Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1916-12-28
RY NYM. PHILR SIIMs.


lnlLeu PRESS stan Correspondents
PARIS, Dec. 2S.-(By Mai)--What-
ever Russia may do in the future,
1916 will be set down as one Of the
greatest years III her history. No
period in all her national develop
ment has been more significant, not
oven the Sixties, which marked the
liberation OF the Serfs.
During 1916, the Russian people,
seem TO have found themselves and
their place in the Empire. Their po-
sition may not as yet be very clearly
defined but the future, Russian stu
dents believe. will look after that
Russia In the last year, has accom-
plished much. She recovered from tho
blow Germany dealt her in East Prussia,
Poland and Galicia. She completed
building brand new army in the
field. She called to the colors an
other army, twice as big, which she
/ holds in readiness for an emergency,
which the war may cause She sent
! troops 10 France and 10 SalOnika, via
/ Siberia and Vladivostock, and another
army she sent TO help Rumania. when
that country joined up with the AL
lies.
In tho meantime she resumed the
offensive in Gancia and completely
disrupted the Australian armies there,
taking well over a half million pris-
oners. And in Asia Minor she waged
a powerful campaign against the
Turks beyond the Caucausus.
These are tremendous accomplish
ments when one remembers what
Russia was up against IN 1915, when
she had, during her great retreat
but one shell day, per battery. to
FIRE against the advancing Germans
The Minister Of War Judged respon-
sible for the bulk OF the army's mis-
fortunes, NJ. Soukoomlinoff, was ar
rested in the spring Of 1915 and
placed in the Peter and Paul prison
on an island in the Neya
This was the test year Of "NC
Vodka" The Imperial decree abol-
ishing vodka came. il is true. in Tn,
fall Of 1914, but 1916 was not a true
trial Russia. that year. was gettins
over her jag so to speak, and it wa,
only in 1916 that a steady. sober Rus
sia got a chance to show what she
could do.
Savings bank accounts went up b,
leaps and bounds. Peasants, const
tunng so per cent. of the country
population of 17OO00,0OO, were neve
so well off in their lives. They wcrl
better fed. better clothed, put In OF
an average double the number o
, working hours a day. and sickness
was reduced to an incredible degree
{ One hospital the correspondent know
Of had 1900 beds. Prior to 1915, j
s was overlooking all the time, havinl
b some 1000 patients to care for a
D best it could Now 1000 beds hav
1 been sent to a military hospital, be
cause there are never more than 40
g patients TO care for.
n This year saw the formation OF
j. Central Committee to coordinate tn
e the work Of an all-Russian zemstv
+ Union and the All-Russian Municipal
' ity Union, two organizations CON
= posed OF Russian plain people band
VI ed together to help the Empire ru
the war.
u Through this committee every maj
=. woman and child was brought MOI
q or less directly into touch with tn
= war, and perhaps Il has done NOR
to make the war a popular" wa
Il than any other movement tn
/, zemstvo Union. above all. is a pee
a pies concern and the Zemstvos hay
Is instructed the peasants and Commo
n People generally throughout Russia a
TO what the war means to them, an
the importance of carrying IL on
a successful finish.
Each State in the United states
divided into counties. If each cOui
n " had a board composed partly
\ farmers, partly Of village merchant
or other prOperty-holders there. al
partly OF landowners, this boal
L. would correspond to the Russia
Zemstvo board which is charged wi
II, road building, schools and hospita
OF it's district. IL Is easy to see q
IT, Influence Of a Zemstvo board on q
ne rural population.
I'd The Municipality Union is doinE
or the cities what the Union of all d
err Zemstvos is doing in the countI
These two peoples associations du
,o ing 1916 have made millions OF ga
~ ments for soldiers. existing the 50
vices of women all over the land:
~. tens OF thousands Of refugees fro
~ the invaded districts; equipped a
70 operated hundreds Of hospitals, fur
~, ishing the necessary supplies the
- selves: established tea and cor
cd DDW M NM