Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-05-16

THE ROOT MISSION TO RUSSIA.
Galveston News.l

Galveston News.)
One can find in the personnel of the
commission that Is to 90 to Russia som
one who Is qualified by experience to study
with the authori0 of an expert every one
of the problem< (which unite to make the
task the revolution has put on the Russian
people. Ii includes men eminent in finance.
IN industry, In labor, in sociology and even
IN religion, while in its chairman, Mr.. Root.
1t has a mind as capable n any this coun-
try possesses To unity all these questions
into a st~atesmanlike conception. The OBJ
lection has been made that the political
prediction of Mr.. Root will initiate
against the success of the mission. But 20
lar that objection j. valid, it i pretty well
nullified by the inclusion of a man who oc-
cuples the highest place but one in the
labor hierarchy of this country and partic-
nlarly by the inclusion of Mr.. Charles Ed
ward Russell. Mr.. Root and Mr.. Russell
stand at the extremes of our political
scale; and MIR. Root j. no more worthy an
exponent III political conservatism, both in
point of fame and ability. than Mr.. Rus
sell IL of radicallsm. Mr.. Russell j. quite
a distinguished a socialist a Mr.. Root is
"a republican. Not only are the members
OF this commission men of eminent spec
lalized talents, but also men 80 varied in
their political and social affiliations that
1t will be able to put forward some one who
can speak with the force of understand
ing and sympathy to every group of Rus
sian society. If this body should fail in
Its MISSION, it would not be because the
president was unguided by understanding
In choosing its members.
The purpose in sendingthis commission
Is, speaking generally, tohold Russia
teadfast in its hostility TO Germany. The
sympathy and support of the United States
are to be pledged, in the hope that, thus
befrlended by the nation from which they
have 80 largely drawn their political in
SEPARATION, the Russians will be better able
to resist the sinister seductions they are
under to make peace. The precarious state
OF affairs In Russia suggests that the OPP
portunity may have disappeared before
tins commission viii have had a chance to
cultivate II. But, excluding that danger
tsCeH 'ht viii INV ho itd~Ou Cd
feeling that this is a vain and futile pro-
Ject. We shall be acting toward the Rus
SLAMS pretty much as the French acted to-
ward u in the critical days of our begin
nlng as u free nation of self governing
people. Our effort would have succeeded
without the moral and material help the
French gave IL, but our success was made
more certain and speedy because OF that
assistance.
The presence of our commission in Rus
STA must sharpen the issue that presents
itself TO the Russian people in a way which
ought To enable the dullest moujik to UNI
derstand the alternative he faces. 1t is
not easy 10 believe that, if the alternative
Is made clear to them. the Russian people
VIII prefer the friendship of autocratic
Germany To that of the United States.
whole political creed and Institutions they
are trying TO set up for themselves. For
democratic Russia the destruction of the
military autocracy of Germany i a matter
OF vastly more Importance than IL j. ia
any other nation. For it is chiefly to the
ambition and military power Of Germany.
swollen and strengthened by victory. that
the rest of the world would be exposed
whereas Russia, in addition, would be ex-
posed to the danger of German intrigue as
well. Between democratic Russia and an
tocratic Germayn there can be NOTHING hut
an ~irreconcllable conflict of interest. Any
success the Russians might achieve IN
self-sovernment would be- a r,proach TO
the autocratlc rule of the Hohenzollerns
and constant cause of discomfort amopg
the German people. Ii would therefore be-
come a matter of self preservation for the
Iiohenzollerns to destroy this menace ~
their own power. Thus, for Russia. peace
would bring a cessation of military hostil-