Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1914-09-24
REPLY TO c. B. SHAW
Sasha Kropotkin Gives Russia's
Side of Controversy.
Declares That II German Militarism
Is Crushed; Europe Has No
Need to Fear tho
Muscovlte.
International News Seryice.o

PetrOgrad.-Much mas Deen sdio
and written since August l OF the
causes of the great European war and
the attitudes, aims and ambitions OF
Germany, England and France In the
struggle, but little has been heard OF
Russia's side Of the affair.
Sasha Kropotkin, one OF the best In.
formed Russians and man who
knows whereof he speaks, has written
the following article on the war from
the Russians viewpoint:
ITO say that the present Is war
against militarism Is to be guilty OF
platitude For days past every
leader writer in the country has been
saying so. Yet the attitude on this
subject Of a great number Of people
is extremely curious. They seem to
be oppressed by the thought that they
may have to cry. when the war 1s
over, lie roi est mort. vive lie ro1.
After Germany-Russla
England cannot crush German mil
itarism alone. All of us who have
followed the lead OF Germany for
forty years must strike together. Bel
gium has struck her blow. France
and Russia will strike harder; per-
haps the heaviest blow will come
from Russia. And there Is the rub.
For what if Russia, having helped TO
crush Germany, develops psyChol-
ogy analogous to that OF Germany
after 1870, and after tasting power de-
cides to become the greatest OF all
fosters the spirit of militarism which
we are now arrayed against?
Let US picture Russia victorious
Then, so argues Mr. Bernard Shaw
(and in the given case he represents
not only himself, but quite a number
Of other people,: The Russian govern
ment will triumph Germany
will be crushed the balance
of power will incline in favor Of Rus
sia. After that the situation becomes
too horrible to contemplate
Mr. Shaw might be reminded that
there Is another Russia--the Russia
of Tolstoi Borodine and Gorki. But
for the time that ls forgotten; or
people refuse to realize the extremely
important fact that II Russia Is instru-
mental in defeating Germany It will
be largely owing to the intelligence
OF that other Russia.
Russians have sunk their differ
ences; they are showing united
front. A month ago there were barri-
cades In St Petersburg; the day the
war was declared the barricades dis
appeared, and the men who had held
them were the first to Join the army.
They were willing to lay aside their
personal grievances in the desire to
strike a blow at Germany; and 1t is
military Germany at which they are
aiming the blow. For those men and
women owe an enormous debt to the
culture Of Germany. They know more
about it, too, than the men and wom-
EN- of many other countries, having
studied it more closely. eager to as
similate what was best in 1t. At the
same time they realize perfectly that
the first culture to droop and wither
in the sitting atmosphere OF German
militarism Is German culture. From
supplying the world with the best
music and literature and philosophy,
Germany has become an authority on
uniforms and decorative dinnerware,
The Germans may have fashioned q
great empire, but they have become
small people.
Now, at last, they may become
great people. II Europe succeeds in
bursting the bonds OF militarism the
first to benefit by the change will be
Germany.
'Mr. Shaw talks glibly of the neces-
sity Of conserving Germany's eastern
frontier. Why? Against whom and
what? 1t Is not Germany's eastern
frontier that has mattered one jot in
the European balance Of civilization;
it Is that Russia lay beyond that from
tier and served as the bulwark not
only OF Germany but OF Europe
against the Tartars who overran her
and put back civilization by a couple
of centuries. 1t Is idle speculation,
but an interesting point nevertheless,
to wonder whether Germany would
have maintained as much culture 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 1t confidently as
support. With a weaker Germany
there will no longer be either excuse
or necessity for encouraging 1t; and
the bureaucracy will lose ground pro-
portionately.
ut is obvious that II progressive
Russia has Joined forces with reac-
tionary Russia for the moment 1t is
because she feels herself strong
enough to postpone her own demands.
And In that case she Is hardly likely
to allow herself to be yoked with a
homegrown militarism after she has
laid aside her own grievances while
helping to strike a blow at a mill
tarism which, though irksome to
other nations, has weighed most heay.
ily on its own DeoNle -