The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-04-26
BY MOE BRAGIN

Editorial Note: This is one of
series of articles on recent pam
phlets to acquaint our readers with
the life and achievents in the Sow
let Union. The month of May has
been set aside for a concerted drive
to distribute a group of pamphlets
wildly describing all phases of
Soviet life. These pamphlets can
be secured from the International
Publishers, 3S1 Fourth Avenue, or
the Workers Library Publishers,
p o. Box As, Station D., New York
City.
Nefta-Chala by A. Isbach go. 15c
The Ferry by Mark Egart Csc
One of the $4,000 by A. ISbach -. 15c
Kolkhozniki by Collective Farmers 15c
Free Soviet Tadjikistan by P Vail
lant-Couturier ................1 5c
"Nefte- Chala" by A. Isbach is the
story of yet another tremendous vic
tory of the workers and peasants of
Russia. Regions, once deserts, are
fast becoming the gardens of the
world. Barren tracks near the Cas-
plan Sea covered with camels' bones
are now pulsing with fountains of
oil and cities of tireleSs working men
and women. Tens of thousands of
tractors like high-powered bees, fed
with Russian oil, hum across the col
lectives and state farms. The Five
Year plan for oil fulfilled in two and
half years. Spots six meters deep
under the Caspian Sea now bristle
with $50 wells. Production in 1918
only 100000 tons. In 1882 produc-
ton is Is 1924 900 tons. In 1880 the
French fleet bought 100000 tons,
England 100000 tons, and Egypt no.
900 tons of oil. Baku the third oil
center in the world. Russia the sec
ond nation in oil and on the way to
surpass the U. S. And all this within
u years, fighting the packs of inter
nal and foreign enemies at the same
time!
How much more impressive dc
these figures become when we COM
pare the picture they make with what
is going on in the most powerful cap
italist country in the world Ninety
nine per cent of the Russian works
are electrified. There are $1,000
workers in these oil works, while in
America tens of thousands of them
are out on the streets and roads
There are numerous oil fields in
Pennsylvania and other states where
not a bubble of oil is stirring. Just
few strings of tools working in
other places whereas two or three
years ago the fields were swarming
Drillers used to get ten and twelve
dollars day and tool dressers, Their
helpers, couple Of dollars less. Nov
most of them are out of work ano
those working are lucky to get three
dollars. But in Prussia workers who
had to work IL md 16 hours for three
roubles month, now get 1870 roubles
working for seven hours a day. There
are 1000 worker-students attending
the Baku Oil Institute In America
schools are closing down; most of the
big oil companies have shut dowr
their research laboratories.
This comparison does not reflect or
the American worker. The Russian
worker is forging ahead because he
has broken the rockchains of capital
ism. He sacrifices himself because
he is working for himself.
"Black Blood" Flows
In 1926 several dozen workers first
came to Nefte-Chala to dig oil. The
heat was awful. Mosquitoes were
everywhere. Faces, hands, and bodies
were swollen and blistered. Food sup
ply was poor. There was shortage
of water There was almost no con-