This imposing appearing volume of 314 pages, with four illustrations of the author, his son, Yura, and hi brother, Dr. Boris Solonevich, bear upon its jacket the legend:
This remarkable book, unique in anti-Soviet literature, is perhaps the most damning exposure of the working of the Soviet system that has ever appeared. and continues:
The book has been ôr wil be published (apart from the Russian riginal) in German, French, Dutch, bot usto nap tin Italian, Japanese, Cróatian, Spanish, Czech, Polish, Swedish, and Ukrainian.—Jacket designed by the author's son, Yura Solonevich.
"Service to Humanity"
As what is generally termed "Russia," but which is better described as the Union of Soviet States and Republics, is a vast territory with a population exceeding 120,000,000 people of many differing, races and languages, it really cannot be claimed that an English reviewer, unacquainted with the Russian language, is particularly competent to express an informed opinion as to the intrinsic merits of Ivan Solonevich's book, Furthermore, when the leader and founder of the Soviet system, who is generally respected and admired by intelligent liberal-minded thinkers, for his practical service to the humanity of his land by virtue of his destruction of the institution of Tsarism and all it stood for—-when the.man who accomplished this tremendous feat, the great Lenin, is also the ran who thundered throughout our modern world the trumpet blast that "Religion is the opium of the pecple"—persons who are not Russians, and who do not speak or understand that language, are left in ihe position of being able to take an objective view, so far as they are able, of such a production as this book from the internal evidence afforded by the writing and method of writing of its author.
Audit Asked For One confesses oneself not greatly impressed by the statement that this book "has been or will be published" in twelve languages, What one would like to ascertain are the accurately audited statements of publishers' returns, as to how many persons in the countries where those twelve languages are linguistic currency have reacted in the currency of their respective realms, But as such information is necessarily not vouchsafed, such a line of research is vain, The Exiles' Hope There is a "Foreword to the English Edition," dated from Sofia, November, 1937, in which the author states At the present time, 1 am in Sofia editing a Russian newspaper, The Voice of Russia," which paper has its source in the presumption that in our volcanic age—írom exile to power is but a step, albeit not easy step. In exile and prison have begun the activities of Mussolini and Masaryk, Lenin and Hitler, Benes and St in, Pilsudski and Horthy We, the' anti-Soviet Russians, are scattered, but we are not vanquished. There is a Russian saying which has it that a -heavy hammer, crushing glass 10 powder, beats out steel. li there is no English equivalent for this ing, one ought to be made.
My brother Boris works here with me, My son Yura is pursuing his "luciles at the Academy of Aris in Vienna, and it is he who draws the wrapper designs for our books. ry Sound of the Word"
With this slight indication of the delightful family atmosphere that industriously occupies itself with manufacturing books which are "the most damning exposure of Sovietism ever written" (as per cover), one must award marks to the family for manufacturing, and also, which cud ins more important, for marketing their product.
There must be many English-reading people who feel the most obid dislike for anything whatso-ver appertaining to the very sound of the word "Sovietism" and ell its One hopes, therefore, that take their twelve and sixpences in their hands and by thus benefiting t family factory in So! likewise benefit themselves by acquiring pabulum in support of their pet political propensity.
Detached Conversation As the method of the making of this book is largely in the form of direct dialogue, one is lost in admiration and wonderment at the marvellous memory of its artisan. How he could. remember all these conversations one really doesn't know, but the chief point seems to be s to whether they sound authentic not. Let the reader judge—and t us turn to page 220; Chekalin turned round and disappeared in the darkness, I was able io follow him although with great difficulty. We had to wade through numerous snow banks, - stumbling over tree trunks At last we managed to drag ourselves to his hut. We climbed the dark creaking stair-cape. Chekalin kindled some lights.
"Look here," he said in his harsh, irritated manner, "Whats this supposed to be? What's this figure—a sa a 7, or a 6? Unreadable Here's a pencil. Sit down and correct this, so that I can read it I took the pencil and sat down, hands quivering with cold and ager. The pend) trembled between riy and the figures swam before my eyes.
"You certainly have let yourself run down," remarked Chekalin er but "his voice softened made some sort of reply.
it (o me, I'll do the corxecting myself. You need only tell me the meaning of your scrawls.'" sheep for weeks?" my trembling I looked at Chekalin in amazement. vamp et heus How many healthy think there are still left here? In my opinion there are none. More emphatically still, that's my brother's opinion also."
"He's a first-rate chap, that brother of yours," said Chekalin decidedly. "Even his colleagues of the Third Division are afraid of him. So it your impression that Yakimenko has completely exhausted his reserves?
"More than exhausted them. My son has just informed me of a very neat trick. In the last U.R.Ch. lists there are included names which you have already refused twice."
Chekalin raised his eyebrows. that's what is happening, Are certain of your focis?
"You probably still have the old lists. Suppose compare them. can remember a number of We compared lists Chok even without my assistance, noted a number of these repetitions.
"So Yakimenko has now count-enhanced a complete fraud. That im-
The Author in Finland on The Day after the Flight.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.