Evening journal., 1916-07-13
By. WILLIAM PHILIP sIMMs.

gentry and villages are today a solid
block in Russia, and. under the name
of The Central Committee" are
working might and main to support
the army and the country generally
The organization composed Of land
cd gentry, peasants and village prop
erty owners is called the All-Russian
zemstvo Union told this in THE
EVENING JOURNAL recently.
But the towns and cities of Russia
have also organized themselves into
volunteer, salaryless citizens groun
To- assist the government wage war.
their name being the All-Russian Mu-
nicipality Union. And il is this group
which, with the All-Russian Zemstvo
Union, completes the Central Com
mittee.
The Central Committee. whose
members serve absolutely without
pay sits Sundays and weekdays in
Fetrograd acting as a co-ordinating
oody, centralizing the work of the
citizens. Of the whole Empire.
So far as Ican find out this commit
zee ana these two great All-Russian
unionss combined in it, have no coun-
terpart anywhere in Europe or in the
world. In France the people are
heart and soul with the government
IN their determination to fight the war
TO victory, cost what II may. In that
country all sorts OF organizations
abound, providing hospitals. ambu-
lances, refugee homes, feeding sta
tons and The like. There is no end
70 their labors But the government
reeds, clothes and equips its army
through commissions who deal with
industrial corporations principally. II
not entirely.
In England II is the same Llovd
George, upon assuming the most of
Minister Of Munitions, chose as his
battle-cry the mobilization of indus
try, which meant that the industrial
plants of the land should be organized
10 produce munitions and other need
fuls for the British army.
In Russia the difference Is vast.
Russia is an agricultural nation.
Manufacturing corporations are few,
compared TO Englands vast enter
prises, or to those Of France or Ger
many. Russia is so per cent. peasant.
So the peasants got together with
landowners and villagers, forming
the All-Russian Zemstvo Union. And
The towns-people and city dwellers
got together in the All-Russian Mu-
nicipality Union, the two getting to-
gether in a central committees vol
unteer citizen organization. not Of
manufacturers, not of commercial
kings, but OF rich people, poor people
gentry and peasants-offering their
services gratis TO the land.
There is, however, in Russia, an or
ganization resembling Lloyd Georges
mastering of English industry It is
called the War Industry Committee
and is Of considerable importance.
Prior to six years ago there was no
industrial group in Russia Manu-
facturers worked separately. every
man for himself But with the com
ing of the Duma-the Russian Con-
gress-they felt the need of an or
ganization which would look out for
their joint interests in possible legis
lation 10 come. Also a new CONNER
cial treaty with Germany was TO be
negotiated in 1914 and here again
Russian industry wished TO make IT.
self heard.
So about 1910 a Congress of Rep
resentatives OF Trade Commerce" met
and organized themselves into what
corresponds 10 American merchants
and manufacturers associations, the
object of which was to look out for
the mutual interests Of It's members.
Last year this group of men, taking
the tip from Lloyd George, in Eng
land, and seeing the necessity Of CIV
ing aid 10 the army, particularly as re-
CARDS munitions and kindred military
needs. formed the War Industry Com
mittee. This body OF men today is
giving great help to the Russian gov
eminent
This is the organization similar to
those in England and France. But the
zemstvo and Municipality Unions,
with their central committee, are in
themselves unique. as is the co-opera-
tive movement of Russia with its
nearly a hundred million adherents
scattered from the Baltic across the
frozen steppes of Siberia 10 the Pa
ciic, from the White Sea to the
Black
The city of Moscow began the Mu-
nicipality Union after the big Russian
retreat Mayor Chelnokov, the tre-
mendously alive head of the Munich
pal Council Of Russia's second capital
issued invitations to the other cities
and large towns of the empire to join
in a city dweller's organization SINH
lar to the Zemstvos' OF rural one, and
they all responded. Like the Zemstvo
the Municipality Union said to the
Russian government Here we are,
use us."
II was soon seen that as the two
unions we're doing practically the
same work much overlapping might
be obviated and more effective work
accomplished II a merger could be
affected
So the central committee of the ALL
Russian Zemstvo and Municipal
Unions was formed about the nrst Of
July, 1915. The committees work
has been phenomenal II has sup
piled the army, at the army's request.
with munitions, munition boxes. dag
gers spades. bags, hatchets, shippers
TO cut barbed-wire, stoves, axes,
wearing apparel barbed wire, hospital
supplies. baths and scores Of other
things.
In England and France and Russia
the war industry organizations work
for profit as we'll as for patriotic mo-
tives. In Russia the most important
organizations by far are the purely
citizen ones and these work without
profit 10 themselves They demand
but one thing and that is to serve.
IL. kh1r