The Elk Mountain pilot., 1923-10-18
Continued from page one)

found the railroads in good con-
dition and every train on time. The
cars were clean, the service good, and
the meals satisfactory. saw much
new work on the railroads, especially
in the war districts. I was informed
that 80 per cent of the mileage is
now in operation and that for the
first time they have their own loco
motive shops This was confirmed by
American representatives of the Bald
win Locomotive Company at Bucha-
rest.
The religious question is the only
one that has threatened the stability
of the Soviet government since the
ter-revolutionists were driven
out This settlement has been ac-
cepted in good spirit and vast ma
jority of the priests have joined the
new living church. The Protestant
churches, notably the Methodists,
Baptists and Quakers, have already
started great religious movements
and the field is open to all churches.
While the soviet government is non
sectarian, still, it is not hostile to
the churches free to work out their
own plans This certainly adds
greatly to the stability of the gov
ernment, The only disturbance
heard of while was in Russia was a
train robbery.
Russias elections are run exactly
like the old stand-pat Republican
caucuses and they ought to be re-
formed and will be in time. Every
body, women and all, vote-except
the czarists, certain intellectuals and
employers of labor. These exceptions
are an unfair discrimination and
ought to be removed Communism
as, it started is dead. Even the state
operated enterprises are being reor-
ganized as co-operatives with the ap-
proval of the government. Co-opera-
tion has grown to six times it's vol
ume before the revolution.
Nobody approves the excesses and
cruelties of the revolution even
though they were inevitable Every
body thinks czarism should have been
overthrown. The present govern
ment is largely a labor government
although the voice of the peasant
grows stronger in it every day. This
unites the vast majority of the peo-
pie in its support The army is made
up of peasants and workers and any
body can see it is entirely friendly to
the populace. All trials are now con-
Quoted in regular courts. AS among
peasants and workers they are fair;
as to czarists they are not. They are
sometimes extreme in their punish
ments. They are making every pos
sible effort to educate all the people
except the czarists They teach their
theories of government as we teach
Americanism. Upon the whole think
they will have to modify many things
| in their government even as we have
done by nineteen amendments to our
constitution.
Communist propaganda against the
United States is dead 1t never was
one-tenth part of what we put out
against them! Every Russian met
expressed the deepest friendship for
America from Trotzky down to the
lowest peasant. There is every rea-
son to, believe it is genuine.
As matters now stand there are
three alternatives in Russia: The
present government, czarism or chaos.
The soviet government is many times
better than czarism which we recog-
nized for 14O years. 1t is also many
times better than the unspeakable
Turk with his long history of Chris.
tian murders, but whose government
we have always recognized and do
now The recognition of a govern
ment does not mean approval. If it
did should oppose it and there are
several other countries whose recog-