File 1341/1921 Pt 1 'Khorassan Intelligence Summaries 1921-1922' [‎643v] (934/1080)

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APPENDIX 2,
“ Nabat/’ published at Askabad, 29th March. 1921.
Why was distribution necessary. ^
The three year burdensome, wasteful, war which Soviet Russia has waged
with Tsarist generals, landlords, and Russian capitalists, has ended in victory
for the workmen and peasants. In this war, thanks to the heroism of the Red
Army, we have saved the peasants’ land from confiscation by the landowners,
we have not allowed the mill owners to return to their mills and factories, we
have not permitted foreign bourgeois governments to deprive Russia of her
independence nor to seize her riches. The distribution became particularly
heavy on the peasants especially in the matter of agricultural products, which
the Soviet power had to take in order to feed her many-million army, her rail
way employes, and those engaged in the more important industrial undertakings.
The Soviet power know well the burden on the peasants of the distribution, all
the inconvenience to the development of husbandry. But she addressed herself
sternly to this distribution fully understanding that the labouring peasantry
would sooner forgive the burden placed on them for the sake of the victory
over their enemies than to be free of the distribution purchased at the cost of
a victory for landlords, of a loss of land, of the destruction and overwhelming of
the Red Army..
Now, when the first rush of capitalists and landlords on Soviet Russia has
been beaten back, when Russia has maintained by war her independence of the
domination of foreign capital against the strongest of the powers, she is, so to
speak an equal among equals. When mighty England signs the trade treaty
with us, when we are able to find a road for trade beyond our frontiers we shall
got for the peasantry various products in exchange for part of our surplus wheat
—then will 'begin the time for lessening the burdens of the peasantry without risk
ing the loss of the value of the costly victories of the workmen’s and peasants
Republic.
Taxation—a temporary measure.
The abolition of wheat distribution and the introduction in its place of
taxation appears to be a great easement for the peasant population and will
strengthen the bond between workmen and peasants on which depends the victory
of the Republic. But the peasant must understand that this measure is tem
porary. Only her terrible indigence and the want of trade compels the Soviet
power to take a portion of the products of agriculture by way of taxation, that
is, without compensation. In proportion as our industries will be developed on
whose success depends the fate of rural economics and in proportion as
imports of foreign trade expand in return for our raw material, so will the
burden of taxation on the peasantry decrease. We shall achieve a success in the
furthest flights of socialist economics, when for every pound of the peasant’s
wheat the Soviet Government will give the equivalent of products necessary to
rural life. • w , .(
Batum taken.
On the nineteenth of March Batum was occupied by the Red Gorgian detach
ments. The Menshevik Government fled to Constantinople.
Progress of Labour in Central Germany.
Strikes in Central Germany are on the increase. In the Mansfeld urban
district there are 22,000 on strike. In several towns the matter has gone as far
as an armed conflict between the working classes and the police.