New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-30
Who Arc the Bolsheuiki?
What Then Aim TO Acomps Why Their Days Of Power Are Numbered
Blu Frank Bohn, Phi. d.

have run far amuck with their heads. Russia
to-day is q vast area aud population, whose
Fart in the worlds economic lie IS that OF
furnisher Of raw materials. The factory sys-
tenn of Russia has been in Germany, IN Bel
rum, in England and in America. Give any
we'll read American Socialist fifteen minutes
with Lenine and Trotzkv and kollontay, and
they would be very quickly forced to admit
that their ideals cannot be realized in Rus
sia. al least not until they have first been
nut into practice in the countries which fur
IRISH the industrial counterpart to Russia, or
rntil Russia is a lterate nation with mod
ern industrial system. Let US imagine that
the farmers of our own Mississippi Valley are
e5 per cent illiterate. Suppose that few
hundred thousand of those farmers should go
into Chicago and ST. Louis and get Jobs
as unskilled laborers Then, conceive that
few score Of university professors and stu
dents should go among those illiterate farm
ers and workers Of the two cities and advo-
cate that they seize the government OF the
United States and establish democratic So
cialism-political and Industrial. This smile
il a very fair statement of the situation now
PRESENTED by the Socialist dreamers OF Russia.
The agrarian programme of the Bolsheviki
is even more fantastic than their industrial
programme. They talk about dividing the
land among the peasants. The land to be
divided includes enormous areas in the north
and northwestern parts Of Russia.
Russia to-day has not the railroads to
tske the peasants there, and has not the ready
capital to get them started on the land. The
Eolsheviki could not possibly fulfil their
PROMISES Immediately, even in times OF pro-
found peace. II the leaders of the Bolsheviki
knew anything about farming, or the diff
eulties attending the clearing Of forest lands,
this policy would be absolute proof that they
were swinders. We know they are not swim
dlers Having spent their lives studying in
Libraries and dreaming in gsrrcts, it is very
easy for them to talk about presenting each
peasant family at once with 100 acres Of
land fifteen hundred miles away from it's
present abode. 1t will be just about AS hard
for q Russian peasant to take this land as
it was for our Eastern poor farmers one
hundred years ago ito take" the land of the
Mississippi Valley.
The Lenine Militia
Coming TO the military programme OF the
Bolsheyiki, that is, their attitude toward
war and peace and military organization, we
find that their policy is more comprehensive,
though even more hopeless. Their foremost
eader. Lenine, has made a very .ull and in
cisive statement of his policy in letter to
Mr.. Andre Trdon, who recently published
translation of it in "The New York Evening
Post" "How shall we, then, secure that early
peace?' asks Mr. Lenine, without resorting
TO violent means, but in a purely democratic
way?
81 must state at first that mere refusa!
TO fight on the part of the soldiers Of one
belligerent army or the cessation OF hostili-
ties on one side of the line will not put IN
end TO the war.
"The war must b. fought on by different
military organization, not by an Amy or
ganized as the present army IS. but by
militia whose members shall receive FOR their
services wages equnl to those of trst class
workingman.
"The officers of the militia should be
elected by the soldiers and subject to recall,
and every order of the officers or generals
should be approved by vote OF the men,
Fer it is only elected officers whom the men
eau be expected to obey and respect.
In order that the soldiers be better fed,
a reparttion of the lands should be arranged
for as soon as possible by the Council oil
Workingmen and Soldiers Deputies, and the
supply of bread and meat thereby increased.
"Finally, We must encourage at once every
attempt made by the soldiers on both sides Of
the line to fraternize in order that these in
stinctive manifestations Of solidarity may
ripen into a conscious organized movement to
place the governmental powers Of every bel
l.rerent nation in the hands Of the revolu-
tionary proletariat, which alone can restrain
the whiphand of capitalism.
This will be the only democratic way to
put an end to this war"
We have quoted ". Leninc's statement at
length because it is due him and his party
that this clear pronouncement be everywhere
circulated and judgment rendered at first