Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-09

selves, they represent great advances over TN
pre-revolutionary era. In the larger villages
in the heart Of the great farming region the
same is true Of the peasants.
Few American farmers would voluntarily
change lots with the farmers Of Russia
But neither would the Russian peasants Of
today voluntarily 60 back to the old order. It
is this scale Of relative values which one always
must keep In mind in thinking of Russia. It
is as If Russia began In 1917 just about at the
point of economic development the United
States had attained in 1880. In broad sense
even this comparison will not hold, for the
cultural base-the diffusion Of learning unity
of culture and tradition and educational plant
was much broader for the United States In 1880
than it was for Russia in 1917.
An engineer who is experimenting the con-
struction Of great steel plant in the Interior
of Russia gave me my most vivid impression Of
the handicaps under which the industrial pro-
gram is going forward. He recounted that Il
such plant were being built in a remote sec
ton of, say, Nevada, the engineers would put
all in readiness, bring in the workers, school
them for 10 days or weeks in the use of the
machinery Then production might begin.
But in Russia today, when q new plant is
ready, the workers must be vigorously schooled
FIRST in the uses Of the plumbing. Ninety-fave
out Of every hundred never before have come
in contact with water in pipes. At nrSt sight
the system Of water pipes and drains Is as com.
phcated and terrible hydraulic press.
A LMOST the same problem was encountered
on the great state farm projects in many
of which tens Of thousands Of acres are con-
sOlidated into one single industrial unit. It
was not enough for the government to save
wheat with which to buy the tractors for cash
When they took them to the country commune
ties they had to-coax the peasants to approach
them, for any purpose whatever The process
was analogous in slight degree to that by
which in our youth we accustomed our horses
to approach railway trains Such elemental
problems-and there have been literally tbo.,-
sands Of them encountered In Russia since
1917-are scarcely imagined by those who have
not visited the country
Nor do the difficulties of travel and comnu.
nication present themselves to the mind Of one
whose only acquaintance with the country 4
from reading. Picture country half again a
large as the United States, with q population ~
16O,O0O,000 scattered in some 500 600 VILLAGE
and towns. In all this vast domain there are
railroads aggregattng less than one double-tracI
artery from Philadelphia to Denver. Only
about 5000 Of the tiny villages are ON the raiI
road or telegraph lines.
The remainder Of the country is .renote -
Within a days automobile ride Of Moscow en-
countered series Of half dozen of thee vii.
lagos In which, was told, no American ever
had been seen before. In two different vi.
lagos IN the same section an automobile never
had appeared before. had been told 4, 1S,s-
COW by an American newspaper man that the
only way 70 see the real Russia was to leave the
beaten paths.
"see 10 Of the remote villages. wen scattered.