davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1917-12-16
The Backbone
OF Revolution

The Social l-Reyolutionists must be
credited with the authorship of these
measures. Naturalization Of land was
the back bone Of their scheme OF po-
litical and social reconstruction. The
Social -Revolutionists venerated the
commune. and in their scheme of re-
construction they made it the corner
stone of the social structure. They
hope that with land plenty, the COM
munal form of land tenure will pre-
vent the differentiation Of classes
among the peasantry, and that Russia
will be rendered immune to the
ravages Of capitalism.
The Social al-Revolutionists of to-day
are the most influential party with the
peasants. They voice the true aspira-
tions of the masses and prepare the
grbund for the Constituent Assembly
The recognized leader of the party
Victor VI. Chernov, recently Minister OF
Agriculture in the Provisional Govern
ment. formulated the demands of the
peasants in a resolution introduced at
the conference of the councils OF
Workmen's and Soldiers delegates
Among other things the resolution de-
mands:
THAT land, with all that is beneath
its surface, with all the waters and
forests upon it, shall no longer be an
exchange commodity.
"That the people, through their or
gans of self-government, beginning
with the commune and ending with
the central institutions of national
authority, shall have supreme juris-
diction over the land and the su-
preme right to dispose of the land
and its use.
"That the use of the land shall be
extended to the population under
conditions that will guarantee the
growth of productive forces and the
development of rural cooperation.
"That the title TO the use of land
by individuals as well as by collective
bodies shall be guaranteed by special
juridical norms and shall be based on
civic equality of all the citizens of
the country.
THAT local norms and conditions
New-York tribune., 1917-12-16

jority rules and we do put our hands
down. We stand with our arms hang
ing, our faces exposed, and wait. For
what?
No doubt the German agents will be
satisfied and pack their trunks and go
home to Germany. Merry thought.
Hardly.
We have seen what the German
agents will do; they did it before we
entered the war and they would do 1t
If we backed out of the war. They
would fomant strikes, race riots, class
prejudice and stir up national resent
ments. Having gotten US out OF the
war against Germany they would try
to get us into a war with France,
Italy or England. They would no longer
be peace propagandists but war prep
agandists, because We would be un-
armed and easy victims. They would
create civil war il possible. They
would use German money to throw US
INTO the state poor Russia finds her
self in to-day. Then Germany would
strike defenceless South America.
New-York tribune., 1917-12-16
The Revolution, to Succeed Must Expel the
Landed NobIeman and Give Every One a
Farm-Then the World viii See
a Social Experiment Of Unimag-
Unable Proportions

tho commune Of new lands and the
gathering Of taxes.
The government OF Alexander II con-
ferred unon the commune tho right
20 use corporal punishment as method
Of collecting payments IN arrears. inc
mir had to fog the taxes out OF itself,
as it were. II was responsible 90 the
government for the annual amount, and
there could be no dallying with indl-
vidaul "slackers." No peasant could
leave the communal.
The emancipation Of 1861, then, full
filed the aims of the ruling class. lt
turned the serf lands into a source OF
ssured income; IL increased the size OF
the landlords private estates. and II
pauperized the millions of Russian
pcasantry. thus assuring steady sup
ply Of cheap agricultural labor. The
new freedom was peonage. The peasant
was riveted 70 the commune. It was
like an ugly nightmare. To stay in the
commune land he had 60 stay there
whether he wished 20 or not) he had TO
pay oppressive taxes. To pay the lat
ter he had 10 get some more land and
pay a high rent. To pay rent he had
to toll on the landlords fields and
neglect his own holding.
The emancipation" was imposed
upon the peasants by the incredible
atrocities of punitive expeditions. The
government, itself the largest land
owner, could find no better way Of
coping with the outbreaks than to i'm
prison or condemn to penal servitude
the "ringleaders" and "mutineers."
New-York tribune., 1917-12-16
"All Dressed Up
And Nowhere to Go"

