File 1341/1921 Pt 1 'Khorassan Intelligence Summaries 1921-1922' [‎335v] (318/1080)

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appendix II.
“ Izvestia”, 'published in Askhabad, December 25th, 1921.
The question of the acceptance of debts.
The “ Deutsche Tages Zeitung ” adduces the following with respect to
the recognition by the Soviet Republic of pre-war debts .
The Russian National Debt stood on the 1st January at 8,824 million
roubles. Of this sum only two milliards were owed abroad. Up to the 7tli
November 1917 the internal and external debt did not exceed 16,460 million
roubles. Added to this was the value of miscellaneous war material procured
from the Allies. England, America, France, and Italy, which amounted to
7,428 millions. It can be positively stated that Russia’s national debt did not
exceed 32,712 millions of roubles. If were added to this all guaranteed
State loans for municipal and other corporations then the general Russian
liability would be 35,264 million roubles, of which only 12,920 millions re
present foreign debts. On the other hand, Russia has to receive from abroad
a pre-war credit of two milliards.
The entire Russian National debt does not exceed even ten times a normal
annual budget (3,300 millions gold) at a time when England’s and France’s
debt exceeds thirty-five times their budget. Having in view the incalcul
able reserve of natural wealth in Russia—mineral deposits^ forests, vast ter-
ritorv, etc.,—one must confess that the position of Russia is much better
than"that of other countries.
We must not forget that the position of American industry after the
Civil War and also her financial position, were catastrophic. Nevertheless,
everyone knows how rapidly America recovered as soon as_ she was able to
engage in peaceful reconstruction. Why should not Russia do the samel
It is calculated that in Siberia alone there are 600 million desiatins of cultiv
able land to say nothing of minerals. In such a condition of affairs a Nation
al debt of 35 milliard roubles does not present anything very terrifying.
" Izvestia,” Tashkent, December 8th y 1921.
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A NEW DANGER.
Always, when some or other serious danger has threatened the Work
men’s and Peasants’ Republic she has not concealed the true state of affairs
but has summoned the whole labouring population to single-minded resis -
ance.
Throughout the whole period of existence of the Soviet (jovernment
there has never been an occasion when a danger threatening it has not been
made known. By vigorous attack and sometimes by a particularly violen
effort we have always emerged as conquerors from the most difficult situations.
At the present moment the Turkestan Republic is threatened by a new
danger, perhaps the most terrible of all, and which threatens to reduce o
zero all our labour for improving the economic welfare of the Republic.
The approaching terrible epidemic of typhus may, in the course of a few
weeks, surpass all calculations. The first indications of the awful dange
are already on us. And to-morrow the disease will spread among indus ri
workers, transport personnel, teachers, medical staffs, and so on, and w
find its way throughout all the countryside.
This may all be avoided if the labour population will realise the ser j?^ s n
ness of the moment, if each workman, each peasant, each honourable c 1 j
will regard as the task lying nearest to his hand a merciless struggle wi
that brings forth and fosters the development of the epidemic.
All party and Soviet organizations must face this question <
epidemics by assisting with every possible resource the sanitary
which have been called into being for the unremitting struggle.
)f a fight with
organizations
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