MIASMA OF BOLSHEVISM

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 144, 14 March 1921, Page 9

MIASMA OF BOLSHEVISM

BETTER DAYS FOR RUSSIA WHEN IT LIFTS. Mr. Marcus Stow Hill, of Chicago, who has spent five years in Scandinavia and European Russia, but who is a present in Australia, gave a representative of the "Sydney Morning Herald eome interesting impressions of Russia. “I have,” he said, "the highest opinion of the real Russia trader. I found that he was keen on a bargain, but honest, and always a real good fellow. He might be a highly intellectual individual or an illiterate peasant. it you once got the confidence of the lattei trade was easy. People have no idea of the immensity of the factories in Russia. In the days before Bolshevism, in the largest textile factory in the world, the Morozoff firm employed 15,000 hands, and the largest factory for goloshes was to be found there also. “An attempt is being made to spread an idea that it is the Bolsheviks only who have attempted to give education to the Russian people. But during the reign of Nicholas II 15,000 schools were opened throughout the country, and the technical institutions were often surprisingly good/* Regarding the possibilities of future trade with Russia, Mr. Hill pointed out that for five years prior to the war Russia imported manufactured goods to the value of 100 millions annually, 65 per cent, of which came from Germany. For five years she has imported practically toothing. It is, he remarks, staggering to think of the leeway to be made up now. As showing Russia s capacity in order-giving, he mentioned that he was shown a small one-horse plough by the Curator of the Museum of Agriculture in Petrograd, and was told that Russia could do with three million ploughs of similar pattern each year. Sevbn million scythes were imported annually from Austria. "I met M. Krassin. the Bolshevik envoy to England, is Petrograd in 1916,” said Mr. Hill. “He was the director of the Siemens-Schuckcrt works there, and, unlike other directors of German concerns, he was not placed under arrest when war broke out. I have a high opinion of him as a business man, and I believe he is sincere in trying to re-establish commercial relations with the Allies, but I think at the same time that Zinovieff, Kameneff, and other Bolsheviks will simply use commercial opportunities for propaganda purposes. “Bolshevism has plunged Russia baok to the middle-ages and it will take three generations to get her on 'her feet again by means of practical education, as opposed to the few belauded educational fads so much advertised by the Bolsheviks and their friends. My hope is that when the miasma of Bolshevism is lifted, Britain, America, and Australia will send to Russia a minimum of 26,600 teachers. They would live for a time in most distressing circumstances, but their example would soon react on the populace, and enable them to benefit by the teaching. The Russians are a very clever people, and if given a show will astonish the world.”