On October 8, 1919 the Soviets sent out news on the Civil War and Red Army, the English in Murman, a Metalworkers congress, the financial situation, recruitment to the Communist Party, the League of Educational Workers and Socialist Culture conference, production of soap, and much more. During the Civil War the Soviet government began issuing daily international wireless communiques on events, conditions, and revolutionary work in Soviet-controlled territories. Becoming an irregular feature of ‘Soviet Russia,’ the New York-based publication of the Friends of Soviet Russia, the reports are a unique record of the period.

‘Official Soviet Wireless of October 8, 1919’ from Soviet Russia (New York). Vol. 2 No. 7. February 14, 1920.

The Suffering of the Red Army

The counter-revolutionary paper Rodina states the importance of the victories of the Red Army in Transcaspia, ascribing its success to the superior numbers of its cavalry, which has increased owing to the fact that some of the Turkomans have openly gone over to the reds while others have left the whites, taking with them their horses, and, having seized arms, have taken to flight. The paper admits the situation to which the whites have been reduced in that region to be desperate.

As Under the Old Regime

The Latest News, published by Denikin in Novy Oskol, reports an order issued by the chief of staff of the volunteer army to suspend all its Jewish officers. Thus we return to the conditions existing before the revolution of February, 1917, when Jews were excluded from all grades of officers in the army.

The English on the Murman

Coast According to deserters from the Murman coast, the evacuation of that country by the English is due to the fact that the English volunteers have categorically refused to remain any longer in the North of Russia, and have become convinced that there is no reason whatever to make war on Soviet Russia.

The Consequences of Commercial Freedom in Siberia

The official Messenger of Omsk enables us to form a definite idea of the economic situation in the far East under the regime of commercial freedom raised by the Whites. The value of our rouble in the month of May was one-fourth its value in January. One cannot describe the bacchanal that is taking place among the Russian and foreign speculators in their game to debase the Russian money and ruin the Russian people. The Far East is seized by an incomprehensible craze for riches and gambling. There are two markets; one deals in money, the other in merchandise. Stock-gambling goes on mostly in both of them. One credit establishment in Vladivostok has sold one million in Siberian money at a premium of 70 per cent. All this money is concentrated in the hands of five or six houses, which dictate its price. Tsarist money is paid for a premium of 200 per cent. In regard to merchandise, this phenomenon attains huge dimensions. Its owners sell it one day to buy it back the next at a higher price, in order to resell it later at an enormous profit, exceeding by many times their temporary losses, thus lowering the value of money and raising the price of goods. In one week, for instance, the cost of merchandise and products increased 200 per cent. In Harbin the situation is still worse. Part of the population is engaged in profiteering, while the rest go to bed on an empty stomach, convinced that their unappeased hunger will only increase tomorrow. The paper complains that not only are Russian speculators enriching themselves by hundreds of millions, but also foreigners who seem to be bent on making the lot of the Russian people worse from day to day. In the midst of these orgies of speculators, postal employees receive but 450 roubles a month, according to the same bulletin.

The Financial Situation in Soviet Russia

Izvestia reports that according to information of the Commissariat of Finance banknotes issued by the Soviet Government are meeting with a better reception in the provinces.

The Central Press Bureau

The Central Committee of the Union of Journalists, the Central Press Bureau, gives the following account of the work it has accomplished during the last four months. It has organized 254 centers of propaganda and published 90 special editions for the provinces, on the day of Soviet Propaganda. The Bureau has taken the initiative in undertaking the posting of newspapers in the streets of the capital and the provinces, an innovation that meets with great success among the people. The Bureau also is continuing to supply the army with newspapers and various other publications.

Fine Arts in Soviet Russia

The importance that the Commissary of Education attaches to object and aesthetic lessons is well known. In order to form a teaching staff capable of carrying out its program, special courses of pedagogy have been established where teachers will learn drawing, modeling and the application of various games and play in teaching. Besides, conferences on the theory of art and the program of the modem school will also take place.

