Show S RUSSIl DEMOCRATIC lIC ELECTION Communistic U S S R Prepares to Enfranchise Million 1 Subjects This Month If the Pencils Hold I Out kt 4 4 ay E U 6 i iv v 4 i 4 I roan t J y I n 7 ii f 1 4 4 4 L i k e r rk t x k p 5 r rAll AU All photos from Now on an equal basis with theIr sisters throughout Russia these collective farm women are arc among the numberless Soviet residents ts particIpating in the epochal gigantic election I By JOSEPH VV W LaBINE Sl COMMUNISTIC Russia Russin is trying to be democratic Buther Buther But her efforts may fall fail for want of pencils This month an estimated voters are arc bal bal- balloting balloting bal 1 in m a country that covers sixth one-sixth the worlds world's land area They will select representatives for village regIonal province area and Supreme Soviets Most of them are votIng vot- vot Ing inE for the first time p Angry threats are nr heard against the Timber Commissariat tor for al- al allegedly allegedly al allegedly trying to wreck the elec elec- election election election tion The pencil shortage could have been avoided through proper use lose of Russia's forest resources Likewise LU a serious paper shortage for ballots is blamed on the same bureau While school children use antes in the emergency every So- So SovIet Soviet So Soviet viet agency but the Timber Com Com- Commissariat Commissariat Is apparently straining training to tomake tomake make mak the election succeed And why this great effort Rus Rus- Russia's Russia's Russia sias sia's sia most democratic election will probably cause NIcolai Lenin father of ot nol Bolshevism to turn in m his grave It is the perfect antithesis ot of the specially flavored brand of n doctrine on which Lenin founded Soviet Russia 20 years ago The Bolshevist goal then was world revolution and abolition of ot democracIes democracies democracies Mass suffrage was scorned Election Is Defense Measure The apparent about face Is a dl- dl direct di direct reet result of ot pressure from Ger Ger- Germany Germany many Italy and Japan RussIa fears war She must build an ade- ade adequate adequate quat ade-quat quate national defense and this can can- cannot cannot cannot not be b done under policies of ot class dIstinction and restricted suffrage I Every man must be made to feel Russia's future is his own future The new era of quasi democratic tic government is encouraging this at- at attitude attitude at attitude forsaking the revolutionary flag in favor of a healthy defensive diplomacy The momentous election falls faUs un- un under under un under der privileges Inaugurated with the I new Stalinist constitution The ballot Is granted all aU men and wom wom- women women women en aged eighteen or more Irre irre- irrespective irrespective Irrespective of ot their race religious profession pro trade and class extraction Criminals Criminals and lunatics are barred Unlike most democratic nations Russia Russi gives the vote to soldiers z n F w w m mw a Gypsies homeless and aud persecuted under the Tsarist regime have been gh given en land literacy ft a happy and prosperous life liCe under Soviet rule TIle The grandson of f E P fie six seventy six year year- old year ld Gypsy collee- collee collective tive tivo farmer Is reading election rules to his aged c e and sailors They are thoroughly tutored in communistic doctrine and ard andare ardore are most likely to vote right suffrage starts at eIghteen years Instead of twenty one as in other countries because Russia s younger generation has known no other government than Bolshevism and will not vote against It Moscow boasts the election is a amodel amodel amodel model of ot secrecy and democratic principle but few foreign ers are hoodwinked Comrade Stalin and his associates have safeguard safeguarded ed themselves against an anti ad adminIstration administration administration minIstration vote Press radio and movies are arc under the government s thumb and only one the party party the Corn Com is monist Is permitted Hence any organized opposition to Communist candidates will die in Its youth Since minutes of community nom mating meetings must be signed by town officials no minor authorities will endanger themselves by per per- permitting permitting permitting the selection of ot non conform conformist conformist candidates Religion Enters Politics Moreover Moscow has hns avoided religious interference In the Ute election by Interpreting the Stalinist constitution constitution constitution as it saw fit Article 56 50 of the election law granted the nominating nominating nominating ing right to all legally registered societies Among these are 30 religious communities which recent recent- recently recently recently ly law caw hope for their cause in nom fern nominating nominating hinting and electing sympathetic candIdates Just as their Influence became felt In pre pro election cam cam- campaIgning campaigning campaigning Public Prosecutor Andrei denied religious socIeties perI the nominating right It Is per perfectly I true that they are legally reg reg- reg registered registered societies he explained but they do not exl exit exist t In the th Inter Inter- Interests interests Interests ests of the Soviet cause Russia's democratic election Is obvIously tempered to suit the government s Interests Despite the rejection of ot church groups as nominating bodies thou thou- thousands thousands thousands