The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1917-12-07
Every American sold,es and sailor
who was accessible had turkey for
dinner on Thanksgiving day.
RUSSIA.

| "Ihe wind blOWeth where 1t llsteth and
no man knows wither it goes or whence
it comes" Russia greater in territory
than all the rest of Europe, whose. total
population probably equals any three of
her largest neighbors, is today giant
in frame and child IN available strength.
The world has been and is now look
ing on with wonder not to say amaze
ment, at the developments there. The
world is also looking with fear and hor-
ror at possibilities that may occur there.
When the forces of hnman nature run
riot it is as If the winds appear to cut
loose from ordinary bounds with cyclon-
ic effects.
II the revolution had but changed the
form OF government, order and organiza.
tion might still have been >,Rreserved.
Even yet if the present sort of govern.
ment showed real strength, order may
still remain, but in the upheaval the
very dregs of socialism and anarchy
have come to the top and apparently
now represent and stand for new Rus
|sia. This new Russia with proposed
constitutian that if carried into effect
will make an equal division of all pro-
perty without reference to previous
ownership, is something so entirely diff
ferent from anything the world has
hitherto seen that everybody is wonder
|inu uh at will oono of r.
That Russia of all nations, one of the
most ignorant, should thus step so far in
advance, if such doctrine is an advance
is certainly remarkable in itself, though
perhaps it may be just the swing of the
political pen6ulem from an absolute
monarchy to absolute individuality. AS
to whether "a nation so conceived and
so constituted can long endure" few peo.
pie out of Russia believe, and whether
many people in Russia so believe as yet
we do not know.
1t must be remembered that so far nc
news of the actual sentiments among the
people of Russia has been allowed to
pass the censors. All stories come from
sthe government. Enough however
Escapes by different channels to show
that the ''empire" appears to be rapidly
disintegrating into factions and frag
ments.
I Finland, Siberia, Poland, southern
Russia, Caucasus. and perhaps more OF
the provinces have either made actual
advances towards independence or are
talking about autonomy. -
/ All this has to do with the present
negotiations for peace between the Pet
lrograd Socialists and the Germans
Whether these will be able to control
the whole or even great part of Russia
remains to be seen. The desire for peace
is very great, not only in Russia but in
all the warning nations. Properly man.
ipulated this might give openings that
possibly might lead to peace for the
whole world. While the kaiser probably
knows with whom he is dealing even
better than anyone else, he has some-
what difficult task before him in his
dealings with the Russian situation.
One necessity will be that to certain
extent at least he must show his hand.
In order to have pea ,e both sides must
be willing to compromise. Whatever
terms the kaiser may make with Russia
will necessarily have strong bearing on
his terms with other nations when the
time comes to treat with them.
On the other hand, the Petrograd
/ government has practically undertaken
to make peace for all the warning nations
without asking their consent or repre-
sentation. The Petrograd people are at
tempting to work out the whole s,tua-
tion on the Russian basis, to-wit, to
ignore all authority, and appeal directly
to the common soldiers and the common
population Of all countries.
i All that is necessary to stop the fight
ling and bloodshed IS to persuade the SOL
diers to come out of the trenches and 20
to their respective homes. Theoretical
|ly that is absolutely true. Practically
everybody knows that the soldiers will
not do it.-at least soldiers other than
Russians and they are not all willing.
j The intelligent soldiers know that the
Russian proposition it carried out would
be simply jumping out Of the frying pan
into the fire. They know that authority
is necessary for liberty. That anarchy
is not democracy. That extr eme social
ism is but the other extreme from auto
|cracy. They know they are fighting for
neither anarchy nor autocracy, but for
democracy. which in the final analysis is
conservative and not extreme.
just now however, We have the stranR-
est spectacle Of history, By which the
!. absolute monarch Is treating for some
sort Of compromise with the rankest
socialism. Il these two extremes can
ii flnG1t common RronnSl tlISSs viIls ;ns1anx3