HOW MOSCOW TRAINS

Hokitika Guardian, 9 July 1927, Page 4

HOW MOSCOW TRAINS

PLOTTERS.

(By DR. EDOUARD LUBOEE, Author

of A Red Year.”)

The trial 1 and execution of Chinese agents in the employ of the Soviet Embassy in Peking is being commented upon at Moscow as ’‘cold-blooded murder,” and fear is being expressed as to the fate of the Russians arrested in the course of the raid on the Embassy.

This fear is not unreasonable. Moscow may well lear retribution in view of the well-known abuse of diplomatic privileges by the Soviets and the systematic attempts to stir up hatred in China. India, and the East generally.

That specially trusted members of the Communist International are attached to all Soviet establishments in foreign countries has been evident since 1920. but in the East the procedure is somewhat different. In order to supply Soviet establishments in the East with well-trained propagandists, special colleges were opened at Moscow and Leningrad. Both the " Moscow Institute for Eastern Knowledge” and the “ Leningrad Institute lor Eastern Studies ” prepare what the newspaper “ Pravada ” describes as “ political workers " for employment in Soviet Embassies and other establishments in the East. These workers are given a full course of Eastern languages and a thorough knowledge of the living Fast." with a view “ to intimate association,” in addition to the usual course in revolutionary training.

These colleges do not even pretend to lie institutions for the preparation nl Consular and Ambassadorial staffs, but are frankly admitted to be ‘■universities ot political education.” Their graduates are taken over by the Central Committee of the Communist Party, not the Soviet Government, and are then sent to the country for which tliev are prepared and attached to the Soviet establishments.

Thus the " Pravada,” dealing with the Moscow Institute reports that - - the majority ol the students, namely Of, per cent., were commandeered by the Central Committee of the Communist Parly, and most of the graduates. as well as those who were commandeered before graduation, are now employed in our Soviet establishments in tlit- capacity of highly uselul workers. whose value is acknowledged by the chiefs of our foreign establishments.”

Ami in order to indicate the kind ol work done by these students, the -- Pravada ” adds: " Thanks to their origin as workers and peasants, as well as to the improved conditions ol training. these graduates are becoming a brilliant corns ol leaders in the I'.astern zone, both as practical workers and

as instructors of others.” !i is the duty of these pseudo-em-ployees to keep in touch with all the revolutionary activities ol the country to which they are scnL and to keep Moscow informed ot all that is going on. They work under a chief who is

never the recognised chief of the Embassy and they arc responsible only to him. When detected they appeal to the Ambassador or Charge d’Aliaires. and it is his business to convince the authorities that the agent was "oii tlu» list of employees ” and thus immune from arrest or convict ion.

B.v 1921 i. according to the same authority. the Moscow Institute supplied 200 nl these agents to the various establishment in China. Japan. Pcrla. Afghanistan. Turkey and Fgvpt. During 1921! a further LIS were being trained but only about -10 per cent were (ommaiidcered during the year.

Plans published last year show that an nttemnt is to be made to enlarge the ‘‘geographical’" scope ol the work of the institute, since the Soviets ■' understand by ‘ the East ’ the whole colonial and semi-colonial world, i.c., not only the Yellow but the Black Continent.” To cover this area the institute “ is intensifying the revolutionary study of tlic Black Continent, first of all North Africa, from Egypt and the Soudan, via Tripoli, Tunisia. Algeria and Morocco up to the Hill' provinces.” It is obvious that the legitimate openings for Soviet citizens in these countries of the " Black Continent are few and far between. It is also ol interest, that at present the students ol 1 1is institute are taught, among other languages, the dialects of Urdu. Bengali, and Tamil, and one wonders what Soviet establishments are to bo opened in (lie countries where these languages ar spoken.