The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-05-18

RUSSIA WILL STAND FAST
Confidence at the Moment the Best Aid We Can Give to the
Newly Born Democracy
Bv WHARTON BARKER

Withdraw the divisions facing the
| Russian forces. The divisions main
tanned by Germany on her eastern
front are LOO few and too weak to ven
ture upon an offensive while the Rus
sian commands are in course OF re-
Organization. This is the explanation
Of the reported armistice, and it is
evidence of German inability TO at
tack, not Of German endeavors to
seduce Russia.
! Far fewer disturbances in PetroSrad
: have occurred than might have bean
: looked for. The meetings and the
demonstrations, instigated by German
agents and financed by German
money, have ben small compared with
THE labor agilations in England and
WALES that We're settled by Lloyd
George. The freedom accorded the
agitatorS is proof of the strength Of
the provisional government whose
policies they are opposing. More
! significant Than The occasional demon
! STATIONS in Prlrograd is the fact that
no similar acts OF dtSapproval or dis
trust have been reported from Mos
COW. kicv. Odessa or any OF the other
cities, large or small. Had the Rus
ANY degrec.from their purpose 10 have
democratic government or 10 bring
iabout the overthrow OF the autocratic
! rule which threatens them at their
borders, Petrograd would not have
been alone in demonstrations Of dis
sent on the part of factions.
No one can believe that the Russian
,people--their liberties achieved and
/ their faith in themselves assured by
! the instant recognition of their new
government by the United States, the
! greatest of the denlocracicS--can fall
prey 10 the reactionaries who have
! been so interchangeable in efforts TO halt
| thCai in their advance towards the
! goal they have elected shall 10 theirs.
The moral effect in Russia OF our
recognition Of their republic, mighty
las il was, must be made a continuous
| force emenating from the people and
the government Of the United States:
land ut this time we would only be Civ
| ing our active support to the Russian
TRAITORS and the German intriguers m
PelrOgrad if we should manifest the
! least apprehension OF the strength Of
! the provisional government and the
lSteadfaSlneSs Of the Russian people 10
flight on with their allies.
II is the purpose Of the American
lpeople and government to furnish 10
Russia the material support needed at
the earliest possible time. But now,
at this hour, the best aid We can give
to the Russian democracy is evidence
! Of our confidence in its fitness TO
lstand beside Us for the defense of the
rights and the liberties Of mankind.
We can do more, than this. For q
century the Russians have been pill
LACED through their German bureau
Cracy; their entrance into the war and
their expulsion Of the ROmanoffs was
their rebellion against that pitilcss
Exploitation. For years. they have
looked upon Great Britain as source
iof similar danger and have distrusted
British overtures. The one people in
the world that has lived in Russian
eyes, as il has lived in the eyes Of the
IChinese. free from any suspicion of
an intention to exploit them or TO
laggrandize itself at their expense, has
been the people of the United States.
| 1t is to us they look now, with trust
In DIR motives as we'll as confidence
In our resources, for the material CO.
/ operation they require after the war
/ In the carly development OF their
great natural resources. We should
give them assurance Of that co-opera-
ton, together with the financial aid
| they need now for the conduct OF the
war.