Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-04

original, indeed.
Suppose an engineer, mechanic or merely
a strong, capable man of domineering type Is
sent here. To waste him away a manual
labor would be silly, uneconomic Hence, in
former days, the administration would trent
out" such men. For instance it would send
an engineer to some factory in Northern Rus
STA which would need one; it would receive
from this factory the mans salary, while he
himself would get only food ration and lodg-
ings. Convicts used to call that slave trade"
Indeed, it Is exactly that, just in the eight
zenith century Russian mobiles rented out their
trained serfs as taiIors or architects.
Now, however, the administration does this
but seldom. Instead, it prefers to promote
such valuable convicts. 1t gives such man an
engineering job in one of its sawmills, or it
makes him the commander of a convict COM
pany. If promoted" convicts prove to be eff
ficient and willing to act ruthless slave driv-
ers of their fellow convicts, they may rise still
higher. Thus, Mr.. Svyeshnikov says that one
M. Frenkel, talented "nep-man." has become
one of the economic advisers of "Uslon." He
has under him thousands of convicts. and even
some officials, remaining their prisoner at the
same time! This system, naturally enables the
Soviet government to economic on officials
salaries.
There are only about 1000 of such privileged
convicts AS rule they hold on to their privi-
leges as best they can and therefore make par
ticularly inhuman and harsh jailers. They are
especially hated by the of convicts; in
return LQey naVc bQSm peTuapS even IlOIS
than the O. q. p. u agents do. In this respect,
indeed, this system of making the proletariat'S
class enemies strange themselves with their
own hands" is a Sardonic stroke of genius.
Moreover, it kills the spirit of solidarity among
the prisoners. No matter how shadowy the
chance of promotion may be, the Solovietzky
convict is ready to squeaI on his comrades and
to betray them in order to distinguish" himself.
quotes the following case: One CORA, a
Georgian Socialist "menshevil" was sent to
this Devils Island of the Far North. He was
an iron man both in body and spirit Even the
guards feared him; like a cornered animal, he
barked back at every invective ever ready to
jump. The authorities offered him promotion.
But the man proved to be noble; he refused
with indignation.
Instead, with four comrades he made an
attempt to escape. The guards noticed them
and opened fire. His comrades were killed; he
himself was pierced by four bullets Yet, when
crouching on ice in pool CT blood, he con-
tinued to curse the o. G. p. U. agents who stood
around. The usual punishment for attempted
escape Is death on the spot, but he was par
doned "for heroism."
Yet this man whom even the threat of death
would not break was finally broken by Soovi-
etzky life. After his recovery the agony of slow
dying again began for him. He worked and
slept exhausted in infested barracks. And a
day came when he told the authorities that he
was ready to accept administrative job.
Now, Mr.. Svyeshnikov concludes, he Is
one Of the most cruel Solovietzky supervisors.
"I myself saw how he once cracked with the
handle of his revolver the skull of a prisoner
who was unable to go on working"
Mr.. Svyeshnikov also quotes typical exam
pie of different kind Among the Solovietzky
convicts he met Peter. the ex-archbishop of
Voronezh. IT am an atheist" he writes, but
II regard this n saint" Indeed the
patience with which the old prelate bore his
sufferings and his unfailing readiness to help,
soothe and comfort everybody were unusual
and striking in this place of hatred Of all
against all that they won for him a boundlesS
respect of his bestialized fellow convicts This,
however, angered the o. G. p u officials.
Under some pretext Archbishop Peter was sent
to the old mems camp at Anzery and died there
of starvation. The authorities regard examples
and feelings of that kind as demoralizing to
other prisoners.
Attempts to flee from Solovki are frequent.
Of course, a rule they tragically fail The
feeling that all living here doomed kills
the will power in some, but it drives others to
outbreaks of insane courage.
Mr.. CRUDE says that up to 1929 when con-
victS were transported from the islands to the
continent in open ships Especial prison ships
were introduced only later, men daily jumped
overheard and, of course, were shot, He him
self escaped in similar way "by miracle"
Near KEN he dived into the sea and swan to
a little German ship which lay not far of. He
spoke German and the crew helped him to hide.
The o. G. P. u. guards searched the ship only
specifically. Apparently they believed that he
had drowned.
Yet most of the successful escapes made
during the work in the forests. Here is, for
instance, how N. Akhomen's group. which finally
succeeded in getting to Finland fled:
They were As. They were working in place
distant from all dwelling The Red guards
were Comparatively few. At given signal the