The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-01-07

We reprint herewith part of re-
port made by Sherwood Eddy, official
of the Y. M. G. A., on his return from
recent visit to Soviet Russia. Mr..
Eddy was severely attacked by some
capitalist papers because he told the
truth as he saw it of conditions in the
Soviet Union. Owing to lack of space
we are not able to publish the report
in full, but the most important part
of it is given.
Russia, the Land Of Contradictions.
BY SHERWOOD EDDY.
nURING August l made my fourth
~ visit to Russia with party of
"a American business men, editors,
educators and social workers. After
nine years under the present govern
ment, while our country has been
flooded by propaganda both red and
white, it seemed that the time has
come for an unofficial group to make
an objective, impartial, fact-finding
study OF actual conditions in Russia
and to share their impressions with
their friends in America. We were
particularly on our guard lest we
should be a personally conducted
delegation shown only the most favor
able things by government interpre-
tiers. Our party included four per-
sons who spoke Russian, and we en-
ployed twelve other interpreters, the
majority of whom belonged to the old
order rather than the new. We were
granted entire freedom in Russia, we
went where we wished. chose the in
situations we wished to inspect, and
freely interviewed both friends and
foes of the present government.
GONE of us flew from Berlin to Mos
~ cow in day, in never-to-be-for-
gotten fight in storm. During a
total of two weeks in Moscow we in
terviewed some thirty of their prin-
cipal leaders, including Stain, who,
more than any other, has succeeded
to Lenin's influence and power;
Tchicherin, minister of foreign affairs
Lunacharsky, minister of education,
and many heads Of departments of
the state and the church, members of
the old czarist regime, foreign diplo-
mats, business men and newspaper
correspondents, as well as workers
and peasants. We visited, Of course,
all places of Importance, such as the
historic Kremlin, the seat Of the pres
ent government, as 1t has been the
fortress and home of the rulers of
church and state for eight centuries.
We saw the palaces and crown jewels
of the czars, Also factories, schools,
prisons, museums, galleries, and the
remarkable institutions of social edu-
cation and service for workers and
peasants, of which Russia is SO proud.
THE significance of the present ex-
l. pertinent in Russia can hardly be
exaggerated either in its possibilities
for good or for evil. Here is the larg-
est country in !, the world, with an
area of twice the continent of Europe,
twice that of the United States, or
-one-sixth of the habitable land sur
face of the earth, with vast undevel-
oped resources. Here is the largest
white population in the world, with
lac, 900, 900, a truly great people
whose human resources far outweigh
their material possessions. Siberia
alone, almost a continent in itself,
rich and fertile, II populated with the
density OF Belgium, would accommo-
date almost twice the earth's present
population.
INDUSTRY and agriculture are stead.
L lily recovering. After having fallen
to IA per cent of their pre-war pro-
duction in industry, this year they
have recovered almost 80 per cent OF
their former maximum production
both In industry and agriculture, and
will probably equal IT next year. De
spite all obstacles, their budget has
been balanced, their currency stabil
lied and most OF their available land
altho nominally owned by the state
has been divided up and has come into
the permanent possession OF the peas
ants.
THE condition OF nine-tenths OF the
L great masses in industry and agri
culture is on the whole slightly bet
ter economically and immeasurabl.
better in the releasing Of the human
spirit for self-realization and selfex
preston than It was under the blind!