Russia Portrayed as Modern Utopia by Spencer Clarke
n.d.
Relation of Soviets to Church and Religious Work
MOVES TO GOAL
Some three hundred men and women with a large scattering of older boys and girls gathered in John Street United Church hail, Tuesday evening to hear Spencer Clark of Toronto, deliver an illustrated lecture on "Russia."
In introducing the speaker the Rev. Robert Hall said the audience was fortunate in having a speaker of Mr. Clark's ability with them. He had attended university with him and known him for a number of years and was most appreciative of his worth. Mr. Clark, at the invitation of Principal Fyfe of Queen's University, was delivering several lectures on Russia before the student body of that institution, and this had enabled him being present in Belleville for the lecture in the evening. Russia was a subject of deepest interest to all, and he knew of no more prominent a subject at the present time than the "Challenge of Russia." Mr. Clark had spent nearly a year there, studying conditions, and seeing the working out of the Five Year Plan. With a number of other thinkers and investigators under the able leader Sherwood Eddy, this had been, accomplished and access to many places afforded and courtesy extended the party by the officials of United States of Soviet Russia.
Social Equality
Mr. Clark proved to be a most bright and eloquent speaker, and had his subject well developed. From the Utopian viewpoint of the Communistic regime in Russia, he presented a most happy, harmonious and fascinating picture of the well-being of the Russian people. Their achievements had been great since the revolution, and all things pointed toward the attainment of the ends they sought, a new order of civilization based on the social equality of man. The illustrations shown, portrayed little aside from what has already been seen in magazines and newspapers. Pictures of Lenin were thrown on the screen at the opening and closing of Mr. Clark's remarks: prominent also were pictures of other Communistic leaders. The outstanding buildings of Leningrad and Moscow which have been left, and maintained by the Soviet, also played a prominent part in the lantern portrayals. Some of the more recent construction works of the Soviet government were shown as well as favorable views of that organization's attempts along social welfare lines. Types of the Russian citizenry of today also occupied much screen space and from all appearances the Russians were doing very nicely.
As all pictures leaving that country are censored and the speaker was under the care and tutelage of Soviet officials, the happy views of Russian life shown may have been offset by other pictures, if such, could they have crossed the Russian borders.
There was today the keenest interest to all civilized countries regarding events transpiring in Russia and there was a sincere desire to understand them, but reports had been so varied and conflicting that people were cautious about forming opinions, he said. With a population of 164 millions Russia was increasing daily by 10,000 with some 25,000 weekly increase from immigration. The five-year plan was planned planned several years before the commencement of its operations by 33.000 experts in every line of industry and profession. It was the greatest undertaking ever attempted by any race or any people toward construction of planned economy, was Mr. Clark's view.
No General Demolishment
Contrary to general belief there had been no general destruction of churches, palaces, art galleries and public buildings. The finest of these were kept up by the Soviet government in as fine a manner as previous to the revolution. Palaces or parts of them now housed workingmen's clubs or been given over to the use of children; but there had not been the wanton destruction of this class of property that had been heralded throughout the world. The people of Russia were encouraged by their leaders to visit museums, art exhibits and picture galleries. Libraries were recipients of the utmost aid the government could lend them, and were being established throughout rural Russia. Geo. H. Locke, Toronto's chief librarian, had estimated that 10,000 public libraries had been opened in Russia in the last few years.
A picture of a church service brought forth Mr. Clark’s comment on the treatment of the Christian religion by the Soviet government and its attitude toward it. Religious gatherings and teachings are tolerated by the Soviet leaders, but far from receiving any encouragement. Some few of the older people of Russia attend church, but the younger element have deserted the church wholeheartedly and few are seen in church gatherings. The aim of the Soviet to do away with organized religion. Under the Czarist regime the Christian churches had proved a hardship on the Russian people, and they had thrived on the ignorance of the peasant. Knavery and corruption had marked the Czarist administration and in many cases the priests had been nothing but robbers and immoralists. Fear of future punishment or promise of a happy hereafter had outstandingly been the teaching of the clergy which to a great extent had been corrupt and self-seeking. The Russia of today was seeking some heaven on earth, rather than in the hereafter, said Mr. Clark. The older generation never knew religion as Canadians know it, and the younger generation knew little or nothing of the Christian faith and were finding that they were getting along pretty well without it. Toward a great new social goal, the social good as a whole, Russia was progressing and perhaps that was a new religion under a new name.
