The producers news., 1923-06-15

By MILDRED MORRIS

Federated Press Staff Correspondent.
WASHINGTON.-"If the United
States is waiting for the soviet gov
trnment to fall, it will wait a long
time" is the message brought back to
Washington by Senator Burton Wheel
er of Montana, $50 it might as well
recognize Russia now as later.
Conditions are not growing worse,
but improving every day. Nowhere in
Russia do you hear talk of the govern
ment falling, not even from those
who oppose it. 1t is only from Rus
slams outside of Russia, in Poland,
Germany, France and other countries
that you hear it, and in their case the
wish is father of the thought.
Standing behind the Russian gov
ernment is the Red army of 100000,
well equipped and ready to die for the
present regime.
"The Russian people are not discOn-
tented with their government. never
saw people more hopeful. Even those
who served under the old government
readily admit they would not return
to the old regime if they could.
May Day in Petrograd / saw a
demonstration IN which 100000 men,
women and children took part. They
sang, they paraded. After looking at
their faces, no one could tell me these
people hate their government and be-
| lieve it a tyranny.
81 talked to all classes of people,
and tried to study as many different
phases of Russian life as I could.
visited factories and talked to the
workers."
Asked whether he found Russia la
Dor "enslaved," as Samuel Gompers
has been Informed, Senator Wheeler
laughed.
"EnsIaved! Why, the industrial
workers run industry in Russia; they
| control the government. 1t is funny to
hear them called slaves.
"Just as funny" he continued "as
this talk about the government abOl-
ishing religious worship and establish
ing atheism and paganism. Mrs.
! Wheeler and ! attended services in a
Greek Catholic church in Petrograd
one Sunday. Ten thousand were there
worshipping with full freedom"
"These officials made plain they
want American friendship and Amer
lean recognition" he said. "They are
willing to talk recognition terms with
the United States on the same basis
as other countries. They assured me
of the willingness Of the government
to pay Russia's legitimate debts. 1t
could not pay right away, they pointed
out, and perhaps not for a very long
time. 1t couldn't with conditions as
they are, but l venture to say it will
take no longer than France has in set
tlement of her debt to US. 1t is willing
: to protect American rights in the same
manner as other countries protect
them, these officials told me, and I be
lieve them.
'I want to make plain that do not
come back from Russia fanatical
about it." continued Wheeler.
''The rigid censorship and espionage
: naturally, are distasteful, but the peO-
, pie feel whole world is against them
and they must be on guard as if at
: war. They have good reason to feel
that way Next door is Poland with
: an army equipped by France and un-
r der French generals, eager to attack
Russia; all over Europe are the Rus
sian monarchists constantly planning
cOups to restore the cZardOm; and
within are enemies watching every Op-
I pOrtunity to start a counter reVOlu-
tiiOnary movement"
. "The mistake most American visit
+ ors to Russia make is that they judge
? the Russian people by our standards
and as if conditions there were as
/, normal as ours. They don't seem to
, see that Russian customs and the
. Russian temperament are entirely
3 different from ours or understand they
: are judging people with an inherit
ance of centuries of oppression, thous-
: ands Of whom are still primitive. II
e they realized all this, they would ua-
n derstand the problems of the govo. T.
: ment and sympathize with it in iJ-
: tremendous task instead of criticiEiHo
h and condemning."