New-York tribune., 1917-07-24
Crisis in Russia
Bring Sadness
To the East Side
Jews Fear Promised Land
May Revert to Autocracy
Under Defeat

The crisis In Russia has provoked
gloom on the East Side. Thousands OF
Jews who had made up their minds 70
return to Russia In the near future are
following the Petrograd news dis
patches with sad hearts. The break
down Of Russia's armies In Ga!icia
would have caused general rejoicing
wear ago. To-day it Is greeted with
despair.
To the Jews the New Russia is now
the Promised Land" the land where
political freedom is unlimited and So
cialism so apparently near realization.
Kerensky is their Messiah-for him
they pray morning and evening. III
free Russia is lost. the world is lost
said a scholarly Russian Jew to-day
And his voice betrayed how much hope
his race, after centuries Of wandering
and suffering, had put in the unclaimed
Slavic nation.
Jewish Press Pesslmistic
The Jewish press of this city, which
has a keen insight into Russian aHairs'
reflects the pessimism of its readers.
The "Warheit" yesterday said edito-
rally:
"Those who are responsible for the
present Generalization in the Russian
army on the Eastern front are not
friends of Russia. The Russian democ-
racv will not be strengthened by Rus-
sia's military defeats, but, on the con-
trary. it is in the greatest danger
therefrom. One more defeat OF TINS
nature. and then another one, and kus-
siais democratic Provisional Govern
ment will be compelled to cede its place
to an autocracy, which will not SO
easily be overthrown. More defeats
will omen the gates of Russia to Prus-
sian autocracy, which will mercllessly
crush the Russian people.
"For the first time in history has a
revolutionary government devoted all
of its attention to the people. Never
has a revolutionary government given
its people so much liberty and freed IL
so quickly from tyranny and lnJustlce
as the new Russian government mas
dome. Never has a revolutionary gov
ernment enacted so many true REFORMS
as the Russian Provisional Govern
ment. Never has a people had bright
err outlook for the future than the Rus
sian people.
zones heart bleeds to see nation,
with the rosiest promises for its own
and the entire worlds future, IN dan
ger of disappearing in the depths OF an
abyss. The tragedy is still greater
when one considers that the fault lies
not with the Black Hundreds, not
with the eternal enemies of light and
truth. but with men who pretend to be
sacrificing themselves for their people.
Nation Is Paralyzed
"The Jewish Morning Journal"
writes:
at is becoming daily more and more
evident that Russia must entirely turn
red before the energy OF the revolu-
tion is spent and it is possible TO or
ganize a practical government which
ould be able to bring about ORDER
And it is not certain that order may be
had there at all under domestic gov
arnment II is more probable that the
Russian revolution will be defeated IN
It's first encounter with foreign powers
and that Russia will entirely lose It's
independence, and in the end It's tate
will resemble that Of Poland or of the
Chinese republic.
"The great error which the world is
committing in regard to the Russian
reLublic is in thinking that all Russia
ie seething with enthusiasm. When an
entire country is inspired with an idea
il is able to perform miracles; but
Russia is altogether too large, too
heterogeneous, one part of the country
too different from another, to be car
ried by one wave of inspiration. In
stead Of being inspired it is paralyzed,
and pieces are beginning TO fall OF its
diseased body. Its misfortune is It's
lack OF patriotism and the fact that
very few are ready to place the IN
terests of their country above their
personal interests or above the in
terests of the class or group to which
thev belong. The soldiers in the
trenches are not the only ones that are
debating whether they ought TO defend
their fatherland, bearing in mind their
own personal interests, for the salts
faction of which they do not hesitate to
become traitors. The materalistic
viewpoint of the 5ocialistic philosophy
logically leads to suicide, and this Is
the greatest danger in Russla's present
situation"