If America keeps her hands down
she will be knocked not only into the
wings but off the stage and of the
earth. With America out Of the war
the best that can be hoped is drawn
battle, ending with "hands off" peace,
and leaving Germany, az the saying is,
"all dressed up and nowhere to go "
Germany's "all dressed up" will mean
a Germany dressed in hardened, vet
eran armies, in trained commanders, in
the finest possible military equipment,
and with an untouched navy, vast air
force, and no one knows how many
submarines. The nowhere to go" VIII
mean Africa and Asia, where Germany
wanted TO gain dominions. But there
will be one place where Germany, "all
dressed up," can go. She can come to
America. She can come to South ner-
lea first, or to Mexico, and that Is
where she will come and where she has
planned to come.
What happens when German agents
even partially convince q goodly num-
ber OF persons that the right way is 20
turn the cheek and hold the hands
down can be seen in Russia. Rus ;ia
Is not a we'll trained actor. She would
never get job playing Weber,
Fields burlesque in SO theatre. She
will not keep her hands down when
the German agents tell her to pIt
them down, but she has lowered them
once or twice. Russia is far, Gar
from happy.
New-York tribune., 1917-12-16

Gun drill with the 6-ineh ard the
monster 15-inch comes at regular and
frequent periods; night and day mr.
ing come at any time the admiral may
select. There is never day that one
or more of these superships is not mr.
-ing at a target When "per Tag ar
rives Britain will be ready.
Tho entry of America into the great
war made lot Of difference TO the
British navy. Previously 1t had 70
guard not only the North Sea and the
waters adjacent to the British Isles ou'
furnish conveys for the troop snips
from Canada, Australia, South Africa
to salonica, Egypt, Mesopotamia' across
the English Channel, patrol the Atian-
tic and the Pacific and do everything
else the French and Italian ships
didn't attend to in the Mediterranean
and the Adriatic and the Russians IN
Tho Baltic. II was a mans size loD'
There isn't much about the American
navy which is unknown in the Grand
Fleet. A high officer who had inspect
ed the American destroyer hotilla oper-
ating in European waters told me ne
considered the personnel especislly
good and the ships exceedingly EN-
cient. Much as they appreciate aho
admire the work of the American de-
stroyers. the Grand Fleets. chief IN
terest centres in the ships OF the larger
types. Up in the northern harbor they
are awaiting the arrival Of the hrst OF
the American battleships. they want
TO see one of Uncle Sans latest pro-
auctions. They want her for compan-
ionsbip. They don't need American
dreadnoughts for action, for there Is
some limit TO the size of feet beyond
which it becomes unwieldy.
Some Of Americas biggest ships
around these waters would make for
added morale, would give additional
security in case there was a Big gam
HE which didn't come of, would make
victory doubly sure, as the saying goes
New-York tribune., 1917-12-16

issued p ukase which gave the peas
ants the right TO "shsre OUT Of the
commune and establish themselves az
freehodcrs. The operations Of the
Peasant Bank were further extended
and its terms made more liberal. The
government was now anxious 20 break
up the commune II was "A splendid
school for solidarity and concerted &C
ton against the government. Egress
from the commune was greatly encoUr-
aged The pcasantry became still more
stratifed. The landlessness OF the
large masses Of the population became
still more acute.
Such was the agrarian situation in
Russia when the revolution broke out.
New Russia is now confronted with the
problem of bringing order into the
agrerian chaos and relieving the mis-
cry Of the peasants. How Will she do IT {.
The Slay soul has often been cred
tied with "a mystic longing for land.
Russian poets often treat OF this pa
etical gravitation Of the peasants 20
the soil. There is something Of the
pagan in this yearning"for the source
Of all life.
However, this is poetry. The prose
of II is that the peasant has no other
means of subsistence.
The social philosophy OF the Russian
peasautry may be summed up IN the
motto. "Thc land 10 its tillers." Land
ard liberty" is only an amplification OF
this rather simple philosophy. ANY
scheme Of agrarian reconstruction
which will not give the land to us
tillers will 20 counter TO the deep,
rooted notions Of the peasantry, and
win undoubtedly meet with the most
strenuous opposition.
The Russian revolution has removed
the radical agrarian doctrines from the
realm of academic discussion and made
them the burning issues Of the times.
All parties in Russia, Revolutionary
and conservative alike, agree that the
land problem will have to be solved
IN its main aspects by the Constituent
Assembly, which is to be conyoked as
soon as conditions permit. rms means
that the land laws will be made part
of the organic code of the country, for
the Constituent Assembly will deter
mine the future form Of government
and the constitution under which 1t is
20 operate.
Since the representation OF munich
palities in the Constituent Assembly
will be proportional 20 Eelr Popuia,
ton. the peasants will have a decided
majority, and there is no doubt that
this time the peasants will have the
final say in the matter.
There can be no two opinions as TO
what course the Constituent Assembly
will take in the matter of agrarian. re-
construction. The All-Russian Con-
gress of Peasants, which met early IN
juno, was unanimous on the two car,
dinal points on the question. .(l) All
private rural estates are to be con
fscated. (2) All land in Russia is to
become national property.
New-York tribune., 1917-12-16
Germany a Menace
To Our Existence

