The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1905-06-10

have Impoverished the people of those
countries. ; The French were as thor.
oughly whipped in that war as the
Russians have been in this. France
was far more PROSTATE at the end of
the war than Russia is now. That
war resulted in the fall of the third
French Empire and the establishment
OF the present Republic, yet that war
did not result in the destruction of
the French people. Such a result
was impossible. There was potential
! power in France because of it's mil
lions of people and its fertile acres.
Is not all this true of Russia? There
are l50,O0O,O00 Slavs. They have an
Empire before which all other Euro.
pean Empires pale into insignificance.
The Russian nation has potential
power much greater than that of the
French nation. If peace comes at the
present date is that potential power to
be destroyed? Surely not. 1t will
remain to seek revenge; ten years or
twenty years or fifty years hence. 1t
will never rest until Japan has been
humbled. Peace, if it comes now, will
be the beginning of the preparation.
Russia will startle the world with the
immensely of those preparations.
There will be the organization of an
army, as much greater than the pres
ent armies as were the French and Ger
man armies subsequent to the Franco.
Prussian War superior to those pre-.
ceding. And already Russia has en-
tered into contracts for battle ships
such as the world has never before
heard of.
The world is urging the Car to
make peace but what is peace such as
this? The Denver Post pertinently
asks What would you do if you were
the Czar?" Do we wish for peace
which simply means preparation for
another and greater conflict? For as
sian can not be finally and thoroughly
conquered by a nation so much infer
ior in number as Japan. The Russian
Government of the present day has
blundered stupidity. 1t has shameful
ly failed. 1t has not confided in it's
own people and as result it has been
fearfully licked: But the Russian peo-
pie have not been conquered, the Rus
sian nation has not been destroyed.
This war so far as the Russian nation
is concerned has been but a ripple. 1t
is probably true that there are mil
lions of people in Russia, who do not
know that the war is in progress. So
far as Russia is concerned this war
has been but side issue, plaything
for the bureaucracy. The army and
navy have been their toys. 1t has
been much different thing to Japan.
The whole Japanese nation has been
engaged in this war. Their hearts
are in it. They are fighting for
their country and their homes. What
will the result be when the Russian
people fight for their country? When
that time comes, if Japan is the op-
ponent, Japan is likely to be wiped off
the map unless the rest OF the world
interferes. The Russian nation is
suffering one hundred fold more to.
day from the home troubles than it is
from the war. The domestic ques-
tions are interesting the Russian ma
tion far more than the result of the
battles in the Far East. 1t is literally
correct to say that the Russian people
are not at war with Japan. 1t may
be then that the peace which the world
is urging upon the Car would be the
very worst thing that could happen.
France was obliged to make peace
with Germany because the German
army was in Paris, but can Japan go
to St. Petersburg? The armies of
the Mikado may overwhelm Linevitch
but can they go to St. Petersburg and
force peace upon Russia? The Post
concludes that for the sake of real
peace Russia should never quit fight
ing. 1t should continue the war until
Japan will be forced by it's enormous
expenses to make peace that will
spare the world the threat of the great
revenge. Suppose America were
caught in a war over the Philippines,
and our armies were defeated right
along and our ships were sunk, what
would we do? Would we quit? Would
we beg piteously for peace? What
would America do, though her soldiers
had been sadly whipped and all her
war ships were at the bottom of the
sea? What would we do? Why of
course, you know We would keep on
fighting until we destroyed the enemy
or we were destroyed ourselves. If
Russia quits fighting at present the
world will be disturbed for a genera
ton.
"BUcKY" o'NEILL.
The June issue Of the admirable
outdoor magazine Outing contains an