New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-16
BY ISAAC Don LEVINE

the Russian democracy and autocracy
has now ended dramatically in the
complete triumph of the former The
citadel Of reactionism on earth is no
more. No greater triumph for the
cause Of civilization and freedom has
been registered in history since the
French Revolution.
The incalculable consequences OF
this epochal event become apparent
only from a review of the causes and
forces responsible for it. The Rus
sian revolution is entirely product
of the war. Had there been no war;
had Russia not been allied with the
great democraeies of Europe. Czarism
would still be rampant to-day IN the
great Slavic empire.
For the forces that accomplished the
change in the Russian government are
not the usual revolutionaries OF Rus
STA. The industrial classes and the
neasantry which rebelled in 1908 did
not lead this time. There were no
revolutionary propagandists, no agita-
tors. No separate parties and factions
existed in Russia on the eve Oh tne
revolt. The masses felt that some
thing was in the air, but they were
kept in ignorance of the coming coup
Prussianism Hated by Democracy
And the leaders of the revolution
are Russia's finest and ablest sons
The chiefs of the army, the Duma. the
Imperial Council, the great social or
carnations working for the prosecu-
ton of the war and many high court
officials and relatives of the Car COM
bined for the first time in Russian
history, against the small clique OF
Germanophiles controlling the Russian
government. No revolution could nave
been successful without such COM
bination. And such combination
could never have been created without
the issue Of the present war, the
struggle between democracy and Prus-
sianism.
The Russian bureaucracy made a
fatal blunder when it entered the war
on the side Of France against Prussia
For no two political institutions we're
ever more closely related 10 each other
than Prussianism and CZarism. Inc
place of Russian bureaucracy IN the
great conflict raging to-day IN Europe
was side by side with Prussia. But the
Cars advisers realized 1t only when
il was too late. Their feate was sealed.
The future of Russia's democracy was
assured by Russia's participation IN
the struggle.
When the war broke out the Rus
sian Duma was conservative body
Three months later the same Duma
was already progressive, and even
militant. How did this transforma-
ton come about? Only through the
nature Of the present war.
Corruption Is Revealed
The Russian government was unable
TO meet the enormous demands made
upon ii by the struggle without the
Dumas cooperation. And when the
conservative but honest Duma APP
proached the government closely for
the purpose of cooperating in tn,
prosecution OF the war it discovered
the indescribable corruption, igno-
rance. incompetence and dlsoraer
dominating the whole governmental
plant. A..
army. the zemstvos and other pubic
bodies that came in close contact WIN
the government in connection with the
business of the war. The appalling con-
dition, prevailing in the official organ
ism opened the eyes even OF the most
conservative and loyal citizens. Men
who were the stanchest supporters OF
Czarism turned in a short time INTO
radicals. High army oihcers' nonesl
but reactionary tchinovniks, patriotic
members of the court, soon became
revolutionaries at heart.
Disaster Was Expected
Rut all these elements. the Duma in
eluded. believed that revolution IN Rus
STA during the war would mean disaster
10 the Allied cause. They therefore
confined their activities toward the I'M
movement of the government. But their
success was practically nil, for it soon
became apparent that the Russian gov
eminent was nest of treason; that
the pro- German elements in the court
were dominating Russia, and that los
ing the war. and not winning 1t, was
tho chief object of the Cars advisers
The Minister of War, Sukhomlinof
betrayed his country in return for Ger
man gold. This betrayal cost Russia
hundreds of thousands of soldiers killed
and captured and tens Of thousands OF
miles of its choicest territory. But
this betrayal did not provoke the Rus
sian democracy to revolutionary. out
bursts. For this democracy did not
desire TO jeopardize the Allies by weak
ening Russia internally.
When the government, however, be-
gan systematically to weaken Russia's
rear: when internal conditions were
carefully and gradually brought to a
state of chaos and disorganization by
the authorities themselves; when all
the efforts of certain high officials were
directed toward destroying the back