Soviet Dumping

81

against the accusations and ‘‘ slanders ” published in the
* Capitalist Press,” states quite definitely that forced labour
is both necessary and justifiable :

“ Socialism generally,” he maintains, ‘“ and contemporary
 Communism in particular, have always demanded
that labour shall be compulsory for every member of
society. . . . We have never hidden the fact that we
employ forced labour recruited from the overthrown class.
We are liquidating the Kulaks . . . and we have never
disguised this fact. We look upon it as a great conquest
for our country. . . .
We who have left alive Tsarist ministers and manufacturers
 cannot desire the complete annihilation of a large
strata of Kulaka. What then? Are we to keep them in
prison ? Is this the humane demand of the representatives
of the European Bourgeoisie? Even if it were possible
to lock up thousands of people, the Socialist Government
would not do it, unless it were absolutely necessary. . . .
We must therefore compel them to work. . . . We place
them in distant sectors of the front where they are compelled
 to earn their living in heavy toil. . . .
But the proletariat does not refuse to apply measures of
forced labour even to the backward elements of their own
class who are abandoning too slowly the inheritance of
Capitalism. . . . The working class has the right to adopt
~ompulsorv measures, . . =

This right is now embodied in the Soviet Labour Code, in
which compulsory labour service is retained as a prerogative
 of the State, particularly in the case of *‘ lack of workers
to carry out important State work.” By this means the
Soviet Government can and does call up citizens between
the ages of eighteen and forty-five for compulsory labour
service. This service consists of * continuous active work in
industrial undertakings for a term of two years.” The period
of active service is then followed by an indefinite term of
reserve which must be served “in the same or a similar
undertaking.” This form of military-industrial conscription
 applies to all male citizens.
But apart from this legalised form of forced labour, the
Soviets have prepared the ground for the firm establishment
of a real Slave State. On August 27th, 1929, a decree was
issued ordering continuous work in industry ; all Christian