Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-07-23
Must Change Tactics
Continued from Page onel

NSo"''oeu from rage One)
cumstances, extend official recos,,
ton to such a viliainous despotism !,
To Mr.. Gompers' letter Mr.. Hu.,.
part: eu IN
Il have your letter of thu n,,.u
instant with respect to the orn,,ng sn
upon which the recognition ~ AZ
present regime in Russia has besn
withheld. Deen
You refer with just empbas,. =.
the tyrannical exercise of nowas
this regime. The seizure az Govt,
by a minority in Russia came az
grevious disappointment to Anoa.,
can democratic thought which III
enthusiastically acclaimed the end -
the despotism Of the cars ana AZ ~
entrance of free Russia into 81.
family Of democratic nations. Sun
sequent events were even mora ~.
turbing. The right of free sns.a.
and other civil liberties were dsnisd
Even the advocacy of those riaSt.
which are usually considered IN %.
stitute the foundation of freednr,
was declared to be counter revolrI
tionary and punishable by dear
Every form of political opposition
was ruthlessly exterminated. Tbara
followed the deliberate destruction =,
the economic life Of the country AZ
tacks were made not only upon iron.
erty in its so-calied capitalistic form,
but recourse was had also to the re-
QUESTIONING Of labor. All voluntary:
organizations of workers were
brought to an end. To unionize or
strike was followed by the seyerest
penalties. When labor retaliated bv
passive resistance, workmen were
impressed ito huge labor army. The
practical effect of this progrem was
to plunge Russia once more into
medievalism. Politically there was
a ruthless despotism and eeonomi.
cally the situation was equally disas.
trouS.
ut is true that, under the pres.
sure OF the calamitious conditions
the governing group in Russia has
yielded certain concessions. The So
called new economic policy permitted
a partial return to economic free.
dom. The termination of forcibie
acquisitions of grain has induced the
peasantry to endeavor to build I'D
production once more and favorable
V Gather conditions have combined to
increase the agricultural output.
How far the reported exports Of
Russian grain are justified by the
general economy of the country is at
least an open question. Manufactur-
ing industry has to great extent
disappeared. The suffrage, so far as
it may be exercised, continues to be
limited to certain classes and even
-
gcries count more than the votes Of
others. A new constitution has Just
now been promulgated providing in
effect for the continuance of the re-
gime of the 1917 coup d'etat under
a new title. The constitution, II is
understood, contains no bill of rights,
and the civil liberties Of the people
remain insecure. There is no press
except the press controlled by the
regime. and the censorship is far
reaching and stringent. Labor Is
understood to be still at the mercy
of the state. While membership in
official unions is no longer obligatory,
workmen may not organize or part.
cipate in voluntary unions.
1.-THE persons of our citizens IN /!
Tussia are for the moment free from
harm. No assurance exists, howeyeE
against a REPETITION of the arbitrary
detentions which some of them have
suffered in the past. The situation
with respect to property is even
more palpable. The obligations Of
Russia TO the taxpayers of the Unit.
ed States remain repudiated. The
many American citizens who have
suffered directly or indirectly by the
confiscation of American property In (
Russia remain without the prospect
of Naturalization. We have had re-
cent evidence, moreover, that policy
/. of confiscation is by no means at an
s;nd.
What is most serious is that there
is conclusive evidence that those IN \
control at Moscow have not given up
their original purpose of destroying
existing governments wherever they
can do so throughout the world.
Their efforts in this direction have
recently been lessened in intensity
only by the reduction of the cash re-
sources at their disposal. You are
we'll aware from the experiences Of
the American Federation Of Labor OF
this aspect of the situation which
must be kept constantly in view. y
"While this spirit Of destruction a,
home and abroad remains unaltered
the question of recognition by our
government of the authorities aIl
Moscow cannot be determined by mere
economic considerations or by the es-
Enlistment in some degree Of a more
prosperous condition. which OF curss
we should be glad to note, or Simply
by a consideration of the prooans
stability of the regime in question
1.-THE sentiment of our people is no'
deemed to be favorable to the aceep!.
ance into political fellowship OF 'ns
regime so long as it denies the essen.
tial bases of intercourse and cher-
ishes. as an ultimate and definite ann
the destruction of the free instNs..
tons which we have laboriously pun
up. containing as they do the neces.
sitv assurances of the freedom ~, y.
labor upon which our prosper"
must depend"
-aYY0YYcHr 0ThC