The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-11-02
BY WALTER D. HICKMAN

BY WALTER D. HICKMAN
TINE literary market right now
\ is flooded with books rela-
tive as to what just did happen
when the government of the
cars was oyerthrown in Russia
and what has happened since in
Soviet Russia.
So many writer's merely have
scratched the surface because
they spent only a short time IN
Soviet Russia and saw only what
government officials wanted them
to see.
Others, clearly because of train
ing and desire, have been for or
against what has been going on
in Russia. I have weighed care
fully all of these propaganda writ
ers and have dismissed them as
such.
Of the many books I have read
on the situation in Russia, there
is only one book with which l
have been completely satisfied
was written from the Inside" "
That book is 81 Live to Tell by
Jacob H. Rubin, recently pub
lished by the Bobbs- Merrill Com
pany. 1t is straightforward and,
I believe, an uncolored recital of
the Russian adventures of an
American Socialist.
This recital may read like fic-
ton, but Mr.. Rubin has mar
shalled facts regarding his own
treatment in Odessa while the
White Army of Denikin was in
power and when the Reds recap
tured the Ukraine.
MR., RUBIN, who had fallen
1Fl lin love" with Socialism in
Milwaukee, entered Russia at the
time General Schilling was COM
mandant of Odessa under the
Denikin occupation to organize"
a Russian American Chamber OF
Commerce"
Mr.. Rubin's private love for So
cialism and his interest IN big
business at the same time may
sound very conflicting, but these
two facts give added truth to his
hundreds of experiences in Rus
STA under the White Army, the
BolshevikS and the Soviets.
In Odessa, as payment for his
work of organizing a Russian
chamber of commerce he was
Jailed and for months became the
prison companion of Reds who
later held the highest places in
the new government.
The chapters devoted to prison
and trial conditions in Odessa be-
fore the Reds captured the city
read like a nightmare. Here GER
tainly are facts so terrible they
must be true because it would be
nearly impossible to dream of any,
thing so terrible.
Mr.. Rubin has dates, names,
addresses and pages of CONVEX
sation to back his experiences in
his dreamed Utopia. The author
gives a pitiful picture as he finally
realizes that Soviet Russia, at
least in the early stages, was far
Their away from Utopia than the
south pole.
r WAS greatly concerned with
4 his word pictures of such in
dividuals and leaders such as
Emma Goldman, Alexander Berg
man, John Reed, Denikin, Cen
eral Schilling, Lenin, Trotzky,
Tchicherin, Stain and hundreds
of others.
He was in elbow touch with
Lenin and with Stain and his
conversations and pictures Of
these two are worth the price Of
the book.
Here is Soviet Russia from the
inside in 1919-1920 and on his re-
turn in disguise in 1881. When
he was able to escape" from Rus
STA the first time, it was just by
the skin of his teeth and he faced
death when he returned under an
other name in 1881.
Until l find something else,
IT Live to Tell will remain my
guide on Russia as it is today and
as it was at the beginning follow
ing the revolution,
Mr.. Rubin goes on record by
stating that John Reed told him
IT want to tell you how terrible
this all is. There is no freedom
here, no justice, no opportunity,
not even enough bread for the
masses and no hope. am hor-
rlbly, horribly disillusioned."
This, Mr. Rubin says, was told
him by Reed IN Moscow a short
time before Reed died.
This book sells for S2.75 and is
a challenge to all who are serious
ly interested in government.