Book Review: The Real Soviet Russia

Abstract

Americans have a duty henceforth to acquaint themselves not only with the social system of Russia, a great ally, but with a social system competing with their own. For that reason, the present book should be obligatory reading. The author, a Menshevik Russian located in this country, and a distinguished scholar, has obtained access to Russian publications which for the most part are closed books to American citizens. The work makes authentic and fascinating reading because it rests to a large extent on statistics which are embroidered by great historical and social insight. Without sign of hostility or denunciation, it exposes the weakness of the Russian social system as few books have done. If any American believes that the United States has much that is beneficial to learn from the system of Soviet Russia-the so-called "dictatorship of the proletariat"-he has but to read The Real Soviet Russia to be enlightened. Russian citizens who were accustomed to Czarist rule might submit to the new form of regimentation. Those who profit by it might even like it. But how any American citizen can endorse the loss of every vestige of freedom and submit to the hardships and dangers of the individual under the Soviet regime is a little beyond comprehension.