New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-24
To the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: May ask your permission to use the
columns of your paper for some questions
addressed 70 American public opinion in be-
half of Russian public opinion. which | may
be allowed to represent hero in view OF my
twenty Eight years work as editor and writer
in Russia?
Is il immaterial TO the future Of the United
States as to who will win in this war-the
Allies or the Central Powers?
What European power stands between the
two natural enemies of the United States,
Germany and Japan, hostile to the first and
friendly to the second?
Is it not true, as was confirmed by an an
cient Indian scholar, that you must make an
alliance not with your neighbor but with the
neighbor of your neighbor, in order to press
YOUR neighbor with a sort of political smith
tongs?
II you look at the map of the world you
will see that the country that lies between
the two possible enemies Of the United States
is Russia, which country has for more than
a century proved herself very friendly dis
posed toward the United States.
Now, is the Monroe Doctrine vital to the
United States, and if il is vital, who respects
that doctrine more-Russia, who sold her
American possessions to the United States Tor
nothing or Germany, who is colonzing Brazil
and Argentina, is stirring up the troubles in
Mexico and is high-handedly violating the
sacred law of American hospitality by killing
American citizens and destroying their prop
erty?
If the map of the world and history show
irrefutably that the United States and Rus
sa are created for mutual understanding,
help and friendship, why does the American
press and part of the American public in
dulge in scoffing at Russia, slandering her,
ignoring her, exaggerating her sins and vices
and concealing her virtues? You would an
swer me that there are three social forces IN
the United States that desire to degrade Rus
STA in the eyes of the American public, and
that they are: % Russian revolutionaries,
with their American protectors, strong by
their ignorance, as for instance Mr.. KEENAN,;
(2) American Germans, obliged 20 help their
fatherland in the war against Russia, in ac-
cordance with the principle once a German
subject always 4 German subject and (3)
the American Jews, who are trying TO help
their brothers in Russia.
What do the Russian revolutionaries want !!
To convert the Russian Empire into q social
istic republic, a congomeraton Of indepen-
dent states, with specialization of property
and civil militia instead of the standing
army. Would Russia be stronger than now,
converted into disunited states, having an
enormous border line continuous with mill
tary states like Germany, Austria and Tur-
keyI But the map Of the world and history
show that the United States needs strong,
self-supporting self-defendng Russia, and
not an insane socialistc experiment instead.
Who represents the real Russia, the actual
fighting Russia, those defenders of her his
torical evolution or those who seek an abor-
tive and senseless revolution?
| | do not wish TO speak about the role Of
the Germans in slandering Russia. You can
call them hyphenated Americans, but they re-
main Germans, and they must hate Russia
| if for nothing else than the Liberation Of
Germany from the yoke Of Napoleon by the
Russian armies. The German Empire owes
too much TO Russia not 70 hate her with a
cold German hatred But | have to speak
about the American Jews. Russia has about
6 100000 of their brothers, who cannot and
do not like TO leave our country, which some
of them are cursng. The Russian Jews here
in the United States are dreaming about re-
turning to Russia, from which great part
of them have emigrated because Of fear Of
military service. compulsory upon every Rus
,ian citizen. They want TO improve the fate
Of the Jews in Russia, but is slandering
Russia, her government and her ruler prac-
teal method to improve the status OF the
Jews in Russia? In my opinion it Is the
best way to impcril the situation Of the Jews