Evening journal., 1918-05-24
by VEN svARC
ARTICLE NO. III.

ARTICLE NO. III.
Al classes Of people in Russia nat
the Germans and Prussianism.
The ostensibly peaceful penetration
OF Russia by German colonists has beer
going on for 250 years.
In 1870 the German government be
gan TO turn It's attention to the warb
Of its citizens In Russia.
Since then the Kaiser has done every
thing In his power TO interfere in Rus
sian internal affairs and build a new
Germany there-an empire within an
empire.
To aid in the Germanizstion Of the
country German banks were establish
ed TO aid Teuton colonlsts, particularly
In the purchase OF land. and in the ex-
tension OF German commerce. In the
rich agricultural government OF kher-
son, the chief city Of which is odessa.
iei. 600 German settlers in 1905 owned
or controlled one-fourth OF the produc-
ton area. They lived in $50 German
settlements.
These colonists had German schools
and churches. They had the double
citizenship contrived by the Prusslans; /;
In Germany they were German citizens /;
IN Russia they were Russians. Ger
man newspapers published for them by
me government gava them advice on
how 20 circumvent Russian laws.
This situation was fast driving TIE
Russian farmers into the landless class,
dependent for livelihood on German
landlords. The Russian peasant got no
help from his government; the Ger
mans got all the money they needed
from their German banks. How could
the Slavs compete with the TeutOns
In the unequal 1ght?
The German landlords were the cruel
est and most exsctlng Of taskmasters.
Where they did not actually own the
farms. they became managers OF the
estates OF rich Russians. There were
thousands OF such German managers
In the country.
Hence the Russian peasants came TO
know the Germsns very well before
The war began. To know them was
20 hate them. The cry OF the Russian |
peasant for land in the border districts |
Is today aimed principally at the Ger
man colonists.
This policy Of the Germans as in
sidlously carried on before the war, |
with the connivance Of the corrupt !.
Russian Bureaucracy, Enthusiastically |
meant the enslavement OF the many /
Tor the enrichment OF the few. Ger
many has been at the root Of most OF
Russla's sufferings.
In i9il was organized THE Society |
n 1914" which had for its object the
srganization Of patriotic Russians to
sombat the German evil.
What the United States mas passed
through since 1914 gives an idea OF the
work these high-minded Russians have
before them, with the seat Of Hun
sraftlness at Berlin. only few hun
fred miles away, and another plague
At home gnawing at the vitals Of Rus
lian national existence.
The feeling in Russia toward the Ger
mans is admirably exempliiled In the
following extract from a famous Rus
ilan writer:
''You Germans claim to have kultur,
sarning and liberal Institutions. But
when YOU come to us you do not bring |
lhese things; you come only to do us
asrm.
my observation Is that your learn
ng is second-class; so are your art and /
rour free institutions. Only your Jeal-
,usy and your greed are Of the first
ilass. Just as you have misled your
lelves into thinking that arbitrarily you
ian enforce your greed as a matter OF
hight, so you think you are about to
freak up the whole world.
"That IS why you are hated every
where, not only in Russia, but repeat
Everybody is convinced
hat at your first appearance every
hought OF liberty IL doomed 10 perish.
seems TO be sfraid OF you;
obody expects anything from you but
iotting."
The Russians have a correct estimate
I the Germans Under a tremendous
sndlcap, with a ruling family Of Ger