Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-05-10

whether they deliberately sold Russia
to Germany or merely were the fgnor
ant victims Of the unique sort Of diplo-
macy practiced by the kaiser's satel.
lites. At any rate, their regime has
I! been marked by every degree Of law
less confusion and anarchy, and now
they are endeavoring to .solidify the
remnants of the old Russia which Ger.
many has not had time to grab.
! And they are making the effort by
abandoning the fundamental theories
and principles Of socialistic existence
which won for them the following and
strength that sent Kerensky into ex-
lie. Trotzky, high priest Of bolshevist
faith, Ia advocating compulsory labor
for others, and the dispatch announc-
ing his reversal of form adds this bit
Of information: his course is result
ing in friction with the anarchists !"
What Russia is seeking, II only Rus
STA knew its own mind, Is republican
form Of government. But Russia lacks
a Washington or Jefferson. Instead
Of the regard for proper laws, and gov
eminent which was the foundation on
which the American republic was
builded, Russia's collective mind has
been loaded with the sOphistrfes Of So
cialism and anarchy. The weak efforts
which Prince Lvof and Kerensky put
forth to establish republic were futile
because they deferred to the anar-
chists Of the Lenine-Trutxky stripe.
They were bowled over by helter-skel.
IA }v1 &<o
the absolutism of the monarch to the
absolutism Of the mob.
And with all its terrible oppression
and misery, the absolutism of the mon
arch was to be preferred.
That Is the lesson which Russia Is
learning. It Is the lesson which
Trotzky is learning. too. 1t is the les.
son which General Korniloff labored so
diligently to impress on Kerensky,
only to be deceived by the latter.s APP
parent acqu1escence which masked a
weak surrender to the bolshevih.
Russia is learning the hard lesson
which socialism never teaches: that a
program of destruction Is not pro
gram of reform. Through generations
Russia's oppressed millions dreamed
Of the revolution which materialized in
1917, but in all their dreams they had
been able to conceive Of nothing after
the wreck Of the monarchy.
Reform, to them. meant only COM
plete destruction of the cars govern.
ment. In their socialistic dreams #
liberty they lost the meaning of the
term. When the old government bad
been destroyed Prince Lvoff and his
makeshift cabinet discovered with con-
sternstfon that it was their solemn
duty to reform ablish-
ment And they failed because that
fact never had occurred to their ideal
istic, child-like minds before.
It was but natural that anarchy
should step into the breach. That
alone would have been bad enough,
but Germany's cleverness perceived
the opportunity to achieve Confusion
worse COMPOUNDED" and the Teuton in
fiuenee guided the bo1shevist leaders
in their plots to undermine the Ker.
ensky experiment.
With lack Of regard for Russia's
safety which, II It was not part Of a
bargain with Germany. revealed monu.
mental ignorance and blindness. Le-
nine and Trotzky disbanded the rem
nants of the Russian armies, invited
civil war and wholesale revolt, aban.
doned Russia to chaos and a reign of
lawless terror. And now, with Ger.
many's iron hand at the Russian
threats, these ''liberators" are making
an eleventh-hour effort to rally brok.
en- and disillusioned Russia to the sup
port Of moderate government in the
hope of repelling the German invasion
According to dispatches, the menace
Of Prussianism is driving Russia's fac.
lions together. But unless leader OF
real strength arises and unless the
age Of miracles can be revived, Russia
cannot hope for freedom except
through the absolute defeat Of Ger
many by the allies whom bolshevik
Russia deserted.
II an unanswerablei indictment Of So
cialism and all It's ideals. theories and
promises were needed. the history Of
Russia since the revolution would
serve the purpose to the last dotted
ri."