TaÌˆgliche Omaha tribuÌˆne. [volume] (Omaha, Nebr.) 1912-1926, 1917-09-19
AFTER.

manner Of its fall is even more
serious. 1t is a grave symptom
Of the malady which is eating
out the heart and the strength
of Russia.
Riga, the second most inn
portant port Of Russia, and its
most important port on the
Baltic, had held out against
Hindenburg's blows for two
years. 1t was Riga, under the
command OF the Bulgarian Gen.
Radko Dimitrieff, that put a
stop to the German advance at
a time when it seemed that the
impetus CT the German armies
would carry them to Petrograd.
A few weeks ago Dimitrieff re-
signed his command because he
despaired OF the morale Of his
troops.
And now the Russians sur
render Riga practically without
striking a blow. They surren-
der it for the same reasons that
made their recent offensive in
Galicia a costly hasco. They sur
render it because there were too
many soldiers in the ranks who
refused to hght-too many units
that abandoned their trenches
under the German fire. AS in
Galicia, so in Riga, the weak
ness OF the Russian armies IS
made patent 10 all the world
in the unwillingness Of Russian
soldiers to face the enemy. This
is a new tradition for Russian
soldiers. 1t presents a sharp
contrast to the logged tenacity
which the Russian soldier, a
born fighter, has displayed in
every previous war, no matter
how great the odds against him,
no matter how grave the er-
rors of his commanders.
The fall Of Riga, then, fur
nishes new and appalling eyrd-
ence OF the disintegration OF the
military strength Of Russia. 1t
shows that disiutegration is con-
tinuing despite the policy Of
blood and IRON which the new
government, under the vigorous
domination Of Premier Kerens-
ky, has been pursuing ever since
it took up the reins. 1t indi-
Gates the failure of that policy
TO accomplish, even at this
stage, the moral regeneration Of
Russia's forces of defense
against invasion.
Taken in conjunction with the
wholesale arrest, two or three
days ago, OF participants in a
conspiracy to restore the monar-
chy, the debacle at Riga appears
in it's true perspective as a peril,
not only to free Russia but to
the friends who have come SO
promptly TO her aid. It discloses
a peril to Great Britain, France,
Italy, and to all the small ma
tions that are ranged under the
banners Of the entente. And, on
humanitarian as we'll as pract-
ical grounds, it presents a pro-
blem Of pressing importance to
the United States.
No government, no system Of
government, can withstand ma
ny successive shocks so heavy
as the failure in Galicia and the
retreat from Riga and on the
road to Petrograd. The react
ionary forces in Russia realize
the strategic value Of the mo-
ment. They are selling the
tragic opportunity to point out
to the Russian people the con-
tention that the overthrow Of the
car and his centralized govern
ment is exposing them to the
danger Of subjugation by a for
eign foe, and that that foe is
already advancing to the capital.
Czarism in Russia is not dead.
1t is biding the opportunity to
reassert itself, and it is becom-
ing evident that the opportunity
is at hand. Whether the auto
cracy is re-established in its old
form, or whether it takes the
new form of a dictatorship back
ed by Cossacks, would make
little difference to the Russian
people. In fact, an autocracy
under a new form would be
more oppressive than the old,
because it would be hungrier for
peH, more thirsty for power,
and therefore more relentless in
its methods than the old. Rus
H. .mm