Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-02-01
Can Russia Sway
The Scales Of Wara

Is Russia and her sovietism a
menace to the peace Of Europe?
This is a question disturbing those
who think they see in Russia a pow
erful ally for Germany in possible
trouble growing out Of Frances In
vasion OF the Ruhr.
Tied up with 1t Is this question:
Has sovietism really changed?
A mar who has just come from
Russia, and who see her through
the unbiased eyes Of a philanthro-
pist, discusses here for NEA Service
the economic background in which
are mirrored all the probabilities Of
Russia as a factor for war or peace:
BY EDWARD THIERRY
(NEA Service Staff Writer)
NEW YORK, Feb. 1:-fEconomi-
cally, Russia Is weak. Financially
she is fat. Philanthropy cannot re-
store her and only public finance
can"
This Is the picture painted by
Allen T. Burns, member of the Com
mission on Russian Relief, just re-
turned from q four months tour of
Investigation.
Burns, noted for his civic and So
biological work in Pittsburgh, CIeye-
land, Rochester, Chicago and New
York, spoke with the strict emphasis
that he had neither comment nor
opinion on Russia's political and
military aspects.
His conclusions, otherwise, are
these;
Communism exists mainly in
name. The power of the peasants is
becoming supreme. The peasants
passion Is peace; they do not want
war; q significant thing about them
10 their gratitude, admiration, eve
adorahon, for the United States.
9Restoration Of agriculture Is the
biggest thing before the republic.
NJ. Chicherin, the foreign minister,
| agreed with that, sayins to me: The
need Ia 81 pressing that It will COM
pei us to get q foreign lo~n.' / ven
tured to suggest that IL 1t is 80 press
ing perhaps the soviet might be COM
PEELED to meet the terms Of the PEG
erin was si1entl"
Burns declared that step by step
the peasants were forcing a change
In communion.
"Russia normally is 80 per cent
agricultural" he said. Industrial
workers created communism. Now
there Is scarcely any industry; work
ers are either idle or Hooking back
to the land.
FEeaSanL5 IOTCSU tAG 1~SsOCdLI0A 0L
cenfiscations OF grain and produce
in favor Of a scale of 10 to ~ per
| cent tax on a normal crop; they sins
| ply laid down on the job and grew
| only enough to feed themselves and
| demanded from the government tic
| kets they were entitled to under the
| soviet scheme for things they didn't
raise.
f|rhe next step in revolutionizing
communism was the abandonment
OF government operation. The gov
eminent still owns everything-in
name. For example, they let cor
| poratiens run iHdustries-and hand
| back to them 80 per cent Of the
| profits; 1t is simply, under a different
| name, taxation Of 10 per cent of
| private enterprise"
Burns made it plain that he could
| make no political forecasts. His EN-
| phasis was on the declaration that
| every consideration Of Russia must
go back to agriculture, which Is
Russian life, backbone. and ruling
motive,
'"The outstanding fact Is that for
the past two years she has been
planting but SO per cent OF normal"
he said. He pointed out that the
famine due to the drought of last
summer was SO per cent as bad as
that Of 1921 and affected an area
in which there are 1t,6"H 000 people.