The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-07-15
American Aid for Russia.

While complaints have been made of
the indisposition of our government to
undertake armed Intervention in Russia,
or to ask Japan to send an army into
Siberia, the question Of how best to help
the Russian people out Of their trou-
bles has not been lost sight Of at Wash
ington Nor has it been neglected at
London. 1t is not without exchange Of
American and British communications
that Mr.. Arthur Balfour has spoken to
the House of Commons on assistance to
Russia in the matter of her railroads.
He, like President Wilson, has never lost
hope Of Russia, nor weakened in the
OF a really beneficial nature. And 1T APP
pears that the two governments agree
there is more good TO be done by loco
motives than by cannon, The British for
eign secretary assures Parliament that
his government is willing to cooperate
with the government of the United
States in assisting the reorganization of
the Russian railroads, but thus far, he
says, the British officials haves been able
to do but little, and for various reasons
il is thought better to leave this question
mainly in American hands.
There is the sphere of American work
marked out. 1t is useful one and, no
doubt, il has been deliberately chosen
by our government, We shall take no
side, harm no party, make no enemy. by
setting to work on the reorganization Of
Russia's dilapidated railway system. Our
enterprise win be equally pleasing to
the Constitutional Democrats who have
asked for international intervention and
the Maximalists who have said they
would fight any foreign army. They can
not but agree on the need of railway
improvement and the benefit to be de-
rived from 1t. The precarious condition
with respect to food supply in the larger
Russian cities and industrial centers are
not entirely due to political disruption
nor to the alleged refusals Of the peas
ants to sell. These are but contributory
causes Their effects would be compare
lively small If the railways were fit 70
operate, were manned and equipped, and
were in operation. But for the most
part they are not in working order, and
the former workers seem TO have been
demobilized no less than the former
army.
To get laborers back on the roadbeds
under capable direction is the first thing
TO do letting them have the American
rails that are in the country, and then
putting on the American locomotives and
u. -
stored in idleness. An American force OF
800 competent engineers Is within easy
call. Whether Col. George w. Emerson
and Mr. John f. Stevens, the heads of
our railroad commission to Russia, are
lust now at Vologda or Vladiyostok does
not matter much, as thew have made
themselves acquainted with the condi-
ton and the requirements of the long
road between the Urals and the Pacific
and are doubtless ready to start work
from either end as soon as the word Is
given. They were summoned to Vologda
recently for conference with Ambassador
Francia, who himself paid a.visit to the
ministry of ways of communication at
Petrograd, and probably the plan Of rail
way restoration and improvement has
been agreed upon by the Russian and
American representatives. "All right
someone may say, but how will this
smash Germany" 1t will not. But il
will strengthen Russia, materially and
morally, relieve distress, restore conf
dence, and tend to unite tire people The
work is in itself altogether commenda
BILE Let 1t be done, and then take good
care that it shall not fall into the hands
Of Germany Boston Herald.