sands of ot village priests will play important roles on the election day The recent purge which brought new Soviet administrators to the I small towns is playing Into the hands ot of religious bodies These men are arc strangers Not knowing i what local candidates are sympathetic sympathetic sympathetic to the Communist cause they will ask the priest s opinion since In most villages the priest Is a al ld 1 ad ng citizen Thus will trill the prIest gain administration support for the nominee favoring his interests I hy Hold an Election I If It religious societies are trampled upon and all pre election propaganda propaganda da favors the Communist party what is the sense of this mammoth voting orgy As in Hitler s recent German elections there can be but butone butone butone one outcome But it is not sheer comedy say ay the Soviet leaders Vet Vot Voters ers may have no choice of political parties or principles but they have free choice among men Those they believe the most honest and efficient will be elected Incompetent and corrupt officials will be ousted How Howa a Mongol peasant In Siberia Is to judge the qualifications of two can can- candIdates candidates in Vladivostok a thousand miles distant distant is not explained But let no one scorn modern SovIet Soviet So- So Soviet viet Russia as a backward country Within 25 5 years ears she may pass even the United States In literacy Today only 15 per cent of her population is unable to read and write Her program tor for youth is building a physically fit generation that will probably outstrip all aU other nations There are so many amazing fea- fea features features fea features tures about this giant country that the investigator goes away unable to understand It Russia has suf suffered countless failures in the past 20 ears cars yet she has succeeded n a j surprIsing degree debree despite her fail tall failure ure ore Lenin s communism is probably one of ot the failures though the Father himself predicted hIs Utopia would be reached only via a zig zag course by three steps forward and two steps stops bad Pos Pos- Possibly Pos Pos- Possibly Possibly sibly the present democratic at- at attitude attitude at attitude is merely a n temporary devia devia- deviation deviation deviation tion from the intended path necessitated necessitated by the encroachments encroachment of ot fascism from all sides In defense there cannot be b class hatred Bus Rus Russia Russia sia discovered that once one before when the th hated Czarist regime found its subjects unwilling to play Still Experimenting Thus today Russia employs methods little different from those of at capitalism so far as the average man or woman is concerned An employee of ot Soviet Steel enjoys about the same status as a work work- worker worker worker er for United States Steel The puzzle puzzle puzzle of this sprawling nation is fur fur- further further further ther complicated when we realize that Its methods are arc also similar to those of fascism Twenty years aft after after after er the revolution Russia Is apparently apparently apparently still In the experimental stage What then is the th force that has transformed her from tram medieval feu feudalism feudalism feudalism century modern mode modernity ity tty in a scant 20 years That very r t tr tr r r rY Y 4 i i 4 b fn w The December election Is probably ably bly contrary to ideals of If the late Nicolai Lenin father lather of ot Soviet Russia transformation is the most startling fact about this startling nation It Is Russia's on major claim to success She has hns made her citizens so patriotic that they pity the Amer Amerlean Amerlean scan lean woman for her lack lack of free freedom freedom dom dam She has built huge industrial clUes cities and changed agriculture from fromI froma I a primitive occupation to a scion mechanized vocation Slit hu his made people Interested in their own country by a nation wide system of free iree holidays on the semi tropical ll coast of the Black sea Her army once an undiscIplined body of misfits now challenges theL world orld Where most countries must beg youth to enter the army Red lied Russia finds military candidates en enthusiastic And well ell ell they might be beor for or Soviet soldiers are arc better clothed fed and housed than the masses They receive practical and mental education and after the r period of ot service is up they trey settle on one of the thousands of communal farms maintained by the army Although Russia's citizenry boasts of freedom and liberty these thIngs are based only on a compari comparison comparison comparison son with their former feudal status True democracies d dj not recognize as freedom any system which progresses by compulsion for tor the indivIduaL In other words is it freedom when the ruling powers assume the right to shoot shoot imprIson or exile all dissenters But proud Russia her eyes closed to these apparent discrepancIes invites comparison and boasts that this month she will hold the most democratic If the Timber Commissariat gets around to manufacturing pencils ind nd ballot paper and it if newly ne enfranchised Russians how to mark their x in the proper square the elec election election tion will be a success in Moscow s eyes Likely Likly It will be a success no matter what happens because Corn Com rode Joseph Stalin isn t taking any tJ B Western Newspaper per Union Unica |