Germany has insulted and inisree
Us in a manner no decent people ca
stand. She has fouted our rights ans
she continues 20 do so. She was men.
ace 10 our existence before the W.
began, and she has become a gFesx'
menace with each day her troops has'
been in the field. Her navy is prses'
cally intact, her peop.e debt roos.
For half a century she has oeen oeer.., T.,
one warlike nation of the earth. whs.
will Germany do IL we keep our nsae, m
down when this war ends! nns W..
would you do if you we're wa.'l.,
nation, careless of rights OF others -
Belgium!) and craving territory ~ ~.
would give a slap in the face 10 1ns -
fool with his hands down. AID ~.
would leap on South America snd w.
from it the cost Of the great surop'''
war.
Germany is not our worst enen'
With our fists up We can take car. -
Germany. Our worst enemy s 81.
He is TIE man who asks US 70 pu, ~ y,
hands down and stand like silly sh''
until Germany is ready TO strike.
New-York tribune., 1917-12-16
We Will Not Put
Our Hands Down

| cannot believe that any sane per-
son not in German pay can wish the
United States TO become as Russia IS
to-day, but that is exactly what will
happen IL we listen to the German
agents and put our hands down now.
Let me put it most simply. The great
body Of Americans believe to-day. as
they should, that our continued exist
ence depends on our own military
preparation. A small, noxious body
OF German agents and purblnd peace
lovers are crying; 'Put our hands
down! Put our hands down." Sup
pose listen to the cry and begin cry
ing the same words. ! am added 70
their number. cry: "Put your hands
down! Put our hands down." You
listen 10 me and are added to she
number. You echo the cry. Suppose
the majority Of Americans come 10
that ssms way Of thinking. The ns-
New-York tribune., 1917-12-16
Continued from first page of this section)

our rear. Occasionally "a far-ofr rum
rum-rump-rump-crashl Bru-u-n-n-rei
could be heard as one Of their high
calibre shells came over and hurst
IN our reserve. | crouched against
the parados, hardly able to breathe
while in this position, right overhead.
every instant getting louder. came a
German shell-whiz-z-z! bang-g-gi I
was blinded by the fash. Down I went
INTO the mud. Struggling to nv feet
III the red glare of the bombardment T
saw that the traverse on my left had
entirely disappeared Covered with
mud weak and trembling, I could hear
VIVA. sounded like far distant voices
coming from the direction Of the
oashed-in traverse.
"Blime me, get rs bloomin' manner
outa tn mud; 'e's chokin' to death.
Pass me bandage-tyke is b'yonet
Ter a splint. Blime me, is leg is
smashed, not 'arf hit h'aint. TIL rest
you olokes 'op II fer a stretcher.
'Eilo, 'e's got another one-auick. a
tourniquet, the poor bloke's a'bleedin'
to death. Quick, h'up against the
parapet, ere comes another"
Whiz-z-zl Bang-g-gl
Another fare, and once again I was
thrown into the mud. | opened my
eyes. Bending over me, shaking me by
the shoulder. was Atwell. His voice
BOUNDED faint and far away. Then :
came TO with a rush.
"Blime me. Yan, that was close
one. Die it get you?"
He helped me to my feet and I felt
myself all over. Seeing was all right,
be yelled into my ear:
We've got to- leg it out Of ere.
Fritz is sure sendin' over whiz-bangs
and Minnies. Number platoon in the
next hre bay sure clicked H. Abou.
New-York tribune., 1917-12-16
Peasants Bank
Left Them Worse