Metal Workers’ Congress

The Fourth Congress of Workers in the machine shops, represented by sixty delegates, the majority of whom are Communists, has just taken place in Moscow. These conferences of the governmental trust in the metal works were always of considerable importance in the development and organization of the Soviet industry. The main object of the present gathering was the question of food supply. The general tendency expressed itself in a desire for a closer union between the workers’ federations and the commissary of food supply. The principle of compulsory exchange of industrial for agricultural products, approved by the latter, was recognized as a just one. It also expressed its wish to see the development of agricultural estates link themselves with that of various industrial establishments. In regard to organization, the congress stood for the collective principle in management and for identity of the executive bodies. All the decisions of the Center must be strictly carried out. A new general directorate of the trust, the majority of which is composed of workers, was elected. The Congress calls the attention of the newly elected body to the necessity of putting into practice the article of rules giving them the right, in agreement with the Central Committee, of the metal federations to make necessary changes in the personnel in a factory management, even before the expiration of the term of its members.

The Political Movement

On October 8, the Communist Party Week took place in Moscow. Up to the 15, meetings and conferences devoted to the discussion of the communist program were held in factories and military barracks, after which workers and soldiers were free to join the party without any formalities. The aim is to enable the thousands of workers who are acquainted with the party, but who have remained out for one reason or another, to join branches and participate in the life of the party. A similar thing took place in Petrograd and gave wonderful results; the same will certainly be the case in Moscow. It proves how much the Communist Party feels itself to be the true expression of the proletarian will, since it fearlessly invites all the workers to join its ranks by a simple declaration and acceptance of its program.

It is reported from Moscow that Communist groups have been organized in many units of the garrison and in the military hospitals. Even soldiers indifferent to political doctrines turn on all occasions to the Communist committees for information on many questions.

The conference of Communists at Ryazan has decided to consider all its members mobilized and at the service of the revolutionary committee of the government.

The general assembly of railway workers of Samara and Zlatoust passed a resolution condemning political indifference A this period of the actual and decisive struggle of the workers against the bourgeoisie. Here can be no non-partisan in our midst since the latter only hinder the Soviet Government in its work.

Demoralization Among the Whites

The Military Board of Health has received information that illustrates eloquently the condition of the White guards. From the 17th to the 23rd of September, 15 military doctors, 2 pharmacists, 32 assistant doctors and 1 ambulance, with full force, went over to the Reds.

Social Welfare in Soviet Russia

The preparatory courses for inspectors of Social Welfare will be closed in the near future. In Moscow, graduation will require five years of government service. These courses will be followed immediately by a new series.

Reconstruction

Information published by the press gives us an idea of the steps taken by the Soviet power for the best utilization by the people of the meagre resources left to it as a result of foreign invasion and the capitalist exploitation. Thus the manufacture of soap is hindered by the lack of fats, which used to come from Siberia. The main supply of soap is turned over to the Moscow cooperatives and part of it to the laundries and barber shops. A thousand pounds are kept in reserve for additional distribution of one-quarter lb. among the 180,000 workers. The reserve toilet soap is portioned out one piece a month to all children from one to five years of age. For mothers having babes in arms 7,000 lbs. of soap are reserved in Moscow and 5,000 lbs. in Petrograd. There is also a reserve fund of 5,000 lbs. per month in Moscow.

Military Bulletin of Soviet Russia October the 8th

In the Lepel region, on the Western front, the Red Army has captured a series of localities on a front of 40 versts. Twenty-five versts to the south of Zhitomir, we have made new advances. In the Kozelets district, a violent battle is taking place. On the Southern front, in the Livny region, the Red Army repelled the enemy attack. In the Kostomaya district, the combat continues to be favorable to us. In the Voronezh region, the enemy was driven a great distance to the rear. The Red Army is fighting on the outskirts of Boguchar. In the Western region of Khoper the Red Army has driven the enemy from its positions. On the Turkestan front, to the South of Tsarev, we encountered enemy scouts. The enemy attack was repelled in the South. Uralsk region. Forty versts south of Iletsky Gorodok, the Red Army met with great success. The Eastern front is on the Tobol; attempted enemy advances have been repelled by our fire.

