Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1914-09-13
Success of Allies Will Mean
Russia of Tolstoy, Not of
Militarism.

war against militarism is to be
guilty of platitude. For days past
every leader writer in the country
has been saying so. Yet the atti-
| tude on this subject of great num-
Der of people is extremely curious.
They seem to be opposed by the
thought that they may have to cry,
| when the war is over, lie roi ost
mort, vive lie roi." After Germany
Russia.
england cannot crush German
| militaris malone. All Of us who have
! followed the lead of Germany for
forty years must strike together.
Belgium has struck her blow
France and Russia will strike harder;
perhaps the heaviest blow will come
from Russia. And there is the rub.
For what if Russian having helped to
| crush Germany, develops a psyche
logy analogous to that of Germany
after 1870, and after tasting power,
! decides to become the creates of all
-ofsters 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 number
of other people,) the Russian govern
ment will riumph-Germany will be
crushed-the balance of power will
incline in favor of Russia. After that
the situation becomes too horrible to
contemplate.
"Mr. Shaw might be reminded that
there is another Russia-the Russia
of Tolstoy, Borodine, and Cork. But
for the time that is forgotten; Or
people refuse to realize the extreme
ly important fact that if Russia is in
strumental in defeating Germany, it
will be largely owing to the intelli-
gence of that other Russia.
Russians have spunk their differ
ences; they are showing a united
front A month ago there were bar
ricades in st. Petersburg; the day the
war was declared the barricades dis
appeared, and the men who had them
were the first TO join the army. They
were willing to lay aside their person
al grievances in the desire to strike a
blow at Germany; and 1t is military
Germany at which they are aiming
the blow. For these men and women
owe an enormous debt to the culture
of Germany. They know more about
it, too, than the men and women OF
many other countries, having studied
it more closely, eager to assimilate
what was best in it. At the same time
they realize perfectly that the first
culture to droop and wither in the
90; of
tarism is German culture. From
supplying the world with the best
music and literature and philosophy,
Germany has become an authority On
uniforms and decorative dinner-ware.
The Germans may have fashioned a
great empire, but they have become
small people.
"Now. at last, they may become a
great people. If Europe succeeds in
bursting the bonds of militarism, the
first to benefit by the change will be
Germany. How much remains to be
seen; but it is interesting to remem-
Der Bebel's words: Behind every war
of the future there turks a revolu-
ton. Many, on the other hand, eX-
pect a revolution in Russia. 1t is too
early to foresee what exactly the wad
will bring, and l do not say that
Russia will necessarily have a revo-
luton when the war ends; but what
| do affirm is that in. Russia, just
as in every other country in Europe,
there will be rapid evolution of the
present forms of government
"Since the declaration of the war
in Russia there has been the most eX>
traordinary spontaneous truce be-
tween all parties. In the Duma Mons.
Pourishkevitch, most rabid of re-
dictionaries, has openly repented, and
has recanted his antisemitic views,
announcing his belief that all should
have equal rights as Russian citizens.
What is more important is that the
Conservative paper, the "Navoe
Vremya," has proclaimed the begin
ming of new era, the new era being,
of course, the development and
strengthening Of a constitutional
regime.
"As one of the meagre proofs OF
Russia's nefarious ultimate inten-
tons, it was inevitable that the DOGGY
of a Russian invasion of India should
be resusciated. But that poor DOGGY
is fast losing it's sawdust.
"The greatest Russian politicians
and military authorities, notably
General Kourapatkin, have repeated
| ly affirmed that the conquest of India
would be the beginning of the end
! of the Russian Empire. Owing. to the
| almost insurmountable difficulties
and the extravagant expenditure
which the campaign alone would en-
tail, such an undertaking is alto
| gether outside the range of possibi-
lities The world has changed Since
the day when General Skobeleff de-
clared that "the road to Constantine
| pie lies through India"
| Certainly Russia will not allow
FConstantinople to be taken by any
one-that is why she did not allow
Bulgaria to advance beyond TchataGa
| But Constantinople will lose it's inn