Abstract

Russia from a Car Window: II. The Industrial Vision

The rebuilding of an ancient commonwealth! What could be more fascinating for men of vision, purpose, and power, determined to set free the victim of priests, princes, and czars? To this task the Bolshevik leaders have set themselves with absolute determination and with such ability, intelligence, and devotion that if this were happening under any other government under the sun the world would be ringing with their exploits and marveling at their daring and their triumphs. The traveler in Russia cannot witness it without being profoundly impressed by it, if he has imagination. He forgets that he is beholding a Communistic experiment because this industrial program is precisely what should be undertaken in China were it to be united under a similarly determined but non-communistic group of leaders; it is precisely what could and should be done in any backward or war-wrecked country, quite aside from any question of social changes.