Evening star., 1928-03-20
BY THEODORE DRESSER.

1t is SO easy to stay in Moscow. reac
, data concerning the rapid and helpful
| development of the communiStic system
in Russia tas furnished by the official.
and theoreticiansl and interview the
latter and take their picture of what
is But it is quite another matter tC
I travel over the great empire and see
for oneself.
Temperamentallv, I am in favor OF
| any government which promises the
greatest happiness to the greatest num-
her. That is why It was not difficult
for the American Communist organi-
zation, once II had procured an official
invitation for me from the Soviet gov
ernment, 10 persuade me to visit Russia
even in the dead of Winter. its most
trying period.
And once there. the same leaning
took me out of Moscow and Leningrad,
where mainly at this time the offlcial
Soviet or CommuniStic propaganda CEN
terS, into such far inland cities and out
lying regions as Perm. NovosebirsE.
Novgorod and again southwark from
Moscow TO Kiev. KharkofT. Stain. Ros-
tov Tif1iS, Baku. Batoum and all the
region bordering on the Black Sea be-
tween Batoum and Odessa.
Conversion Fails.
Well. was / impressed? Very much
Have / been converted to Communism? !?
No, not TO the brand operating in Rus
Sia at this time OF course. all Official
Communists explain to you that true
communism has not yet arrived. that
the dictum of Marx. the father of the
present experiment, from each accord
ing to his ability; to each according to
his need" is something to be approx
mated, not necessarily achieved.
And why not? Is it all wrong? Far
from its being all wrong, I consider
many of its aspects and Developments
TO be very much right and progressive.
and. II 1t were in my power to do,
would Immediately dispatch to Russia
as large number as possible of pre-
Sent-day enthusiasts for things as they
are from America. England, France and
Germany, in politics and out, that they
might observe for themselves and come
to understand that something besides
unlimited private rights for the strong
and capable. their privileges, pleasures.
ETC., is possible, and not only possible.
but actually. in existence, and. with
notifications. likely TO endure In Russia
One Of the things they would have
to look upon. which would cause many
TO return In high 6udgeon, vowing that
Russia is upside down. would be the
enjoyment by labor of q maximum of
consideration or privileges consistent
with the economic success Of the coun-
try as whole--enjoyment. for instance.
OF the shortest possible hours consistent
with a national welfare based on the
labor of all. voice in the labor regu-
latiens of the industry of which the
worker Is q part, Of not only adequate,
but special food. special housing. special
sanitation, special rest and entertain
ment. special education and opportunity
to improve himself in every way.
Competition Withdrawn.
I. myself. ordinarily most sympathetic
ally inclined toward the underdog and
the minor individual everywhere, was
inclined. and stiI am. to decide that a
little too much was being done for labor,
too little for the brains necessary TO
direct II. that labor was getting an un-
due share of the fruits OF the land. and
that the elimination Of the old-time
creative or constructive business man,
with ali that his Self-interest and con-
sequent industry. ingenuity. etc, i'm
ply. was likely to result In a kind of
slowneSs or seeming indifference or
Quiescence which one might expect In
society from which the urge and tang
OF competition had been extracted.
And as one goes about any city or
town apart from Moscow, In which
naturally center most of the political
and oficial, IL not exactly mental, op-
portunities Of the country. there Is Just
this ease or slowness, not TO say indif-
ference. which would indicate the abb
Sence Of that old-tirne zest or flip the
hope Of advancement or the fear of
failure provided
In fact. a few thoughts that then
and there troubled me still do--that
is TO say, that without commercial and
political captaincy Of a very high order
50 vast problem as the feeding. cloth
ing, housing education and pleasuring
OF $50 .000. 900 persons Is not likely 10
come of: that 10 make people work
hard and intelligently requires some
thing more than the MARKHAM slogan,
"All for one and one for all" For can
man be made 70 work as enthusiasticaI-
ly for others as for himself? And, IL
not. can such huge communiStic ex-
pertinent as this be made 10 go? The
communists say yes, OF course. The
materiaiists Of a DarwInian turn say
no. that the temperament Of man is
naturally greedy. cruel. this. that. Un-
less his evil heart is taken into con-
sidera.ion any society or organism
viii fail
Religions Succeed.
But, then, my personal answer TO that
theory Is certainly unSound, and yet
look At ~ And surely. Islamism has
nothing 10 commend II, mentally or
ecOnOmicaiIY Yet Il has endured for