Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-09-30
R0OT TELLS STORY OF
STRUGGLES IN RUSSIA
Gar Would Have Been Per-
mitted to Remain Until
# After the War.


Gently before the American Bar asso-
citation in session at Saratoga. Mr..
Root talked of Russia as he saw 1t
when at the head of the American
mission. and before he had done he
gave an eloquent analysis of Ameri-
cas- attitude in helping win the world
war against Prussianism.
"Who can think OF his own per-
sonality amid the tremendous issues
that confront us and the terrible re-
sponsibility that rests upon us?'
said he. Men are nothing. From
out of the dead level of ordinary hum
drum life, from ease and comfort
the struggle for place and fortune,
the common things of every day, the
rising feelings of duties and passions
and ideals and devotion sink all the
past and all the personality.
Let me say something about Rus
sla, poor. haggard. bleeding. agoniz
Ing Russia. In March last the gov
ernment of the czar had brought Rus
sia to the verge Of bankruptcy. The
czar was dethroned, not merely be-
cause he was an autocrat-that would
have waited until the war was over
but because his government was in
competent and dishonest; because the
men who were controlling in that gov
ernment were bought with German
money and were traitors TO their
country, TO the great cause in which
Russia had enlisted.
THE Duma was in session, and
wise and able men in that body, per-
ceiving that the bureaucratic govern
ment was making its arrangements
for n separate peace, in violation Of
the pledged faith of RUSSIA peace
which would have inflicted intoler-
able shame upon their country thru
desertion of those other people who
had come to the aid of Russia in her
struggle-wise and able men threw
off that government and charged the
government with the purpose TO make
separate peace. The czar issued an
order that the duma dissolve, and that
precipitated revolution.
THE Socialists arose, and with the
help of the garrison drove out the
police of the bureaucracy, compelled
the abdication of the czar and set
about forming the new government,
crude and powerful only thru moral
suasion. Yet in Russia, with its 1s0.-
100000 people in an area of sixth
of>the habitable globe, order was as
perfect as in the United States.
I'm Pertograd not policeman was
to be found, the old police of the bu-
reaucracy of the country had been
the council, and no police had taken
their place. But there was no time
during that period when a young
woman could not have walked from
one end OF Petrograd to the other, at
any hour of the day or night, in per-
feet safety
THE Socialists were divided into
two classes-the moderate type and
the extreme type-demanding imme-
date application OF iconoclastic theo-
ries as to the destruction of national
governments and Industrial organiza-
ton. Between the two types there was
conflict.
Then there came a tremendous
German propaganda. Thousands of
German agents came across the bor-
Ger at the revolution; and they spent
money like water--no one can tell
how much they spent for stirring up
all the German sympathizers in Rus
sia. They purchased newspapers, es-
tablished these newspapers. and
printed other literature: they went
up and down the front, talking to the
soldiers in the trenches and in the
reserve camps. They said to the Rus
sian soldier:
Why do you fight? This was the
cars war. The cZar is gone now
Why do you keep on fighting?' They
said also to them: why do YOU kin
us? We are your friends. WHY do
you kill? 1t is very unpleasant You
had better go home and take part in
the division of the land, and all the
land in Russia is to be divided, and
II you do not hurry home you will
be left
And those, of the millions of men
who did not read were talked to In
this way, and when II was said this
was HUr their war they were COM
PEELED TO realize that II was not No
body had told them what the war was
TO be; they had never been instructed
about II; they had no knowledge OF
the great issues involved, and accord
lngiy by the millions, the Russians
left the trenches and the camps and
wandered all over the country. find
Ing their way back to their homes.
and all thru the Russian army the
tdea ran that peace had come and
that there was no further occasion for
war. And so that government stood
without any power in the government
10 enforce a decree, with an army
wearied OF war, as all Europe Is
Wearied of war today; tired of sacri-
lice and suffering; glad to have the
Killing and manning put to an end:
glad that no more lives were TO be
added to the millions who had been
lost In Russia, and peace and order
were to reign.
The German agents made good
cause with the extreme and unreason.
able Socialists, and to them were add
ed those secret agents of the bu-
reaucracy government. unknown.
the personnel of that secret police
was unknown-and the extreme wing
of violent destructive Socialism. which
corresponds TO the |. w. w. In our
country. And the agents of the old
secret police and the agents of Ger
many made common cause in atterhpt-
Ing to destroy all industry. all prop
erty all capital and all effectiveness
OF government in Russia.
Now, In that condition a few men
very few at first-stood up and
spurned the offer of a separate peace
from Germany. They said: We will
not stain our country by this dis
graceful conduct. We will maintain
the war; we will fight for liberty
which we have newly won: we will
begin the career of new democracy
OF Russia with faith and honor. We
VIII save the people OF Russia from