In 1886, twenty-five years after the
emancipation" the government took a
second important step in the direction
of agrarian reform. The Peasant Bank
was established. 1t extended credit to
communes or to individual peasants who
wanted TO acquire new lands, and 1t
acted as the middleman between the
owners and peasants. The nobility
quickly captured the bank and made it
a means Of liquidating their ruined es-
tates. The bank paid fabulous sums
for the depleted estates Of the mobiles
or the imperial family, and sold them
TO the peasants at still higher rates.
The land-famished peasants bought the
bank lands. But since the bank ad-
vanced only rs per cent to 90 per cent
of the total amount, only those peas
ants who had some ready cash could
avail themselves of the bank credit
This fact soon brought about strait
fication Of the commune population. II
brought into existence a small class OF
petty landowners on the one hand and
a large class Of landless paupers on
the other.
In the twenty years Of its operation
the Peasant Bank left the masses of
peasantry in as wretcbed q state as
ever.
In 1902 serious agrarian riots oc-
cHrred in the famine-stricken provinces
of Kharkov and Poltava. The Cossacks
saved the day for the Gar and the
landlords. To allay the brewing dis
content of the peasants the government
abolished the several and joint respon-
sibility Of the commune, and a year
later, on the occasion of the birth of
an heir to the throne. the Gar issued
a manifesto in which the peasants were
exempted from the payment Of arrears
taxes and redemption payments, and
corporal punishment for arrears was
abolished.
The agrarian movements in Russia
especially those of 1902 to 1907, were
closely bound up with the general revo-
lutionary outbreaks throughout the
country. The Russo-Japanese war
served as an occasion for closer inter
est in the doings of the country. The
government was for a time over
whelmed, and yielded TO the peoples
demands. Close upon the heels Of the
October manifesto, in which the Gar
granted" his people constitutional
government, followed the wave of peas
ant mutinies. The murder and pillage
perpetrated by the punitive expeditions
were of a more atrocious fashion than
the Germans accorded conquered Bel
gium. Villages were burned to :he
ground; guilty and innocent alike were
shot, aogged or imprisoned; women
we're raped in Wholesale; indemnities
were imposed upon the conquered"
villages.
At the same time, however, the Gar
New-York tribune., 1917-12-16
They Spend a Lifetime
In the Royal Navy

Life in the British navy is long and
hard. The "snotty," who wears three
brass buttons on his sleeve for the
same reason older people tie a piece
Of string around their fingers to re-
member they have something In their
pockets, are mere boys when they
begin their career, which often leads
to rows and rows Of gold lace and a
long streamer from the masthead.
At thirty-iive they have spent fair
lifetime in the Royal Navy and the
civil world offers few inducements
So they stay on and on until some one
down in Whitehall sends brief notice
70 "The Official Gazette" the ward
room gives a bumper banquet, the PEN
nant is hauled down and no one ever
hears any more Of the "Old Man" un-
less he takes il into mis- wise old head
to write Letter to The Editor be-
ginning with "Sir" and ending with
"Your obedient servant" and interlard-
cd with some salty observations about
present day policies in the Royal Navy.
And so up in the northern port,
where it is either light all night or
night two-thirds Of the day, where the
greatest excitement consists of walk
up bleak hills and battle with bitter
winds or round on golf course, the
greens Of which are as hard to find
as the ball you drive from the tee, the
officers find plenty Of time to think,
and there are no cobwebs in their
brains. They work and they read and
they think and then think some more.
For pacifsts they have a holy hor-
ror; they simply cannot understand
them. For politicians they have wee
bit Of respect and siderable meas
ure Of distrust. For the fighting abili-
ty Of the enemy they have whole.
hearted admiration. For the Royal
Navy they have love which is almost
incomprehensible to the landlubber.
New-York tribune., 1917-12-16

