The chronicle=news., 1914-09-15
WILL RUSSIA, IF GERMANY IS DEFEATED, Be
"A MENACE OR BOOST TO EUROPEAN PEACE?

extraordinary spontaneous truce be-
tween all parties. In the duma NJ
Pourishkeyitch. most rabid OF reac-
tionaries. has openly repented. and
has recantcd his antisemetic views,
Announcing his belief that all should
have equal rights as Russian citizens.
What is more important is that the
conservative paper. the Novoe Nhem-
va. has proclaimed the beginning OF
a new era. the new era being. of
course, the development and the
Strengthening OF a constitutional re-
gime.
"As one or the meager proofs Of
Russia's nefarious ultimate inten-
tions, it was inevitable that the
bogey of Russian invasion of India
should be resuscitated. But that
poor bogey is fast losing its sawdust.
THE greatest Russian politicians
and military authorities, notably
General kourpatkin. have repeatedly
Iaffirmed that the conquest OF India
would be the beginning of the end
of the Russian empire. Owing to the
almost insurmountable difficulties
and the eytravagant expenditure
which the campaign alone would en-
tail. such an undertaking is altogeth-
er outside tile range of possibilities.
The world has changed since the day
when General Skobeleff declared that
the road to Constantinople lies
lies through India.
Certainly Russia will not allow
Constantinople to be taken by anS-
one-that is why she did not allow
Bulgaria to advance beyond Tcha-
talja. But Constantino1le will lose
its importance in the eyes of Russia
as soon as the question of the open
ing of the Dardanelles is settled IA
vorably. When that has been ar
ranged Russia's ambitions no longer
concern Europe politically.
Mr. Shaw talks glibly OF the ne
cessity of conserving Germany's east
ern frontier. Why Against whom
and what 1t is not Germany's east
ern frontier that has mattered one
jot in the European balance of civil
ization: it is that Russia lay beyond
that frontier and served as the bull
wark not only of Germany but OF
Europe. asainst the Tartars who
overran her. and put back her civiliz-
alton by couple of centuries. 1t is
idle speculation. but an interestins,
point to wonder whether Germany
would have maintained as much cult
ure as Russia has done had she been
forced to bear the brunt OF such an
invasion.
Russian bureaucracy. as all bu-
reaucracies. has welcomed militarism.
and has counted on it confidently as
a support With weaker Germany
there will no longer be either excuse
or necessity for encouraging it: and
the bureaucracy will lose ground pro-
oortionately The democracy. hay-
ing played an important part in the
campaign. will not only be more ac-
lively conscious of its rights: it will
find them easier to obtain. This ap-
plies not only TO Russia proper. but
to Finland. Poland and the Caucasus,
which. SO far. are standing by Russia
4 government financially weakened,
as is inevitable after any war, be-
comes more dependent on its people
and more tractable.
1T is obvious that If progressive
Russia has Joined forces with reac-
tionary Russia for the moment ii is
because she feels herself strong
enough to postpone her own de-
mands. And in that case she is hard
ly likely to allow herself to be yoked
with homegrown militarism after
she has laid aside her own grievances
while helping to strike blow at
militarism which. though irksome TO
other nations, has weighed most
heavily on its own people"