THROUGH BOLSHEVIK RUSSIA BY MRS. PHILIP SNOWDEN CASSELL AND COMPANY, LTD London, New York, Toronto and Melbourne 1920 CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION 7 CHAPTER 1. A STARVING PEOPLE 13 2. MAKING OUR PLANS 23 3. GHOSTS 33 4. INVESTIGATION OR PROPAGANDA? 45 5. THE COMMUNISTS 58 6. THE ARTISTIC LIFE OF RUSSIA 70 7. THE MILITARY POWER OF RUSSIA 81 8. EDUCATION AND RELIGION 93 9. OFF TO MOSCOW 105 10. AN INTERVIEW WITH LENIN 115 11. TALKS WITH COMMUNISTS AND OTHERS 128 12. THE DICTATORSHIP OF THE COMMUNISTS 140 13. THE SUPPRESSION OF LIBERTY 154 14. DOWN THE VOLGA 164 15. THE FUTURE OF RUSSIA 178 INTRODUCTION I have written these impressions of Bolshevik Russia with the object of promoting peace with that great country, by adding the evidence to that already given in numerous articles and books of one more eye-witness of the terrible sufferings of the Russian people. I paid a six weeks’ visit to Russia as a member of the Delegation chosen by the Executive Committee of the Labour party and of the Trades Union Congress, in fulfilment of a resolution passed by a special Trade Union Congress held on December 10th, 1919, which demanded of the British Government “the right to an independent and impartial enquiry into the industrial, economic and political conditions of Russia.” So much about Russia that was contradictory had appeared in the newspaper press, with the balance of statement on the side of evil report, that it was increasingly felt by the organised workers of Great Britain the truth must at all costs be discovered, if that were possible, by investigators selected by themselves.