Education

A great meeting organized by the League of Educational Workers and Socialist Culture took place in Petrograd on October 6. Zinoviev in his address drew a parallel between the Russian and Western intellectuals. In France, for instance, they have from the very beginning of the imperialistic war not ceased protesting against it Loriot, the Liebknecht of France, is a plain school teacher, and besides him, the teaching profession has given many soldiers to the proletarian revolution. In Russia, the intellectual class is only beginning to awaken. Others spoke of the mistake of the intellectuals of the old socialism in their opinion that the Russian people were insufficiently prepared for the revolution. Menzhinakaya commented upon the decree of compulsory education. The following resolution was unanimously adopted:

Assembled at the Uritsky Palace, after having heard the report of Zinoviev, we, the workers in the educational institutions of Petrograd, knowing more than any others the activities of the Soviet Government in the realm of civilization, proudly declare to the universe: Intellectuals and workers of the world, know ye that no government has done as much as ours in raising the intellectual level of the masses. It has covered the country with an immense network of cultural Centers and pours out into the people a flood of knowledge which is bringing light to their consciousness. Know that all the lies of the enemies of the workers, crying out that the Soviet Government is destroying civilization, are but an indication of the malice and helplessness of an enemy at bay. We are addressing ourselves to you, intellectuals and workers of the world, and we say to you with all the power of our hearts, do not believe the Russian bourgeoisie, those partisans of the black reaction. Know that the only expression of the popular will are these very SOVIETS that the bourgeoisie of the whole world is preparing to strangle. Spread everywhere and always the truth about the Soviets, which are striving to make happiness reign over the earth. Demand of your representatives that they let alone our exhausted country that dreams only of creating a new joyous existence for those who until now lived in suffering and slavery.

The Red Army Cavalry

It is reported that to the East of Boguchar the Red Cavalry broke the enemy front and routed seven regiments, taking a great many prisoners and an enormous quantity of materials. It has also captured many localities.

In the Denikin Camp

A Bolshevik war prisoner who escaped from Denikin tells that the Red Army prisoners captured by the Whites, are, after having been beaten up mercilessly, incorporated in the ranks of the White army, which they leave at the first opportunity. The peasants are awaiting the Soviet troops with impatience. The Whites, fearing uprisings by the peasants have not dared to occupy Kriucha and Skipnikovo, abandoned by the Bolsheviki. A great unrest, resulting from the bad treatment of the officers, is apparent among the Cossacks. The Kuban Country, a newspaper, states that Denikin has organized a regiment of Calmucks, Tcherkesses, Ingoushes, Ossetins and Tchetchins, which is drowning in blood the revolts that are springing up in the rear. The paper fears that these revolts, which are becoming more important every day, may endanger the existence of the Denikin Government. According to The Kuban Country, The Azov Country, a Rostov daily, was fined 5,000 roubles for having published an appeal of the Mensheviki and Social-Revolutionists of the Don, exhorting all to support the Bolsheviki and the Soviets.

Soviet Russia began in the summer of 1919, published by the Bureau of Information of Soviet Russia and replaced The Weekly Bulletin of the Bureau of Information of Soviet Russia. In lieu of an Embassy the Russian Soviet Government Bureau was the official voice of the Soviets in the US. Soviet Russia was published as the official organ of the RSGB until February 1922 when Soviet Russia became to the official organ of The Friends of Soviet Russia, becoming Soviet Russia Pictorial in 1923. There is no better US-published source for information on the Soviet state at this time, and includes official statements, articles by prominent Bolsheviks, data on the Soviet economy, weekly reports on the wars for survival the Soviets were engaged in, as well as efforts to in the US to lift the blockade and begin trade with the emerging Soviet Union.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/srp/v1v2-soviet-russia-Jan-June-1920.pdf