SOVIET RUSSIA

Hokitika Guardian, 6 October 1932, Page 8

SOVIET RUSSIA

VISITOR’S IMPRESSIONS. COUNTRY OF ATHEISM. Impressions of a short tour recently made in Soviet Russia,avere given by Air G. W. Ashton, of Christchurch, on ihis return by the Renniera from abput a year's stay abroad. Air Asljton, a graduate- in economics from Canteroury Golelge, lias been teaching in a- London County Council school under an exchange system, and before returning home lie, visited Russia/, whore he made ispeefal observations concerning the political, educational, and .industrial conditions. Ip the firist place, Mr Ashton said that visitors to Russia were just as free to roam about the country at will r,s they were to, say., in New Zealand. So far as he was concerned, no restrictions were placed on his going wherever he wanted. There was no truth in the suggestion that people were “shep-, herded” by Soviet officials. Mr Ashton isaid that the! general impression .was that the great mass of the, people had now got something liioip than they -had, before the reyolu--tiou. What .the peoples of (Western Europe had now to learn about Russia wa,s not so much the wickedness of Communism; but of the terrible conditions under ? yvhich'the • mass of the people lived in the'days'of the. Tsars. The > continued hostility of the whole ' world toward Russia;. he believed, would raise more problems than it would /ever,'-solve.-i<; -a -

STANDARD OF LIVING., The general, standard of living of the working classes in Russia at present was>not; more than, half of that,of similar glasses In New Zeala’nd, Mr Ashton continued. This present standard, howpver, vvas about twice- as good as that which , existed under the old regime. " ■■ There was no doubt that industrial organisation was being proceeded with on a huge scale; There was no unemployment in-Russia. The consequence of all this, Mr Ashton said, was, that as the mass of the people ,were better- off; in .varying degrees of their former condition, the vast majority were not interested m the (Slightest as to their form* of government, .whether -they were under a socialistic or capitalistic regime, a s long as .tli.ey. were .able to get..-a- .rear,. enable share of the world’s goods. DOCTRINE OF ATHEISM. Russia was preaching -a; doctrine of straight-out Atheism, My,Ashton con.-. ’ tintihd: - Her people 4. ref used to have anything to> do with the supernatural. “In conversation witln, a Communist,” Mr Ashton said, “I told him that the S'ocialistjc movement iq England .was started .practically! by as,few T Noncomfprmist -prjeachers, who saw in Socialism the ipossible means of alleviating *lie poverty .ayliich around then). Tips Rusian man,,.\vho jvas about id, years ‘of page, refused to -believe that anyone,: who haa anything to do with the , Church could, he m Socialist. ..“Russia is not interesting to the < older generation,” concluded -Air Ashton. i “It is to youth. In terms of hu-> man happiness, so far as the older pel pie ar.e , coni arned, it wrnuld have been better had the revolution, .never taken place. But from the point of the younger people, the revolution has given them, a much fuller life than they w r oud have had under the Tsars.”