The Coolidge examiner., 1930-11-28
An "Unshepherded" Wis
itor Paints a Doleful
Picture of Russia.

London.-In a series of three ar
ticles the Times of London is re-
cOrding impressions recently gath
cred by an unshepherded visitor 10
Russia who was able to collect
at first hand some rank and hle
opinion on the Soviet regime and lis
policies" He reports that hunger,
discomfort, opposition and hatred OF
the Soviet regime have been stead
lily growing in intensity in the last
few months among the Russian peo-
pie and are spreading through all
parts of the Soviet Union and
through all sections of the commu-
nifty.
The three articles paint a dole
full picture of the economic, social,
political and sociO-psychologic con-
ditions prevailing.
Visitors to cZarist Russia, says
the correspondent in his first ar
ticle. captioned Below the Sur
face" often returned Impressed
with the apparent loyalty of the
whole population to the emperor
and entirely unaware of the rap
idly growing discomfort which was
seething beneath the surface. To
day history is repeating itself"
Supporting himself upon his own
study and observation and upon in
innate conversations with workers,
peasants and intellectuals, he points
out that far from being loyal TO the
Soviet regime, fully 80 per cent of
the Russian people, constituting the
''non-active" or ruled" portion Of
the population, "are thoroughly dis
illusiOned, have lost faith In the
five-year plan and dread the return
in the coming winter of the condi-
tions which reigned in 1918 and
1919" Only that 10 per cent of the
population, constituting the 'active"
Communist section. or the "rulers,"
are animated by ''an enthusiasm, a
religious fervor and an optimism
unknown to any other group of peo-
pie save perhaps the National So
cialists of Germany and the FaS-
cists of Italy"
Youth Is Sanquine.
Most of this active minority, the
correspondent says, are young in
age and spirit, many of them were
mere children at the time of the Oc-
tober revolution. they know little of
what is happening in the outside
world land have been educated to
believe in the inevitability of the
world revolution and of the forth
coming war which, they are taught,
the capitalists will wage on Soviet
Russia"
Many of these young Communists
are impatient with what they con-
slider to be the slow progress of so
cialization and while the vast ma
jority of the population believe that
the government is trying unduly to
force developments, especially the
five-year plan, and are groaning un-
= der the burdens placed upon them,
the slogan of the Communists is,
1--WE must be strong and show NO
mercy"
1.-The active minority firmly be-
lieves that ultimately Communism
will be victorious" says the CORE
Spondent, "basing their faith upon
what they consider the certain sue
cess of the five-year plan.
'In some branches of industry
the boasts of the Communists are
fully justified. There are many
things, however, which the Soviet
figures do not show. Statistics con.
ceal the poor material used in many
factories, such as the Putilov trac.
tor factory, the bad quality of the
boots and clothes and other goods
: produced, the incorrect way in
which some of the figures are com
piled, and the failure to provide
some factories with raw material
with transport facilities or with en-
gineers.
''In spite of successes attained in
some branches of Soviet indus
try, Russia remains a poor and dis
contented country. In the last few
months the five-year plan has me-
with a check, and in many dis
tricts, especially in the Donet1
basin, there have been breakdowns
Wood difficulties arising from the
slaughter of animals, which fol
lowed the violent collectivizatior
campaign in January and February
and from the Soviet policy of ex
porting foodstuffs to obtain credit
{ at all costs. are already putting 6
brake on the progress of Industrial
ization, as is proved by the decision
to postpone the beginning of the