The Washington times., 1935-05-06
BY R. H. SANGER

BY r. H. SANGER
Oppression has become a fine
art in Russia. Never in the his
tory of the world has there been
such q high development Of the
technique of holding a majority
In subjection.
This clever and ruthless tech.
nique enabled the Soviet to hide"
the greatest famine disaster OF
modern times, not only from the
world but from any Russian until
long after it had ended.
It is a technique also which en-
ables the rulers Of the Soviet to
present to the world false pic
ture of Russian conditions gen.
orally.
Opposition Crushed
The same people who overthrew
the car rule the Communist state.
They do not make the mistakes
Of leniency which his government
made. They KNOW the forms
which stifled opposition to a gov
ernment will take, and they make
sure that such underground op
position is crushed ruthlessly.
Communism" credulOuS Ameri'
cans say. 'Tt would b" impOS-
sible otherwise for handful OF
professional revolutiOnistS to
hold in SubjectiOn 165 million
persons. 1t just can't be done.
But it rs being done. 1t is done
through the Red army, the OGPU
and the Communist party.
The oppression technique Is
welded into effectiveness by a
"spy system" which reaches nt'
orally everywhere.
Behind this system, Siberia. The
hint of it is enough to make star
vation-weakened workers drain
their last ounce of strength tc
avoid the charge that they "are
not cooperating" in the building
Of the Socialist state.
Repeatedly, in America, I have
been asked how news Of the
famine possibly could have beer
suppressed. The case Of an able
worker of my acquaintance
throws light upon that, and upon
the Soviet system.
Shared Local Powers
At 80, he had risen to position
as head of the trade union branch
in a plant in heavy industry. With
the director of the factory and
the head of the local party nu
cleus," therefore, he shared power
in the "triumvirate" which ruled
the plant. (This is typical, in all
plantS.) y
During the winter and spring
of 1893 the plant lost IL per cent
of its workers from starvation and
production fell. Moscow sent ottl'
cials to investigate production.
The three were ION the carpet" "
In interminable discussion, every
possible explanation except the
true one was advanced. Finally
my friend spoke out:
''Why waste our time. Pro
ductiOn fell because the men
were too weak to work. Some
walked barefoot in the snow be-
cause they had sold their shoes
for cruSts of dread. Yet you ex'
pected them to carry on for
8, 10 or even 12-hour shifts"
GETS WARNING
The session adjourned. MY
friend was investigated. His rec
ord was good. So he was dealt
with lightly. He lost his post as
trade union head and was put to
work at the lowest sort Of job in
the plant. But he was warned
that recurrence of that kind OF
talk would mean exile.
There are methods also OF
eilencing Russians sent abroad.
Every Russian going out Of the
country must leave behind as
hostage some near relative.
If a foreign specialist is a single
man he is likely to become &C
quainted with an attractive Rus
sian girl who happens" to be
about. If he is married, his wife
will be supplied with helpful and
winning house worker. If, leaving
the U. S. s. r., he speakers or
writes in unfavorable terms. then
q Communist agent seeks him out
suggests that the "girl friend" Cor
cook is the source of his informa'
ton, and she will be "held re-
SponSible." Or, If a departing en-
gineer has no such contacts" and
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