Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-08-28
RUSSIA


earth as it is, with IS per cent of it
land and ~ per cent of it water. Why
the whirling elements so separated them
selves no man knows. A popular rebel
lion is a sort of chaos. The restraints OF
order and authority are loosed The
neither masses of humanity can see no
good in a change that does not equalize
social conditions. OF what value is
revolution to them unless it puts bread
Into their mouths and clothes on their
backs? The national mind becomes
seething mass of active forces and infiu:
ences. Whether it will settle into an
ordered form, 72 per cent democratic and
28 per cent autocratic, is problematic.
The weight of authority, established by
historic precedents, is that revolutions do
not move backward. There is progress
even in the chaos which they induce.
The Russian revolution itself was no
more a miracle than the events which
have followed it. America is the mother
Of modern democracies. 1t might be sup.
posed that here If anywhere, the devices
OF autocracy would be identified uner.
ringly and the program Of democracy be
crystal clear. We find, however. that
among even honest men, not only in the
streets but in the Capitol. There are
nights devising ways and means to
weaken the military might of the nation
and prevent the use of its full powers
in the prosecution of the war. We even
nnd agitators who mock the truth and
proclaim, with some appearance of sin
cerity, that we are not fighting for
democracy at all, but for some mysteri-
GUS, subtle purpose that defies analysis,
although they believe, for the most part,
that few rich men put us into this
war in order to save their investments
in foreign bonds. Most rich men who
have such investments will pay three
or four times the amount Of them in
war taxation, but such simple facts do
not worry the agitators. They have
made up their minds and want nothing
to do with truth
Russia is a land of oratory unclaimed. |
Every victim of former autocracy is
headed for a soap box. He knows he has !
been driven and kicked and cuffed for
years. There is something the revolution |
can mean for him, and he wants that |
written into the policy of the
nation at once. Kerensky has to con-
tend not with political parties. which |
would be comparatively simple, but with |
groups of public opinion,
most Of them half baked. If there were a
definite program to balance his own
against he could achieve a triumph |
quickly. But before he has knocked |
cne crowd Of objectors out of the way,
there are two other crowds in it's place.
II required almost a decade after York
town to form the United States of Amer.
Ca, and three-quarters of a century and |
! great war thereafter to render the
bonds indissoluble. Why expect Russia
10 become a perfect national machine
within a few months? 1t was a giant
Duffering from malnutrition when Ker-
snsky took charge. He has had to fight
back hunger, sedition, ignorance, stu.
pidity, pseudo-American agitators, Teu.
Ion spies and propagandists and impaired
morale in armies which had been be.
Irayed repeatedly by their own officers.
Napoleon had a lighter task. Treachery
md treason. at least, did not nest in his
Republican armies.
The establishment of Russian Re-
>ublic under conditions assuring stability
: the greatest single event the democ.
'acy Of the world can bring to pass. We
zaye seen what the French Republic
means to the world. A similar great
government, liberal in its motives and
|ctuated by unselfish impulses, stretching
'ver eastern Europe and the north Asian
'ontinent. would throw the weight of
1lrnan authority SO definitely in favor of
Aocratic institutions that the sur
1yal Of autccratic forms would be
possibis and world safe for democ-
~. pscause democratic world. would
oeeaan. II would pay Us to surrender
4eelth = ssssue sueh : eenaums