Evening star., 1939-01-02

oasis OF Information supplied by
a Rhode Island engineer Dho Das
employed for eight years in MANI
OF RuSsid's key industries)
BY EDMUND ]. LOWRY.
(As Told to selig Greenbers of the Provi-
dence Journal Bulletin)
PROVIDENCE, R. l., Jan. 2.
NAN.Ao.-My experiences in Rus
sia would have been incomplete
without stay in prison. The G..
P. U. obligingly helped me to round
out my Soviet impressions.
was jailed for about 80 hours
IN the dreaded Lubianka Prison in
Moscow, where thousands have been
dispatched to the other word with
bullet in the back of the head. That
was long enough to give me an in
sight into Soviet methods of grill
ing suspects
These methods, developed into
line art of sadism, are largely re-
sponslble, in my opinion, for the
fantastic confessions" obtained
from the defendants at Soviet purge
trials.
The average American has no idea
OF the extent, of the purge in Russia
during the last few years. The SEN
satlonal trials of the most promi-
nent Communist leaders accused of
treason and sabotage have been fully
publicized, but the rigid Soviet CEN
-sorship has succeeded in concealing
the enormous effects of the purge
upon the smaller fry.
Thousands Shot.
Thousands of minor officials have
been shot and tens of thousands
have been imprisoned From my
observationS in travelling all over
Russia, including Siberia, I would
say at least 100000 persons most
OF them so-called 'kulaks," or for
merly well-to-do peasants, are in ex-
lie in Siberia and another 1000, 900
at work on forced labor gangs.
The secret police picked me up on
suspicion of espionage one morning
as I was on the way to nv Office
because had taken pictures of a
Few Moscow landmarks which it is
forbidden to photograph. My Gre
dentlals did me no good and 4 was
whisked to G. P. U. headquarters at
= the Lubianka.
There was searched and the films
were confiscated. But they appar-
emily had an idea that I had some
how managed to conceal or get rid
OF a couple of films. First I was
kept waiting for what. seemed like
an eternity in one of the question
ing rooms" BY the time the ex-
animation began I was thoroughly
scared.
Mild Grilling. VI
For hours, until I was locked up
in a cell for the night, one ques-
toner after another kept firing
questions at me. When I asked for
a glass of water it was promptly
brought into the room. placed at
the other end of the table and never
handed to me.
The questioning was resumed the
next morning and after I was
finally released in the afternoon I
vas escorted by several agents to
my apartment and they turned the
place upside down searching for
evidence against me-
BY the time they got through
with me. was so frightened and
exhausted that might have signed
a confession" that 1 had plotted
with German and Japanese Fascists
II they had insisted that I do so.
But you must bear in mind that
this was child's play compared with
the workout they give suspected
Russians who are grilled for weeks
and months. AS an American,
! could appeal for the protection of
the diplomatic representatives of
my country. The Russian has no
one to appeal to, and the G. P. U.
inquisition is the court of last re-
sort for him.
Party "In Need"
One night in Moscow, while at
party with several prominent Com
munists at the height of the big
purge trials, gained another side
light on the Russian character and
the basis for many of the con-
fessions." My Communist friends
we're reluctant to discuss the purge,
but, after vodka had loosened his
tongue, one of them said: After
all, it isn't so much the question
Of the guilt or innocence of these
,men. It's a question of their loyalty
to their party when it is in need"
That statement summed up per-
fectly the reasons for the purge,
even If it didn't quite explain its
methods. Many thousands have
been purged because the Communist
party lis in need" Having failed
IN bringing their people the abun-
dance they had promised them, the
leaders of Soviet Russia need scape-
goats to justify their failure, con-
seal the real reasons for it and
divert the attention of the masses.
am firmly convinced that the
breakdown of Soviet planned econ
omy" is the major reason for the
purge. Many of those purged were
r absolutely innocent. Others were
guilty of no more serious form of
"wrecking" than that due to in
sf1ciency and the widespread Rus
sian ignorance of how to handle ma
chimes.
Indictment of Conditions.
The recruiting of hundreds of
thousands into forced labor gangs
has proved very lucrative for the
government. These prisoners, who
live in concentration camps under
conditions of indescribable suualor
and cruelty have in recent years
completed many projects of great
economic and strategic importance,
including the canals linking the
Baltic and White Seas and connect
ing Moscow with the Volga River.
Whichever way you look at it, the
purge situation is devastating in
dictment of conditions in Soviet
Russia. If sabotage and treason are
as widespread as Stain and his aides
charge, then there is obviously ex-