Hospitals, Parks, Playgrounds
Hospitalization is receiving the fullest support from the Soviet government. Like all social welfare advancements the cities were first afforded these facilities. The Red Cross was active in Russia as elsewhere and though the city hospitals were at the time of Mr. Clark's visit still lacking in much desirable and almost necessary equipment, they were steadily being built up, while hospitals were being established in towns and in the collective farming communities.
If there was one [autocracy crossed out: aristocracy] in Russia it was childhood, everywhere he went the Infants' and youngsters' welfare was the chief concern of the Communistic authorities. Parks and playgrounds abounded; toward the health of infant, child and youth the government bent every energy. A healthful and enlightened coming generation was one of its great aims. Gymnasiums and recreation parks were numerous, the larger town, catering to the youth of the land.
The Russians were fond of the radio and the speaker said machines were to be found in numbers thru-out the country; the programs furnished were mainly of an educational nature. The moving picture houses were well patronized and nothing of sex appeal appeared in Russian films.
Toward more adequate and sanitary housing, great strides had been made under the five year plan and were still developing in the cities and industrial towns. The community farm was proving successful, and farming under this scheme was productive of harvests 200 to 300 per cent. greater than from those worked by the lone peasant. In all, Mr. Clark's description of Russia, as he found it, was that of a prosperous, busy, united country, inhabited by the happiest, freest and most progressive people , all earnestly seeking for the great goal of the emancipation of man in a brotherly socialistic union, submerging personal ambition for the general good of all. The speaker throughout the entire evening said no word of criticism regarding the Communistic rule in Russia. Hindus, a personal friend of Mr. Clark's, in his books has found certain faults in many things in Russia, and pictured a land struggling through hardships toward the termination of an experiment, but Mr. Clark, Tuesday evening presented no such side of the present history making in Russia. That land and its people were represented in a most roseate and happy state.
On question by Magistrate Mikel when discussion was invited, Mr. Clark replied that there were no recognized laws in Russia, no national code of punishments, or any generally adopted form of court procedure. Russia had cast aside all codes of law, though these were gradually formulating, but they were still endeavouring to keep away from this. The Communistic leaders view crime as a whole as more the result of social causes than the fault of the individual. Serious crime was declining rapidly in Russia, there was much petty thievery still existent, but with the banishment of unemployment this, too, was gradually disappearing. Court proceedings were made as simple as possible and a defendant judged more on his story and history than on the charge for which he had been arrested. An annual purge was held by the Communistic party when examination was made of all members. About 10 per cent, of the membership was expelled yearly for not living up to the tenets of their party. Graft, as we know it in Canada and the United States is unknown in Russia, that crime in Russia carries a penalty of capital punishment. The Communists of Russia were a moral, living sect; in the transition period there had been much sex looseness but there was a pretty wholesome atmosphere in that regard in the Russia of today. The average of divorce in that country was less than in the United States.
Superintendent H. B. Fetterly of the Ontario School of the Deaf, in voicing the appreciation of the audience for the most lucid and interesting lecture said he had learned much of conditions in Russia and now saw conditions there in a far different light than before. "Things transpiring there might well be applied in this country," he said. "We were a long way behind what they are striving to attain in Russia. The experiment there is only five years old and Russia and these other countries are going to be a long way ahead of Canada unless something is done here. The Master would approve of this great experiment were He here today. They in Russia, are attempting to carry out what the Master taught. He was sure all would go home with a much g eater [i.e. greater] appreciation of Russia," concluded Mr. Fetterley.
The singing of the National Anthem concluded the evening’s program.
