The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1917-12-01
ANOTHER RUSSIAN REVOLUTION

Repeatedly the danger to Russia of delaying the convo-
cation of the promised constitutional convention has been
pointed out. When the revOlutionists depOsed the car their
leaders said it would be held in September. AS one group GUST
ed another in Petrograd this promise was repeated, but the date
was always postponed. Kerensky and his faction have lately
been driven from Petrograd by the central council of soldiers
and workmens councils, who in turn renew this promise to the
people of Russia. The fourth plank in the new program is "the
honest convocation of a constitutional assembly," and Ker-
enskys failure to expedite it when he was in office is appar-
emily the chief cause of his overthrow.
Throughout Russia the suspicion that the various groups and
leaders who have seized the reins of power thought more of
holding office than OF letting the people select the constitution
and form of government they desire has grown into conviction.
This belief that Kerensky and those who preceded him were
acting in bad faith has resulted in putting the control of the
capital of Russia in the hands of wild-eyed socialists and an
archiss of the most extreme type. They proclaim their policy
to be the offer of an immediate democratic peace, the immedi-
ate division of proprietary lands among the peasants, and the
holding of the promised constitutional convention. This is the
work of German agents, but their chance to do it came when
the leaders of the serial revolutions failed to keep faith with
the people.
an alliance between them or German domination of Russia. In
either case the kaiser will control the policies of Russia. It's
first fruits will be the shipment to Germany of Russia's stores
of grain, butter, animals, platinum, wool, hides, skins, mineral
oils and other supplies which the Teutonic allies need so badly.
Russia has plenty of foodstuffs, but has been unable to distrib-
ute them properly. This will give Germany a good excuse for
assuming control of Russian railroads and reorganizing them
for her own benefit. Once the Germans gain such a foothold
they will never let go until they are beaten into submission by
the allies whom the Bolsheviki party, now in power, intend to
desert. With ample supplies drawn from Russia Germany's
greatest difficulties will be overcome.
If the Russians yield to this temptation they will sell their
birthright for a mess of pottage. Germany's plans are easily
discerned. The promise of "the immediate handing over of
large proprietary lands to the peasants" will cause the Russian
armies to disentegrate at once, as they threatened to do in the
early days of the revolution. Peasant soldiers will flock home
to secure their share Of the land, disorder will prevail and the
kaiser will assume police control of the country to restore and
maintain order.
If the Teutonic drive into Italy meets with defeat on some
great battlefield, as the initial drive on Paris ended at the
Marine, Germany will probably offer terms of peace to her foes
that they cannot decline. The last trial balloon" Germany
sent up a few days ago mentioned the restoration of Belgium,
the return of Alsace- Lorraine to France, the cession of Trieste
to Italy and the abandonment of her colonial possessions in re-
turn for a free hand in Russia, from which the kaiser would
fitch the black wheat lands of the southwest. In this territory
Austria-Hungary would receive rich compensation for the loss
of Trieste.
If Russia deserts her allies in this cowardlv fashion thew
may leave her to her fate, though the central empires would be
enormously strengthened and enriched by such a treaty of
peace. Even the Almighty refuses to help those who will not
help MISUNDERSTANDING.
A day when German newspapers would forget to come ont
would be a good thing-Los Angeles Times.
General Advance is en- route to GERMANY -pornand ono