Evening star., 1926-11-14
.STAL|N IS CALLED
RULER OF SOVIET
Wood Report, After Survey,
Shows How Russians
Are Governed
Stain. Trotsky. the TT. I. X. and

Stain. Trotsky. the TT. I. x. and
Kalinin.
Who and what are they?
Names of leaders and certain gov
ernment bodies are familiar in news
dispatches from Russia. yet they are
confusing because So little Is known
of the structure Of the government or
the exact status of its leaders.
The National Geographic Society
assigned Junius r. Wood To winnow
the facts about various phases of
present-day conditions in Russia.
Concerning the present govern
mental organizations of Russia. which.
incidentally. is officially the Union of
Soviet Socialist Republics. Mr.. Wood
writes:
"a meeting OF the Tz l. X. Central
Executive Committee) brings out all
those individuals whose statements oc-
cupy more space in tho newspapers
and who are seen less in public than
any other officials in the world. Cen
ter of interest when he energies In the
corridors is Joseph Djugashvin Stain
Stain meaning steel. having been
conferred on him by I.enin when they
We're eXiles together. He would be-
called directorto political boss In any
other country.
"Russias strong man and virtual
=
with jet black hair and mustache.
stern faced. sparng Of words but d.
rect and emphatic, Stain controls the
party organization which he has per-
fected.
Kalinin Genial President.
"Kallnin. Uncle Mikhail Ivanovitch.'
as the pea asants call him. son OF the
field and factory, Is a contrast. smil
L. oh h al
eyes twinkling behind his spectacles.
shaking hands. greeting friends right
and left Peasants have been known
to walk 1000 miles-an old-time peas
ant must go afoot on an important
mission-to tell their troubles to him.
Kalinin IS the genial president; Stain
the silent political boss.
1.-The Tz. 1. Is. is tabloid OF the
political organization of Soviet Russia.
next to the peak of its pyramidal
system Of government. The peak It
self, elected by the TZ. !. X. is the
presidium Of 27 members. which In
cludes the six presidents and is the
legislative. executive and judicial au-
thority. except during the few days
of each year that the Tz. /. X. Is In
session.
"The Tz l. X. has 5Sl members, di-
vided into the upper house, or council
Of the union, of $50 members. chosen
according to population. and the lower
house, or council of nationalities. OF
131 members, five from each of the
constituent republics and one from
each of the autonomous republics or
nationalitieS.
Theoretically. the Tt. I. X. should
meet three times a year, rotating I'm
the capitals of the Russian. Ukrainian.
White Russian. TransCauCasian. Turk
oman and Uzhek republics. The Tz.
|. *. also chooses the council OF peo-
pies comissarS, corresponding to
cabinet in other countries. The iden-
tical structural organization follows
in each of the republics In the union.
"The base of the all-union pyramid.
itself resting on other pyramids de-
scending from the higher Soviets of
the republics to the voters themselves.
| is the All-Union Congress of SOviets,
a cumbersome body of more than 2 900
members. which is supposed to meet
annually in Moscow. It's last meeting
was in May. 1925.
System of Election.
"It elects the TT. l. X. which Is not
so unwieldly. It's members are elected
by town, township (volosU and provin
cial (gubernia) Soviets. The gubernia
Soviets also are elected by the volost
Soviets. Members of the latter in
| turn are elected by the village and
city Soviets, and these by the voters
themselves.
Every person 1s years old doing
| brain or manual labor, except pro-
prietors. Is qualified to vote. Propa
ganda to get out the voter. especially
| the women and younger people, is per
sistent, but the percentage responding
| is about the same as III the United
| States. The voter casts his ballot as
member Of some group. either in
his union, factory. village or city dis
triCt.
Voting is on the town-meeting or
der. The nominating committee re-
ceives the names of the candidates.
1t prepares a list. The first name is
presented to the meeting. Speeches
follow. Hands are raised for and
against.
"The advantages OF heading tbs list
are even greater than on an Austria
liam ballot. Usually all the allotted
places are filled before the end of the
list Is reached.
Communists Strong.
THE All-Union Communist party.
according to the figures of the Janu-
airy session of it's central committee,
numbered ,4l2. about one out Of
every 233 persons in population or
140. 100000. Russians constituted 6l
per cent Of this total. With candi-
dates the party strength was 1.0SS .037,
about one in 140.
Figures on tho elections now being
held show that though only about 10
per cent of the members of the lower
| Soviets are party. members, the party
strength increases to between 80 and
90 per cent in the higher Soviets.
| by orga nization and methods which
are common to most parties in power
especially II they are minorities. the
Communist party controls the govern
mont. Communism has ceased to be
an obligatory rule of conduct for the
country. but there Is no reason to an
ticipate that it will not be the part
in control for long time to come"