to bring to trial the
highest officers of state, to suspend
| the DEGREES of commissariats or au-
tonomous states or republics and Will
! be responsible only to the central
! executive committee.
| Five great departments are placed
under the management of commissars,
who will be responsible to the prosi-
dium. These five departments are
foreign affairs. war and navy. foreign
trade transportation and posts and
telegraphs and telephones.
In each of these departments the
commissar will administer affairs
throughout all Russia, having pleni-
potentiaries in the different autono-
nous states.
A supreme court has been created.
| One extraordinary feature Of the new
constitution is the formal recognition
of the great power of the Gay-Pay- 90,
| formerly known as the cheka. de-
partment called the Gay-Pay-Oo, and
/ intended to fight political and eco
nomic counter-revolution and es-
pionage and brigandage is now con-
stituted It's commissar is made
consulting member of the council or
peoples commissars. Heretofore II
las been a fundamental principle of
| the Russian soviets that any state
could secede If 1t wished to do so. Un-
! der the new constitution no state
may secede without the consent of
other states.
! (Canyripht 1921