The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1945-12-21

reindeer garment, fur next TO body
all winter long without any change
or ventilation. Some even wear it in
summer the same way.
The Swedish government have treat
ed them kindly teaching them to read
and write as well as the Lutheran re-
ligion. Living in the bleak waste-land
OF Lapland, their RENDERS furnish
them with food, clothing, milk and
transportation, while the herds lived
wholly on lichens and moss.
This part of Sweden was considered
OF no economic value until the iron
mine, the third largest in the world,
was discovered and worked by Swed-
ish and German capitalists, which in
no ways changed or interfered with
the Lapp.
Yakuts of Siberia
North of Lake Baikal, East Siberia
and extending to Laptev Sea in the
Arctic Ocean in large region which
is now the autonomous region of va
kut was the home land of wandering
tribes of nomads somewhat resem-
bling the Lapps of the Scandinavian
Peninsula. They were considered sub
human by the Tsarist government and
swindled shamefully by the Russian
traders giving them cheap trinkets or
a bottle of vodka for valuable furs
The Yakuts, unlipe the Lapps, were
mistreated by Cossacks and traders
alike and fact Twin
from disase and exposure, in winter
Sometimes as many as from 20 to 80
crowding a tent with their animals
included. This was Yakut before the
Soviets.
A Transformation
In Yakut a transformation has taken
place never before witnessed by man,
savage sub-human tribes have adj
vanced from savage to ultra-modern
civilized people in just one generation,
skipping the feudal stage altogether.
Moscow sent experts in language to
teach the tribes a written language,
to teach them to build
houses and farmers to teach them col
ective farming as we'll as doctors
and nurses to teach them correct liv-
ng, with remarkable success.
Today Yakutsk, the capital, on the
banks of the Lena river, is a modern
city with telephones, electric light and
| water system. 1t has all the modern
lp-to-date conveniences including pub
ic library, hospital, elementary and
high school with full attendance bring
ng literacy up to more than 95 per
,ent which is a higher average than
We have in the United States.
The northern part of the country is
! treeless tundra but Soviet agrono-
nists have introduced early maturing
rops of vegetables making good crops
N perpetually frozen subsoil Hydro
lectric plants and cheap electricity
make it possible to grow semitropical
ruit in lighthouses while minerals of
lany kinds are in abundance, the gold
ields of the Lena delta producing
luch of the gold to pay the balance-of-
rade with the United States
Few countries have the diversity of
lail transportation existing here: air
lane, reindeer, dog team, horse and
nowshoe in winter with boat trans
up the Lena river in sum-
Ter. During Tsar Nicholas days va
ut, rich in natural resources, was
My used as penal colony for poll.
cal prisoners, Lenin being one of
lem.
The southern part of Yakut is heav-
y timbered, enough so that it can
lpply So million cubic feet of timber
definitely from its yearly growth.
AS a region is becoming more in
Istrialized immigration is consider
Die and the population is increasing
st with 80 per cent Yakuts. Many
the Yakuts are wearing war medals
Id made splendid record in World
ar II, being some of the best sharp
looters in the Red army In the life
one generation they not only caught
, with the Laps but left them far
hind
Who can say that the Soviets have
It a paying and workable system?
A E. ANDERSON.
lite, Mont, Dec. 8, 1916.