Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1941-08-14
Government Issues
BY Hjalmar Petersen.
What Goes On Behind the
Russian Censorship

RUSSIAN censorship
AS has been pointed out in
these columns before, certainly
there is no democracy at stake
in the battle between Hitler and
Stain. Herewith is an article
that presents facts concerning
the dictatorial rule of the Com
munist leadership. 1t is from
the Anti-War News Service of
New York, and the article fol-
lows:
Those who favor taking sides be-
tween the two bloody dictators by
giving all-out aid to one to defeat the
other would do well to read Bertram
D. Wolfe's article, "The Silent Soviet
Revolution, in the June issue of
Harper's Magazine.
Mr.. Wolfe skaters any illusions
that may still exist on the Soviet
Union as a force for peace or pro-
greSs. He reveals that ''for more than
a decade now, and with ever-increaS-
ing acceleration, the Soviet expert
ment' becomes the vastest expert
ment in total INFLAMMATION of a peo-
pie, its life, labor, and thought, known
to the history of man."
Quietly, behind the wall of censor
ship and scarcely noted by the out
side world, a series of DEGREES has
been clamped down upon the entire
Russian people until life in the Soviet
Union differs very little from that
in a vast military prison. Except,
of course, for the privileged hierar-
chy, whose position is becoming
steadily intrenched.
Mr.. Wolfe is well known as an au-
thority on the Soviet Union, hav-
ing written several books on the
subject and visited Russia a number
of times. He has known person.
ally most of the leaders, including
Stain and Molotov, as we'll as the
purged leaders, Trotsky, Zinoviev,
and Bukharin. He is a member of
the governing committee of the Keep
America Out of War Congress.
His article deals at length with the
decree handed down like bolt from
the blue on June 81, 1910, "con-
corning the change to the 8-hour day
and the 7-day week and the prohibit
ton of self-willed departure by work.
ers and employees from enterprises
and Institutions, which was ordered
without any discussion, referendum,
negotiation, or collective bargaining
whatsoever. At the same time, wage
rates were adjusted so that wages
would remain at the same low level
in spite of the tremendous increase
in hours.
Although the 5-day week was in
corporated in the Soviet Constitution
of 1886, and the Constitution could
be amended only 'by decision of the
Supreme Soviet of the U. S. S. r.,
approved by a majority of not less
than two-thirds of the votes cast in
each of it's chambers, the Supreme
Soviet was not even in session at the
time of this decree. The Constitu-
ton was brazenly ignored, and no
one could so much as protest.
Any worker who leaves his job is
now handed over to the courts Late
ness and absence without acceptable
cause are punishable by forced penal
labor at the workers place of en-
ployment for up to six months, with
up to Is per cent of his wages with
held. Thus a dissatisfied worker who
tries to leave his job is imprisoned"
at the very job he wanted to leave.
MIR. Wolfe also discusses the de-
cree of October 3, 1910, abolishing
free secondary and higher education,
and establishing a system of labor
CONSUMPTION and apprenticeship for
boys and girls from fourteen years
onward. This system attaches mere
children to particular jobs or
branches of industry which they may
never leave, unless it should please
their superiors, for the rest of their
lives.
Free universal education, at one
time the pride of the Soviet Union,
was guaranteed in the Constitution.
Yet its adjustment by decree, like
that of the 5-day week, took place
when the Supreme Soviet was not in
session. A new caste system is now
established, whereby only the chill
dren of well-paid bureaucrats and
intellectuals can possibly afford the
education necessary to prepare them
selves to become officials.
The Red Army, Mr.. Wolfe reveals
has become the most rigidly organ