national departments of the Government issue journals covering their respective activities. Often, also, the workers in large factories publish their own bulletins and educational sheets. So far as I could learn there is no underground press.
Many of the Russian labor journals are veterans in the social war. The most battle-scarred among them is the Petrograd "Pravda." Recently, upon the ninth anniversary of its foundation, this paper published a statement of its early difficulties, from which the following is quoted:
"During a period of two years the "Pravda" had to change its name eight times: 'Pravda,' 'Rabotchaya Pravda,' 'Severnaya Pravda,' 'Pravda Truda,' 'Za Pravda,' 'Proletarskaya Pravda.' 'Putok Pravda,' and 'Peredovaya Pravda.” In the first year of its existence out of 295 issues of the 'Pravda,' 41 were confiscated, tines were imposed 16 times, and the editor was arrested for three issues without bail. During its first two years, until April 5, 1914, of 565 issues of the 'Pravda,' 134 were confiscated, 81 people fined 14,450 rubles, with the choice of being arrested and kept for 87 months, and besides the editors were sentenced to nine months imprisonment without the option of a fine. Thus, in two years' time, the editors served 96 months, or eight years in jail. All sorts of hindrances were thrown in the paper's way, its circulation was blocked, the newsdealers were persecuted and forbidden to sell the paper, the landlords were forced to refuse quarters to the editorial staff, etc. On July 7, 1914, the last 'Pravda' of the period, the 'Peredovaya Pravda' was finally destroyed."
The Russians properly look upon the press as a means for educating the people and they have vested its general supervision and control in the Department of Education. This body also controls the supply of paper and shares it out to the various journals in proportion to their value and needs. As there is now a severe shortage of paper, the chances are slim for any but really revolutionary publications to get supplies. A determined effort is constantly kept up to develop the papers into genuinely educational organs. Hence, the sensational murder trials, scandals, and other trash that goes so largely to make up American newspapers find no place in the Russian press. The latter confines itself to the more important and serious phases of life. It carries no paid advertising matter.
The prevailing paper shortage tends sharply to reduce the size of the Russian papers, most of them being of only four pages. Their contents are boiled down to the last degree. The paper shortage has also cut their circulation to a fraction of what it should be.
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