New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-05-09

book is remarkably informing. 1t is
the real article" in the literature Of
its subject.
Nine. Jarintzoff's book on Russia
not only adds greatly 10 our knowledge
of recent events and current condi-
tons and tendencies. but also though
not always. to our understanding Of
the Russian mind and character. What
she calls extremes" are TO the West
ern observer generally fiat contradic-
tons, or vague puzzles, but, she as
sures us, I'VE Russians know our wa
in that labyrinth. We distinguish
things easily enough" The key to the
mystery, she gives us TO understand.
is an absolute lack Of hypocrisy in the
makeup of her countrymen. Her
chapters are. in an often direct way.
refutation of statements and deduc-
tons made recently by several English
writer's on Russia, first among them
Messrs Barring, Rappoport and stephen
Graham. An intellectual to her
against the Russian bureaucracy and
its agents provocateurs. There is
material for several novels and melo-
dramas in the pages devoted TO this
subject. especially during the near
revolution Of 1905. The link with the
immediate past is clearly established
in the story of the birth and growth
of nihilism among the students, the
book being marked throughout by
helpful terseness of statement. Thus
the author answers the charge, made
by one of the English writers under
fire, that the intelligenzia consists en-
tirely of atheists, with a picture Of
the Russian state church and It's
clergy. and of the religion Of the bulk
tivistic and anthropomorphic fetish
ISM" She then continues:
Having made it clear. hope. what the
Russian church is, consisting as it does of
the Holy Synod and the ignorant priest
hood. ! would like 10 put the question:
Does the candid rejection of both mean
total atheism? II so. our inteliigenzia
is entirely irreligious. For TO be truly
religious in spirit necessitates a repudia-
ton of the Holy Synod Church and of the
piety prescribed and enforced by II.
The author lays stress throughout
on darkest" Russia. Her patriotism
is intense, and is marked by an I'M
mistakable dislike Of Western culture:
Forces, feelings, principles, longings
are too genuine. in Russia, too whole
hearted too unspoiled, too candid to
be pressed fat by the steam-roller OF
Western civilization with its corollaries
of practicalness and hypocrisy" She
holds that the salvation of the Russian
people must come from within, not
from without, and that the time Of It's
coming still seems to be far distant.
Mr.. Williams's Russia of the Rus
slams" is an excellent volume Of an
excellent series. 1t presents facts,
compactly, accurately. in a series Of
chapters dealing with the main factors
Of the nations official, political, re-
ligious, industrial and cultural life and
progress. There is an Introductory his
torical chapter and a final one on the
capital, and what it stands for in the
empire. st. Petersburg is, indeed, a
city Of extremes" illustrating the two
phrases that perhaps best sum up the
Russian character: "Nitchevo"-"It
does not matter" the Russian ma
fiana"-and "Po Russki'-Russian
fashion," which means a squirt, and
even a sustained squirt, of superhuman
energy. such as that which kept the
order during the Manchurian war, AMI
which filled railroad engineers and
military men the world over with adj
miration. st. Petersburg. one Of the
most beautiful, the most impressive OF
the worlds capitals, lacks to this day
a proper drainage system. while It's
water supply is so polluted that
cholera never misses the city in lis
periodic visitations Of Europe.
with the Russians in Mongolia"
suggests its political purpose in its
title. 1t is, in fact, a warning to Eng
land to look TO her interests in Tibet.
TO counterbalance those acquired by
Russia in Mongolia. The authors write
without prejudice of the work OF civil
ization undertaken among great diff
culties by the Russians in country
whose inhabitants are most degenerate
descendants OF conquering race.
hate and despise work beyond cattle
and horse raising. They may make
good soldiers, but are as yet impatient
Of discipline. Chinese till their soil
and work their mineral wealth; and,
which is of more Importance, the
Chinaman proves that his skill in trad
ing is far greater than that of Russian
merchants. and his power of peace
fully penetrating a country, instead OF
subduing il by force OF arms, as great
as ever. The political side of the sub
ject is dealt with thoroughly, but The
book makes a far wider appeal as a
picturesque narrative OF primitive
travel in an all but unexplored coun-
try.
Mr.. Sidney Lows Egypt in Transi-
ton" is fully as picturesque. especially
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