Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-07-26
CENTRAL RUSSIA
LIES DIRECTLY IN
PATH OF GERMANS

| w A0HlNOION, De L., July ~
Central Russia which lies just be-
fore the advancing German lines, was
the cradle of the empire, the seat of
the Great Russians, and it is today the
heart of the greatest state, where are
the largest cities of the Slavs and the
historic places dearest to the patriots
devoted to pan-Slavism," begins the
war primer just issued by the National
Geographic Society, which deals with
the characteristics and the people OF
the rich, immemorial Slavonian home
land, that the Russians are desperately
preparing to defend. "Notwithstand-
| ing. Kiel's claim to recognition as the
mother of Russian Cities it is to the
story of the sturdy Great Russian stock
that one must turn to learn the details
OF the empires building. The Musco-
vite, or Great Russian, freed the land
from the Tartar yoke; subdued many
neighboring nations; and, as a good
colorizer, peopled the length and the
breadth of his possessions with his
stock.
Russian history from the 14th CEN
tury centers around 'white-stoned' Mos
COW, and from this center successive
swarms of colonists and pioneers have
sought homes in the northern forests
| il. the fertile southlands, and in far
Siberia. Prolific, perseyering, patient,
persistent in their type, and with as
| founding reserves of recuperatIDe
power, the Muscovites have impressed
their government, their faith their Ian
guage and their ambitions on the ma
ton. and they, alone Of the Slavonians,
have created an enduring world power.
Today the Great Russians number far
more than the White and Little Rus
SLAMS combined, and the MuscoTite
pioneer carries Great Russian with him
wherever he goes. The original of the
| Great Russian is found in the basin OF
the river Okla, which joins the Volga at
Nishni Novogorod. Here is the most
developed and most populous district
in all the empire.
Central Russia is vast plain OPP
pressive in its horizons, its same
| ness of coloring, and in the monot-
ony of its life. 1t is crossed by great,
sluggish rivers, with red banks. It's
fields reach to the horizon lines, un-
| fenced, vivid green in spring, greyish-
brown in summer, and unbroken white
in winter. Its forests are of birch and
pine. Its villages are all alike, and all
the houses in village are alike. A vii
lage is a straight, abominable street,
two rows of houses; white orthodox
church, and a sign-post with the name
OF the place and it's number of souls.
In the street are pigs, geese, garbage
and fair-haired children The huts are
simple, and are filed to one-fourth
their area by monster white stoves,
the first aids to Russian life, in whose
ovens the peasants bake and take
steam baths, and upon whose upper
surfaces they sleep in winter.
Although an important manufacture
has grown up in Central Russian cities
as in Moscow and Txer, the Great Rus
SLAMS are still primarily an agricul-
tural people. The first choice of the
Slav is the working of land. In sum-
mer. he and his family work barefoot
in the fields; in winter, he banks his
hut with earth and straw halfway to
the windows, Theoretically seals it, and
PASSES an idle suffocating season IN
company with his stove, his cattle and
his home is generally insect ridden
The peasants are capable OF tremen-
dous energy, though, in the rule, they
do not over-rate times value. They
have many delightful virtues, but cou-
pied with a grave tendency to be dis
honest. Everybody steals according
is candid and reckless proverb OF
their minting, except Christ-and He
would if His hands were not nailed to
the Cross. In this connection 1t Is
only fair to note that the peasant re-
CARDS it almost as righteous thing to
convey from the state or from an
owner of the upper classes.
THE peasants possess an infinite ap-
petite for receiving, though thankful =
ness is not besetting sin among them
They are tolerant, hospitable and
shrewdly practical, and on the other
hand, they are needless of the modest
claims of truth and very improyident'
They have proverb: Beat your wife
like your fur, but love her like your
soul. However, Great Russian home
| life runs a more untroubled course,