Evening star., 1923-05-23
T,oo Euenly Diuided Groups
Fighting for Control of Russia
Power of Modified Socialists
Brings Reforms and AmeIioratiOn of
Extreme COnansunistic Chaos.

abundant in Moscow that at night
one would see groups OF them in the
streets, big, repulsive and fearless.
Even yet not all of them have gone.
Disease swept the land. typhus in
winter. cholera in summer, and there
were no medicines for the dying. not
even chloroform to dull the pain of
the victims on the operating table.
The peasant commanded to- surren-
der all his crops to the state except
those necessary for him and his fam
lily. responded by a quiet, unorganiZed
strike. He refused to grow more
than was necessary for his own home
And so the dread white horse of fam
Inc came. The town worker, knowing
that he would receive his government
rations whatever befell. did the least
work he could. Hence the acute
shortage of every manufactured ar
ticle.
Then in 1921 communists modified
their program. They restored many
private rights, re-established trade,
revived finance and once more per-
mitted the private possession of prop
erty. One may now work where he
pleases, or not work at all if he can
afford not to. One has to find his own
food or starve. One may even, if
rich. own hfs house, although not the
land on which the house is placed.
Shops are open where one can buy
many luxuries. Russia is still apart
newspapers and few or no new for
eign books are on sale anywhere in
the republic. The censorship is
strict.
Two Groups In Struggle.
Inside the ranks of the communist
party two groups struggle for con-
troll. The first would conduct the
land on the lines OF modified state So
1t
pendent judiciary. hand most manu-
featuring enterprises over to private
direction. reduce the bureaucracy.
cultivate the good will of the peasant
and encourage foreign enterprise and
investment.
This group has made great advances
since 1921. Banking has been restor-
ed, many factories have been return
ed to businesslike management, a
code of law has been framed and
there is faint movement toward in
dependent justice. Just in proportion
to the jettisoning of communist econ
omies prosperity has come back.
Hopes of Extreme Communists.
The foreign visitor mostly sees peo-
pie of this class. many of them old
professional and business men. who
are attempting to bring order out of
unrest But there is another group
which has different notions. 1t still
clinS to the communist ideal of the
con- e elimination of the middle
an jper classes 1t teaches class
- regards religion as the enemy
Ia fought with fire. 1t works
s. lines openly. but mostly secret
~. 20 stir up world revolution. Its
leaders announce that they have no
scruples about such ancient ideas as
the inviolability of law 1t means
and 1t makes no secret of ito re-
store communism in full measure
when the economic position of the
land once more permits.
Thls is the party of many. older
revolutionists and of the groups of
young communists. 1t has the sup
port of many town working men, To-
day the forces of the two sides are al
most evenly balanced. The economic
position of the country. however
forces even extremists more and more
to follow capitalist policy.
Which party will win? On the an
swer to that question depends the
immediate future of Russia
Nine-tenths of the ocean is more
than mile deep. and two thirds of it
is more than two miles