The bee., 1916-07-18
WAR NOT ALL BAD IS
SHOWN BY RESULT OF
CONFLICT ON RUSSIA
Great Awakening of People
Follows the Plunge Into
Strife, Which Hard
ems and Edu.
Gates

ems and Edu.
Gates
Petrogaad, June 10, by Mail -
"War is not all bad" Pastor Chas
Wagner, author of "The Simple
Life" declared to me in the course Of
a Paris interview in December i9l4
Ard when | asked him to go on
and explain, he said:
"Out of this turmoil and slaughter
a few blessing are bound to emerge.
like lilies from the sand of a pond
For one thing l see a return from a
highly material to more spiritual
of everyday life. For another l be
lieve the minds of the masses will he
lifted by the war to vision of big
ger things.
"No man can 90 through such an
and remain the petty crea-
ture he was at the beginning. he
cannot go back to his awl and his
last and pick up bristle and thread
Just where he left off.
Hardens, but Educates
"War hardens. but war educates
one must be different afterwards; one
must he WISER"
The pastor philosopher was not
speaking of the soldiers or France
alone. he included all people af
fected bp the war-the English, the
French, the Germans, the AustrianS
ldd the Russians.
His inference was that France will
De a different country after the war.
So will Germany and England and
Russia and all the Others.
Russia is bound to be a new Rus.
ia. That is one of the things the
var means to this mighty empire. If
western Europe will be changed thru
his Armageddon, how much more
. will the Europe of the East, where
he people are comparatively young.
Russia Already Changed
These are the things implied by
Pastor Wagner, Russia, in fact, has
llready changed, already started on
he new road.
The American coming to Russia
expects to find things much more
than in France or Eng
and. He expects to see the govern
nent working independently, above
and apart from the people because in
the past the government has played
The part of the parent looking after
the needs of the child or the people,
TO his surprise he observes nothing
of the kind.
He finds the Russian people work
ing for and with the government.
Finds Two Great Armies
He discovers two great armies in
the land. one in uniform, under arms
fighting. The other in plain clothes,
or overallS, at bench and lathe, work
ing. The governments agent, the
general staff. commands both and co
OrdlnateS their efforts.
Through their All-Russian Zemstvo
Union, their All-Russian Municipality
Union, the Central committee, their
War Industry committees, their CO.
operative societies and kindred organ
izations, Russian plain people and
Russian gentry are working hand in
hand, collaborating with the govern
ment and army for the good of the
country at large and for victory.
New Trend is Shown
Never before have the people shown
such an eagerness to do public SER
vice and never before have they dis
played such an aptitude for it.
No one here makes any secret of
these things. | have talked to many
people, high and low, and the facts
which l have attempted to set down
in this series of articles are recognized
as showing the new trend in Russia.
"War hardens, but war educates, |"
said Wagner. And it lifts the minds
of the masses to higher visions"
One can see it working out here in
Russia, even with the naked eye.
The people have demanded to be put
N ,york for the nnhlic good JOhS