tried and failed TO get some fore
cast of the length of the war. No one
even cared to hazard guess There
are three main topics OF discussion in
the Grand Fleet. First, the Battle Of
Jutland; second, the American navy;
third, the possibility of a change OF
naval policy. OF course. much Is said
about Sein Fcin, Italy, Russia end
food economy, but these are unimport-
ant subjects.
Measured by ordinary standards
eighteen months is a long period, but
there arc more post-mortems on the
Battle of Jutland than even the Battle
of Trafalgar. The mists and fog which
hid Jellicoc's ships from the eyes OF
the Zeppelin observers and later
proved the best kind Of camoufange
for the harassed German navy are de-
scribed to-day as atmospheric condi-
tions which affected the history of tht
whole world. And probably with sc-
curacy, for if the German navy had
been annihilated it is a question
whether the United States would now
be fighting in Europe, whether Russia
would have been in the throes OF
anarchy, whether Italy would have
/, suffered disaster.
Millions of words have been writ
ten about Jutland, but the full story
has not been told. Fresh bits of the
great warn can be picked up in every
wardroom, but these interesting de-
tails cannot be woven together until
there is no further need of censor
ship. To call Jutland a disappoint
ment to the Grand Fleet is to put 1t
mildly; ii was much more than that.
Jutland was the birthplace Of new
spirit in the British navy.
II is no reflection on the Royal Navy
to say that prior 10 Jutland the Ger
man High Seas Fleet was regarded
with something of the contempt that
the Kaiser had for "Britain's contemp-
tible little army"
All that has changed. Just as Ger
many profited by the Battle OF Ypres
the British navy learned many very
hard lessons in the Battle of Jutland.
For eighteen months those lessons have
been studied. The navigation officers,
the gunnery officers, the naval con-
structors learned things in the Battle
Of Jutland they did not know before.
When | saw Admiral Madden, second
in command of the Grand Fleet, he had
just returned from a two weeks holi-
dav. the first he had taken in three and
one-half years. Unless something hap
pens to ship and it is necessary for
her to go into drydock, her officers and
crew spend nine months aboard before
they get ten days leave. There is al.
ways something TO do aboard one of
these floating forts, with its crew OF
1000, and when there isn't the CON-
mander invents something new.
"We never let down." said the COM
mander of the ship on which | lived,
Though know the men have grown 80
accustomed to their duties that they
can do them blindfolded. Often |
should like to give them a day off, but
it would be fatal. My chief worry is to
find some form of amusement for them.
something TO keep them from growing
stale We encourage concerts, boxing,
rowing, sailing, cinemas, anything to
break the monotony. They are grand
fellows, loyal to their officers, fair to
each other, and up here they are re-
markably free from illness Of any
kind"
New-York tribune., 1917-12-16

I don't like war and you don't Ike
war. We have every reason to be .
peaceful people. We have vast tern
tory, the most fruitful and produesiv
in the world; and warlike peoples have
always been those living in bsrrea
lands or who have been cramped ih'o
scapt quarters. IL is never neees sly
TO preach the doctrine OF peace .
America, because the natural state o.
America is peace. America does no. g
and never has gone TO war except "
avenge insults that have become %.
bearsble or to protect herself agains'
marauders. When the great, wise, peace.
loving American people declare rsl
there is q reason for il, and reasog,
that affects the honor or the safety O.
the nation.
New-York tribune., 1917-12-16
She Would Grasp
A Vast Domain

It is my honest belief that Germany
has had for many years two alterna-
tive plans for conquest. From Berlin
she has drawn two lines, one TO the
southeast through Salonica and TO the
Orient; the other, to the southwest
through Spain to South America. She
hoped England would do the Weber
Fields act and keep her hands down
while German armies stunned France,
and then she would leap on the Orient
and grasp a vast dominion there. Eng
land did not keep her hands down.
She is not entirely fool That plan
failed. 1t seems hopeless now;
Tho other plan Germany will try the
moment she makes peace and gets her
breath, if her agents can persuade US
to keep OR hands down.
New-York tribune., 1917-12-16
Some Americans
Are Like That

have to laugh in the same uneon-
trolled way when | see the confiding
manner in which some Americans are
letting the willy, but treacherous, Ger
man peace propagandists convince them
that we ought TO let our hands hang at
our sides, turn our faces at the right
angle, and stand in idiotic poses until
we get the blow in the face that will
knock us into the wings. For pure, un-
adulterated nonsense the act being
staged by the wise German agents and
the simple-minded peace lovers is
enough to make any one sick with
LAUGHING.
On the one hand is a Germany in
arms, with millions of veteran soldiers
and an armament such as no man
dreamed Of ten years ago, and. on the
other hand, our simple-minded peace
lovers would have us pose ~ the peer