New-York tribune., 1917-07-23

ton. He is one Of Russia's greatest
Socialist statesmen.
In "The London Daily Mail" for July
2 A. NJ. Thompson, editor of THE
Clarion" cabled from Petrograd the
following account of his meeting with
Tseretelli, who was at the time Minis
ter of Posts and Telegraph:
Having to wait few moments III
Tseretelli's study, | had leisure to
look at the pictures and boks. Over
his working chair hangs large framed
portrait Of Bebel, the deceased German
Socialist leader. Opposite that, over a
bookcase, stands an unframed portrait
of Karl Marx. On a side wall hangs "A
picture Of Tolstoy in peasants dress
and bare feet. The books in the library
include many German works, including
guides 10 the Rhine, but no French Or
English.
"These circumstances are trifling, but
who seeks his eternal verites in cleo
trio signs does not always learn as
much as he who notices violets in the
hedgerows. The clear deduction from
the trifles mentioned is that Tseretelli
is n Socialist before he is ministerial
and that his socialism is inspired by
German teachers. These things make a
difference That he and his fellows are
not consciously playing the German
game is certain.
"Tseretelli has an intellectual, clever,
energetic face, but II is the face OF an
idealist. not of an intriguer. His talk
is exalted not crafty. Probably his de-
feet and quality as a statesman is that
he thinks and feels more than he
schemes; but his training has been
German, and one may personally as
sumo that bias tells. When he repeats
the sacred Russian Socialist formula
about no annexations and no indem-
mites, and so forth, they all repeat IT
devoutly and glibly, as an English
church congregation repeats AS 1t was
in the beginning E.
"0ne is sure that he has no intention
of helping the Germans 70 escape retri-
button for their crime; but he and they
all get there just the same
"On the subject of the war and the
possibility of Russian offensive, Tser-
etelli expressed the emphatic opinion
that the Russian armies would fight
better for the democratic ideal, when
needful. than they had ever fought be-
fore. When | suggested that the need
fulness appeared 10 be immediate and
urgent. he assented; but not, thought,
quite so emphatically.
81 inquired whether he thought the
prospects of re-establishing the govern
ment on stable foundations were i'm
proving, and he smiled, thought rath-
er YEARLY, but expressed the belief
that the difficulties were being over
come politically and economically and
that there was every reason to hope.
"To my suggestion that the absence
of complex commercial and financial
machinery simplified the revolution, he
answered sharply that, on the contrary,
the absence Of large middle class
made the work more difficult, as the So
cialists had 10 assume the functions OF
the bourgeoisie in protecting property
which it was not the purpose OF the
government to destroy, because 1t was
Impossible to jump straight into social
ism.
"Tseretellis admission of this evi-
dent truth shows that the government
Socialists are not such dreamy doc
trinaires as their reactionary enemies
pretend. Responsibility and admins
trative experience are producing the
inevitable results, and Tseretellis hne'
intellectual face shows that he at least
will not be slow to learn"