A Lesson in Co-operation in Russia's Four-year Plan Speaker Tells Westernites
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Spencer Clarke Gives Enlightening Address to Large Audience at University
LENIN A HERO
A picture of a progressive and successful Russia, providing almost ideal care for her workers, and presenting to the rest of the world something of a lesson in co-operation and equality, was given interested students last Friday evening, when Mr. Spencer Clarke, an electrical engineer, who visited Russia last summer, gave an illustrated lecture under the auspices of the S.C.M. and League of Nations Society.
Dispels Myth
Mr. Clarke dispelled the myth that visitors are "shown" around Russia, and that favourable reports of conditions there are the result of superficial inspection of special exhibition spots. Mr. Clarke admitted that there was enormous difference of opinion among foreigners living in Russia, but outlined his visit well enough to convince his audience that he at least saw enough of Russia to be sure he was looking at the real thing, and not any false front.
Lenin
A Russia dominated by the spirit of Lenin was Mr. Clarke's impression. Lenin's history is pictured on posters, his maxims are seen everywhere, and at present his boyhood is being idealized as the example for young Soviet Russia.
Huge sanitary kitchens, some capable of serving as high as 90,000 meals a day at a very low cost, were one feature of the towns. Mr. Clarke of course saw one of the show places, but he afterwards crashed in on another kitchen far removed from the tourist circle, and saw factory workers enjoying the following meal: vegetable soup, meat and two vegetables, the famous "black bread," and ice cream for dessert.
Workers' Clubs
He described the workers' clubs that are being erected in connection with the new industrial plants. The description seemed to indicate a glorified (and free) Y.M.C.A. Nor was Mr. Clarke's description of Moscow's public recreation park less surprising. The park is about ten miles long, and four miles wide. It has a bathing beach, boating, some 100 volley-ball courts, tennis courts, football fields, squares where folk dancing is enjoyed by huge crowds, and many other features. It is used every day as a result of the Soviet plan which gives a fifth of the population a holiday each day.
The Penitentiary
An ideal penitentiary, so exclusive that only third offenders get in, and where the prisoners are given two weeks' holiday a year with pay, besides occasional week-ends off and where many "tough boids' continue to live and work after their contracts expire, was an interesting point in the lecture.
The tremendous improvement over the old individual farming system that have been made under progressive community or co-operative farms was made very apparent by Mr. Clarke's illustrations. He found the people in central Russia, twenty miles from a railroad, keenly interested in foreign affairs, and well versed in their Marx and Lenin.
Shows Posters
Mr. Clarke touched on many other phases of Russian life in an informing manner, and at the conclusion of his talk, showed a number of large posters he had brought back from Russia. The posters were pointing out the advantages of education, of good health, of modern clean food, and other points in the Soviet program. "Let us Complete the Five Year Plan in Four Years" seemed to be one of the most common phrases on the posters, as Mr. Clarke translated them.
