The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-04-17

official publication of the Russian
Communist Party, printed the follow.
Ing article on the Krassnostchekov
trial. Krassnostchekov, it will be re-
membered, who was a lawyer in Chi
cago under the name of A. Strollar
Tobinson, earned high place in the
Russian government by his devotion
to Red Russia. He was convicted,
however, of misapplying funds for the
private use of his family, and dis
missed from the Communist Party.
BY H. GERlsH.
"The affair Alexander Krassnostch-
Dkov' has come to an end.
1t was HIS affair, as without him
there would have been no other de-
PENDANTS.
1t was HIS affair because of all the
defendants he alone was a member
Of the Russian Communist Party.
This trial has brought to the sur
lace the perils of NEP New Eco
nomic Policy. Capitalism does not
make use now of frontal attacks. It
uses imperceptible permeation. 1t
does not destroy physically, but po-
litically and morally former revolu-
tionaries who are not struck down
in open struggle, but are gradually
and imperceptibly corrupted by NEP
culture" until they become the dregs
Df the population.
Cause of DISCRIMINATION.
With the liquidation Of the outer
fronts some of us embarked on a too
rapid rehabilitation. We demobil-
lied on our inner front and lost a GER
tain amount Of our revolutionary en-
srgy and watchfulness. In fact, some
Of us lost some of our former
strength. Some of us forgot that the
struggle with the capitalist world in
Its present form demands that we
should be inwardly very strong and
On the alert, even more so than at
the time when capitalism was send
Ing its armed forces against us.
When the party sends stern revo-
lutionaries (who have shown their
stamina and sternness in the midst
Of the revolutionary struggle) to re-
sponsible economic posts, the capital
ist world approaches them in an out
wardly conciliatory and even "aes-
thetic" manner Seemingly, there is
no necessity to be on the alert when
nothing more serious is contemplated
than visit to some cabaret or mu-
sic hall. And where is the danger
when a near relative in whose bust
ness capacity the responsible COM
munist has great faith, asks the lat
ter to give him certain amount Of
backing in some business matters?
In practice, this kind of indulgence
and concessions are frequently the
beginning Of rapid deterioration of
the responsible communist which
might bring him to the dock.
Nipped in the Bud.
There is one side to the Krassnost-
ehekov affair which should be en-
phasized: he was exposed almost at
the beginning of his deterioration, as
shown by the data of his first Grim
inal acts. This is also shown by the
comparatively small financial dam
age done by him to the Soviet Repub-
lie (the losses do not exceed 10000
roubles). Taking into consideration
that A. Krassnostchokov was in a po-
sition to manipulate millions OF rou-
bles, one could have thought at the
beginning of the trial that Krassnost-
chekov's shameful betrayal of the con-
fidence Of the Russian Communist
Party would involve the Soviet Re-
public In enormous monetary losses.
The communist nuclei in all our in
situations must develop a maximum Of
activity. BY their control they must
nip in the bud all suspicious transac-
actions. They must, in conjunc-
ton with the central and local control
committees, see to it that criminal ele-
ments be eliminated before they are
able to do much harm. We must bear
in mind that such types as Krassnost-
chokov can become a blot on our
party il they are not Immediately
placed in the dock.
Krassnostchokov has escaped the
supreme penalty But the sentence
passed on him has KILLED him po-
litically.
Our Soviet apparatus is not yet in
working order, and our party nuclei
are not yet active enough to remedy
the shortcomings Of the Soviet appa-
ratus.
No Large Steals Possible.
But even now we can say that moth
ing Of the nature of the American oil
scandal is possible in our Republic.
We show no mercy to deteriorated
communists. but expel them from our
ranks and sentence them to political
and civil extinction.
The sentence in the Krassnostcho.
kov affair has confirmed this once
more.
II depends on the party, on all its