Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-08-31
By CHARLES EDWARD RUSSELL.
Copyright. 1917, by the Newspaper En-

ASSOSldbAOIisJ
The Russian people are making the
worlds most advanced experiment in
democracy.
After years of hideous oppression
they won their liberty from an autocra-
cy that represented the Dark Ages.
They never deserved any such op-
preston; the genius of 1t was absolute
ly foreign to their spirit and charac-
teristics.
1t was forced down upon them by
brutal might and great guns.
If anything should happen to over
throw their hopes and bring back the
yoke they threw of, every man in the
world touched with any sense of the
spirit of liberty would regard it as an
unspeakable personal calamity.
All the world of progressive thinkers
and friends of democracy would mourn
always and say that their cause had
suffered.
They should understand, then, per-
fectly. that this is exactly what will
happen should Germany win in this
war.
The victory of Germany would mean
the return of the half-crazy car. the
police, the spies, the exile to Siberia,
1t would mean extinction of democracy.
The whole structure of our hopes
for Russia would fall together.
SOME INSIDE HISTORY.
Persons that are able to blind Them
selves to the real nature of Germany
and what it stands for may try to pre-
tend that this is mere assertion.
1t is not assertion. 1t is ascertained
fact.
L will now give you a little chap
ter of previously imprinted history.
You remember that the Russian peo-
In a ha6 do
of last March. In January, 1905. they
rose against the monstrous autocracy
that was crushing them, and in spite
OF Bloody Monday and other slaughters
they made for a time great Roadway
In March, 1905, when it looked as if
his crown was slipping from his head,
when the revolt was spreading to all
parts of the country and many provinces
had declared their independence, Car
Nicholas wrote a letter of piteous APP
peal to his dear intimate friend, Kaiser
William.
The two were in almost daily COM
munication, anyway. No two rulers
| of Europe were more sympathetic or
laffectionate. Their intimate correspond
ence was continued down to the very
outbreak of the war and some say it
did not cease then.
At least it is perfectly certain that
the car never had any heart in the
war against Germany and continued to
regard Kaiser William as his best and
dearest friend.
So in March. 1905, he wrote to the
kaiser, discussing the situation in his
empire, about which 1t appears he had
often consulted his friend, and express
ing fear that he might not be able TO
hold out against the revolutionists
They seemed to be making new prog
ress every day and a large part of the
army sympathized with them.
What was to be feared, therefore was
that in a critical encounter between the
army and the people the army would
desert to the popular cause and in THAI
case nothing would be left to do but 20
flee over the border to safety.
To this the kaiser replied, giving to
his imperial brother heart of hope. He
said that it was the cars duty to him
self, the dynasty, his fellow-monarci;s
and his God to hold out to the last. An
he said that he was prepared to send t,
Russia, If necessary. a million men r.
crush out the revolution and make the
car safe on his throne.
Subsequent letters discussed the man.
ner in which this could be done and set
tied the details, the places at which the
German troops should enter and the gen.
The position of the kaiser was that
all the autocratic governments. drawing
their authority directly from divine de-
cree, must stand together at whatever
cost to put down this rising tide of
mob rule.
And he urged the car to- put it down
with an iron hand.
1t was the means of overwhelming
the revolution and restoring the despot-
ism.
There was at that time pending APP
plications for loans that Russia wanted
to float in England and France. These
countries had refused to lend any monSS
to Russia so long as the revolution was
on. They did not wish to be in the po-
sition of helping an autocracy to put
down a democratic uprising.
Russia was almost bankrupt, as usual.
The fact of the correspondence be-
tween the kaiser and the car became
known 10 the government of England
and France. They learned what the
kaiser had undertaken to do with his
million troops.
They decided that it would be better
to lend the money to the cars auto
cratic government than allow Germany
to annex Russia, which would be the
practical result If the kaiser swept it
with his troops.
They therefore allowed the loan to be
made. Russia took the money and with
it suppressed the revolution.
Now observe that when the revolu-
ton of this year broke forth and the
cars advisors saw that Ii was serious
their very first word was to open the
front and let the German troops in to
put the rebellion down.
1t is plain enough. therefore, that the
old agreement still stood. in spite of the
war, and that at a signal the kaiser's
soldiers were ready to rush in, shoot
down the Russian revOlu'tionists and put.
the car back on the throne.
Nothing prevented this except the
czar's perception that the revolt had
gone so far it could not be suppressed
without bloody fighting in the heart Of
Russia and that he was not willing then
to bring it about.
These are the facts. They show how
absolutely the life of democracy in Rus
STA hangs upon the defeat of Germany.
They show the kaiser, also. as he
really is, the frantic foe Of the demo-
cratic advance, the maddog Of Europe.
crazed with the notion that he is divine
ly appointed to prevent the world from
passing under mob rule, and ready to
pour out his peoples blood to keep any