Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-12-11
TOOLS OF GERMANY.

net department.
TOOLS OF GERMANY.
The extent to which the bolsheviki
in Russia are In sympathy with the
cause of the allies is indicated quite
clearly by the fact that the terms OF
the armistice under which hostilities
are suspended for ten days on the Rus
sian and Rumanian fronts do not pro-
hibit the Germans and Austrians from
transferring troops from that theatre
to the western front and to Italy.
The extent of their sympathy with
the allies, indeed, is absolutely moth
ing. They are tools of the kaiser just
as truly as Bernstorf Is tool Of the
kaiser. They are handled just as cas-
lily and just as completely to the kais-
er's advantage.
And yet there, is a,disposition even
among officials at Washington, to ."tol-
crate" Lenine, Trotzky and their band
of anarchists, in the hope that some
miracle may be worked which will
make them honest men, which will
turn them against Germany and bring
them, with their portion OF Russia,
into the ranks of the allies.
Bring them back" is the phrase
some of these optimists use, but it is
mistaken one. for these men never
were other than tools of Germany.
Lenine was permitted to return to
Russia from Switzerland by way Of
Germany after the Russian revolution
so he might foment counter revolu-
ton against the socialistic, play-like
government Of Prince Lvoff and Ker-
ensky. Trotzky deserted his coy flat
in Brooklyn to hurry back to Russia
about the same time, and when he
was stopped by British agents at Hal.
flax it was the intercession of the
Lvon cabinet which brought about his
liberation and permitted him to con.
tinue his journey to Lenine's side.
The allies tolerated Kerensky, with
his idealistic socialism and his de-
struction of discipline in the army
the one peg on which hope Of contin-
ued military activity could have de-
pended when the socialists took
charge Of the government. The United
States tolerated Kerensky and even
applauded him while he permitted
what was left of militant Russia to
drift into anarchy and chaos.
The one hope which the allies can
see now in Russia. if they look with
brains unclouded by the foolish con.
fusion of the terms democracy" and
Socialism" lies in the ability of Cen
eral Kaledines to shape the Tagging
Russian spirit into a militant defense
and reorganize an army along those
lines of discipline and efficiency
which long ago made the cossack one
of the greatest fighters in the world.
II tolerating the bolsheviki means
watching them while they sell to the
kaiser as much Of Russia as they can
deliver, it can be excused, for there is
no alternative at hand. But IL tolera-
ton means continuing to ship supplies
to Europe and extending credit which
may be used by the reasonable Len
inc. then liberation ceases to be u
virtue.
Though it is idle to mourn for what
might have been. it is worth while at
this iuncture to recall that months
ago, when Prince Lvoff and Kerensky
began their idealistie regime, there
were many here in America who could
not join in the cheering The Courier
was of this sort We had no faith in
socialism; we said so, and we tod
our reasons. There appeared no rea-
son to hope that the destructive doc
trines which are the basis OF socialism
had left the Russian socialists any
more grasp of governmental affairs
than is possessed by the American
socialists.
Kerensky achieved just the sort OF
failure that seemed to us inevitable.
The tolerant governments Of the allies
might have taken affairs into their
own hands and saved Russia from
choas, but they chose to applaud ker-
ensky's experiment in democracy" in
stead.
The lesson is costly one, and its
effects should not be lost on the Amer
lean mind. For 1t has local appltca-
ton, right here in Iowa. 1t warns us
against tolerance. for the socialistic
Nonpartisan league which Is working
its insidious way into our state by
way OF Minnesota. II has captured
North Dakota's governmental machin'
cry; It has designs on several offices
in Minnesota. As yet it has not be-
come so bold in Iowa. but tolerant
attitude may encourage it to plunge
into the next campaign.
At any time socialism is dangerous.
Just now. with the nation at war. it is
a menace second only to that of the
mailed fist itself
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SOCIALISM AND LAWlESSNESS.
Trouble betweene the employees OF
the street railway company in st.
Paul and the company, which has
been brewing for months. has grown
from local affair to disturbance of