New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-10
Time to Put Away Illusions

What has happened in Russia should
serve to dispel the last illusion that may
exist anywhere among the Allies as to the
possibility of effective cooperation with
Russia in the present war. There has
probably been no chance of Russian con-
tribution since last June, when Russian
soldiers ran away from the field Of victory
in Galicia, shouting the battle cry Of
anarchy as they fed.
1t is not, perhaps, surprising that the
Russian people, with their domestic griev
ances, with the internal abuses and evils
which surround them, should fix their at
tention upon the home problem and should
regard any external circumstance as Of
minor Importance. Perhaps history will
Judge those Russians right who believe
that the salvation of the Russian revolu-
ton is more important for Russia than
the defeat of the German autocracy.
The time is not one, therefore, to indulge
in recrimination. 1t is not the moment
to accuse Russians of betraying a COM
mon cause, because the cause as such was
never adopted by the Russian people an6
the people have repudiated the government
which was allied with the nations fighting
Germany. The best and worst that one
can say of Russia is that she has chosen
her own pathway-whether with supreme
wisdom or ultimate madness no one can
foretell.
On the other hand, there should be an
end to all illusion. Russia is out of the
war. Russia has been TO all intents and
purposes out of the war since the revolu-
ton achieved the disorganization Of the
armies and the collapse in Galicia termi-
mated serious hostilities on the Eastern
front. Failure to appreciate this fact has
led to the Italian disaster. Italy has been
overwhelmed by troops withdrawn from
the Russian front, either with or without
the connivance of those who control Rus
sian affairs. The worst that could happen
from a Russian detection happened when
Cadorna's northern army was crushed
along the Isonzo. The price of the Rus
sian desertion is being paid in the Vene-
tian Plain. and this is the measure of the
Allies reverse.
II remains now for those Allies who are
still united in a common purpose to recog-
nize the Russian desertion as fact; to
cease to waste money and supplies upon
Russian armies which will not fight and
Russian population which will not work
Henceforth there is but one course to fol-
low, and that is the course which excludes
Russia from all calculations on the mill
tary side.
It is a matter of little Importance
whether Russia concludes a separate peace
with Germany or not. Apart from the
moral effect Of such procedure, il is Of
no consequence. Henceforth, whether
Russia preserves a nominal front In the
East or not, the German and Austrian
troops will be withdrawn at will and the
troops that are employed in the East will
De troops that are not available for imme-
date use on the Western front.
The United States should cease at once
to send any supplies or 10 make any loans
70 Russia. The Allies should cease al
once to permit foolish optimism or vain
hopes TO becloud the facts so far as their
own populations are concerned, because
this would mean simply a postponement
Of the moral effect Of the Russian deser.
ton until later time.
We have all 10 face facts in this war
and most of the Allies blunders so far
have arisen from the inability TO discrimi.
nate between facts and illusions. The
whole wretched history Of the Allied bun.
Cling IN the Balkans rests upon the foun.
dation Of an idealism applied TO situs-
ton In which the grossest materialism
was bound TO prevail. The British and
the French continued TO think of the Bull
garians az idealists and Ferdinand as q
patriot when the Bulgarian Gar had sold
out 10 Berlin and his people were on the