New-York tribune., 1915-06-03
RUSSIA AND AMERICA
Two Countries Utterly Unlike, but
Much in Need Of Each Other.
To .be Editor Of The Tribune.

To 'he Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: There is no country in the world that
stands in such opposition to the United States
ns Russia ON one side, extreme gloom. ex-
tremc emotion. extreme autocracy, extreme
drcamincss. extreme passiveness; on the
other. extreme action, extreme optimism. er-
trcmc intellect. As the conditions 20 a Rus
Ian In America seem upside down, 70 the con-
ditions 70 an American in Russia appear in
the same light. Whilo n Russian drama or
story is usually tragedy, that OF America
must have happy ending Yet with all this
apparent opposition no relation between any
two countries could be more beneficial 80
cially. politically and individually than that
between the empire Of the Car and the
United States
As optimism ia apt 70 lead nation TO su-
pernciaity and hypocrisy, go pessimism de-
privcs a nation of will OF action and ability
20 rule itself. A dose Of the American actiy-
tv Of spirit is the best remedy for pessi-
mistc Russia, and vice versa. As there is
too much action and craving for success in
America. so there ia too much theorizing and
TOO little belief in any achievement In Russia.
A proper mixture of American assertiveness
and the Russian brooding spirit would give
the best results in racial character
Never before in history have Russia and
the United States been in such position
of mutual need ms now. American optimism
and Russian pessimism have reached their
climax; America needs the Russian aesthetic,
Russia the American industrial, spirit The
we'll known Russian nitchevO never mind) Is
M the present moment moro dangerous to
Russias national future than the German
guns. The existence Of parasitic bureaucracy
that has been the cause Of the Russian ma
Gonal weakness is wholly due TO the passive
character Of the Slavic race. kind of Ind
ian fatalsm has spread all over Russian
life. To shake it OF nothing could be more
effective than the assertive spirit of the New
World The Russo-Amercan relation would
bc beneficial 70 the both nations.
Trade has been tho most efficient factor In
bringing about closer relations between the
most distant nations Of the world. Trade
alone could bring Russia and the United
States together. as never before was Russia
so dependent upon n foreign market as 1t IS
now. This need is all due to the late Count
Wittc. for II was he who laid the foundation
Of Russian industry. Russia imported goods
worth millions Of dollars annually ana built
up % big industry But the war came too soon.
Russia is badly in need Of machinery and the
products that she bought from Germany, Eng
land and France These Russia cannot get
anywhere now but in America. While Ger
many will be unable to supply the Russian
market for years to come, England and France
will absorb all the goods that they can manu-
facture America alone remains to supply
Russia with everything she needs.
mill bo nucefon relations with the
United States be ever such that the racial
spirit of the one viii influence the other?
There is still long step 70 the prospective
Russo-Amcrican treaty. It is said that the
influence of the Jews is TO be blamed for mis-
understandings between the two countries.
But is it really so?
Though the Jews may have an indirect in
iuonce upon the Russian relations with
America. yet the Russian bureaucracy IS to
be blamed most for the msunderstandings
that exist. Unfortunately the Russian CHI
noynk spirit that dominates at home makes
itself also felt here. This spirit undermines
all the prospective soclal-political relations
with that narrow fana.icism that s trying
20 s.rargie every democratic tendency at
home. The chinoynik that the Russian gov
eminent has sent here cares more for .he
interest Of hie career and bureaucratic class
than the prestige of the nation. Therefore
YOU never see the Russian officials connected
with the attempts of those intellectual Rus
slams here who make efforts 20 spread the
csthetic ideas of the race, If they happen
10 be political refugees, radicals or men Of
independent views. While the representa-
,ives of all the other countries live the life
of their countrymen here, regardless Of the
party TO which they belong at home, the Rus
sian officials associate only with the reaction
aries. rs they are themselves, and discredt
the patriotic efforts of the rest This an
American mind cannot understand. from being
accustomed TO look st matters Of this kind
universally. Until Russia gets away from
America such unpatriotic ehinoyniks there
will be no question Of closer political rea-
tions. The first step depends upon Russia
IVAN NARODNY.
New York May 81. 1915.
Trishmen in the War.