Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-02

agitation in both cases to compel the
monarch to create legislative body, the
assemblies in both instances made short
work Of the overthrow of royalty. Like
accomplished the result in each case and
then the pendulum swing toward radi-
calism began. until the Mirabeaus and
the Milukoffs were cast aside. and the
Marats and the Trotzkis came into power
as leaders of the mountain and the
bolsheviki. Heading toward radicalfsm
Is process that knows no brakes, and
Russia already can testify, as could
France. that the extremists must have
their day. and scant news from Russia
already seems to indicate that they have
ceased to be.
Parallel More Striking.
Going back to causes. the parallel is
even more striking. In an industrial ma
ton the phenomenon might be different.
But Russia today, in its direct depend
ence upon the soil. in its large holdings
of land in possession of the clergy and
aristocracy in the passionate longing OF
it's people for land to till and desire to
be free from burdensome taxation which
robbed them of profit, is closely akin to
the France of 1890.
Towns had Just begun to spring up In
France in the late eighteenth century
they had just begun to increase IN Rus,
STA in the late years of the nineteenth, and
advisers of the car had given him warn
ing that such collections of people made
for a radical solidarity which might mean
trouble Ambitious schemes of conquest
of the French potentates and the Russo
Japanese war and the present world war
placed burden on both nations which
they were not able to meet, and their
people suffered both from the heavy mi
tial burden of national debt and from
%I,a 1,,,yv iCfr
France it was the overthrow of the able
administrator. Necker. and the Brienne
fiscal makeshifts: while in Russia it was
the dark counsels of a Rasputin that dis
countenanced loyal advisers and plunged
the rank and file of the people into even
heavier impositions.
"Absolutism," in Russia as well as in
France, had failed its duty to the ma
ton. and appeared as q ponderous rusty
machine, making itself felt chiefly by its
weight" to quote again from the Inter-
national Encyclopedia
To Found Governments.
In Russia today there is the aspect of
property owners and business men in va
rious cities and provinces to found local
governing bodies to tide over the stormy
days of anarchy, closely resembling the
organizations of the city militia bodies
and the provisional city governments in
France. when Danton and Robespierre be-
gan their violent and irresponsible way.
The insufficiency of the durna, which
first brought about the overthrow of the
car. to deal with the situation which
ensued is not surprising, when the dis
solving of the national or constituent as
sembly in France and the succession, in
turn, of the legislative assembly, the ma
tional convention. the revolutionary COM
mune and the committee on public safety
Is recalled. Neither is the springing up of
the soldiers and workmen's committees
in Russia surprising when the formation
of the Jacobin and other clubs in France
Is considered.
Russia has a problem which France did
not face-that Of a conglomeration of
heterogeneous racial units, but Russia
has the advantage Of a more temperate
a more slow moving, a more philosophical
population. which may yet permit Rus
, STA to escape the worst period Of the
French cropping for stable democratic
government-the reign of terror And
having escaped such a reign Of terror it
may also follow-and this is where the
benign influence Of the United States may
play a part-that Russia may escape 8
reaction which will surrender the new
found freedom to the dictatorship Of a
NAPOLEON