The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-04-22
(Kansas City Starr


Russia. Of a SUDDEN within a matter
of hours, as it were, emerging from a
centuries old "cabined. cribbed, con-
fined" autocracy. panoplied in the
habiliments of liberty and speaking the
speech of freedom and fraternity--a
few months ago such a denouement
would have staggered the belief Of Cis-
Atlantic minds.
But of late we nave become Injured
to the unexpected and nothing that
may happen in Armageddon has power
any longer to astonish. We accept 1t
all almost casually. as logical man,
festation of period of extraordinary
world disturbances. It's greatest effect
In this country has been, perhaps, to
expose to ourselves how little we really
know of that great nation-geo-
and how much of our information in
regard to Russia resolves itself, upon
examination, into popular impressions
and traditional misconceptions.
To the average American, Russia
stands out in the far horizon of con-
seriousness, as Canada did to Kipling-a
land Of snows-and, in addition. a ma
ton Of boards and hlouses and knouts
and Siberian prisons. When we think
of its government. we vision a medi-
aeval despotism; when we think OF it's
lands, we conjure up a drear picture Of
snowclad mountains and vast, lonely
steppes; when we think of it's litera-
ture we think of Tolstoy with his fin
the chances are we have him mentally
categorical as a crank" And this ig-
norance pervades even European cir
cles.
If we take even an educated Euro
pean," well-known Russian writer
complains, provided he be not spe-
cialist, an Investigator into Russian
life. We find that his information re-
specting Russia is almost inevitably
confined to extremely limited impress
sions. acquired by chance"
1t is time to rub up little on Rus
sia--at least sufficiently to put gloss
upon our ignorance. because it looks
as though Russia is coming on to be
popular topic these days.
The Worlds Largest Nation.
To begin with. then. Russia. in the
area of lands that own its dominion, is
the largest nation in the world-its
empire embraces one. sixth Of the land
surface Of the earth. When the pres
ent war began 1t had an area OF S.764,-
times as large as the United States.
exclusive of Alaska. 1t includes more
than one-half Of Europe and the whole
of northern Asia. From east to west it
extends more than $500 miles, while its
greatest width. from the Kara sea to
the Panur boundary. is 2,40o miles. Its
coast line Is about 81. 900 miles and its
land frontier about 1880. 1t touches
the Arctic ocean on the north and the
Pacific on the east. the Baltic sea on
Its northwest frontier and the Black
and Caspian seas on the south and
southwest. Prussia borders it's west
ern center, Rumania and Austria Hun
gary on the southwest and Norway and
Sweden on the north, in it's topo.
graphical features Russia presents a
striking contrast to all the rest Of
Europe-it is vast plain. with a gen.
eral level Of from 300 to 600 feet above
the sea, stretching across in endles:
monotony from boundary to boundar,
of the great empire. with moderate
elevations in its central territory. TIL,
highest attitudes are in the west, aloni
the foothills OF the Carpathians. tn
hills of central Russia and the heights
Of the Volga. The Ural mountains
break the monotony OF the plains OF
the edge OF Asia.
This great plain is well watered wit
system Of lakes and rivers, whic
have their sources in the inland eleva
tons and flow away In all direction
emptying into the Baltic, the Arct