Evening star., 1928-03-21
BY THEODORE DRESSER.

BY THEODORE DRESSER.
Never have I seen more genuine op-
| timiSm. even enthusiasm. on the part
of the worker and peasant, even on the
| part of large percentage of the intel
| ligentSia. who, whether they willed it
or not at first. now find themselves in
volved in the present scheme of things
| in Russia
For say what you will. and as all ap-
! pear now to recognize here is a going
concern. with plans and working meth
DDS which are directed not to special
welfare of few, but the welfare of
| ALL
1t may be as yet slightly down-at-the
heel or out-at-elbows in spots, butrt is
active and determined.
On the other hand. as you are
| troubled to observe after a time, that
Is not all of the picture, either. For
only consider the condition of these
people in the days Of Cars. and, worse
yet. since the close Of the World War
and the revolution.
Taxes, Lords and Slaves.
Hunger. death for millions by starva-
ton. no housing or lighting system
worthy OF the name. no roads. tele-
phone or telegraph communication be-
iStic military and commercial regime
no educational and social program
worthy of the name, oppression, high
taxation, lords and slaves. And shot
through all this. as it we're. the world
old ASlatic fataliSm. that meets change
or death with indifference.
There Is. even now. the in-the-main
treeleSSneSs of this vast country for
hundreds and even thousands OF miles
IN given directions; the fencelessness of
II, for with the fewest exceptions there
are no fences anywhere. The peasants
or the villages find their allotted acre
age about as a dog finds his bone.
They know by faint markings or by in
stinct where their lines begin and end
on the smooth. treeleSs Steppes.
Naturally. when one thinks Of the
United States. the present condition OF
Russia seems still wretched. IL not hope
less. When one thinks of Asia, how
ever. India. China. Mongolia. the re-
mote Siberian steppes. with their herds
men in tents still wandering here and
there. and starving. betimes. the pres
ent condition Of Russia. with its ener-
getic mental and economic determine :
ton. at least. to modernize and indus
trislize all this great empire. it is not so
discouraging.
For already much, very much, has
been accomplished. Telegraph, tele-
phone, the radio for all Russia, the
smallest villages as we'll as the largest
cities, and various thoroughly equipped
road lines extending in many directions.
Not only that, but in so far as the reve-
nues OF the government will permit.
every possible device, public and private,
in industrial. commercial and private as
well as official life. already actually
there or In process of introduction.
And yet, by turns, and according to
what one Is looking at or thinking about
at the time. one can become either ab-
normally optimistic or deeply depressed.
I sometimes believe 1t Is truly so with
all Russians. even the leaders Of the
Communist party.
Travelling Fourth Glass.
In illustration of what / mean, let me
cite examples. am going to Tula, a
fairly large city near Moscow. $50 yersts.
My watch is wrong and all but miss
the train. AS my Soviet guide and
hurry down the platform the train Is
already pulling out, and 1t is the last
one.
I'VE must jump" says my guide.
ANY car. They are all terrible. but at
the next station we can change" On
this particular train there was only one
second-class sleeper. and that full
Running, manage TO catch the
handle OF what looks to me like an
American box car with about six small,
dirty windows cut into 1t, and all tight
ly closed. 1t is fourth-claSs. What in
Russia Is called Maxim Gorky." In
side 1t are packed, about so people, men
and women. But what peoplel And
under what conditionsi
choke as / enter, for not only Is the
car full of vile smoke, but of indescrib-
able odors-odors, for instance. from
dirty old sheepskin coats worn these
how many years, the wool side inside
the outside black with dirt! And odors
OF unwashed feet. with ancient wool
socks over them, or none, and the same
protruding from the ends of line OF
wooden bt1nks or shelves four high the
lowest near the floor and the highest
close 10 the ceiling, and on all of which
are piled heavy, and even loggy-looking,
humanity as IN a Jail or inferno,
At each end OF the car small candle
In small glass. / groan, for right
over my head protrudes pair OF odor-
Gus feet, and / am so wedged in that
cannot move. And no seats, no VEN
tilation. only noise. the rattle of the
train and cultural conversation.
Warns OF Thieves.
can scarcely distinguish the passen-
gers for the smoke and shadow. To
! my right. an evil-smelling peasant is
sitting and leaning against another
man. who is lying down. and eating
from loaf OF black bread. To my left
a man is fumbling In his bundle, pre-
| sumably clothes, a pickle In his hand.
Look out for your purse and watch"
| warns my guide. Thieves ride on this
train occasionally"
"All right. but good Lord. are there
many such cars in Russia?"
Ten ahead. They are on all lines,
carry the bulk Of traffic"
Not reaily!"
Yes, thousands. This and third
class. That's a little better; not so
many hunks"
But thought they had good rail-
| road service here
They have, for those who can pay
for H. or the Russians think they
/ have"
But thought ----"
| This is Asia. not the United States.
And they don't take IL as sadly as
you do. They are pretty well satisfied
because II is cheap Besides, they will