The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1918-02-11
AS a Russian Sees 1t
EDITOR THE TIMES:

-
After 10 years residence in the
United States | find myself unable
Ito express myself properly in the
language of the country.
Since my arrival In this coun-
try, instead of devoting myself 10
studying, / have engaged myseil
in removing stumps and also Win
talking to chickens. have al
most succeeded in growing feath-
ers.
Lately a neighhor handed me
paper a treatise on the Bible say
| ing that "All the trouble in Rus
STA Is because the people OF that
country have no education. he
handed the paper to me as a Rus
sion with the purpose OF enlight-
ening me.
According to his words the pa
per would help not only me but
also all the ignorant and unen-
lightenen people of my country.
The January issue of the Re
view of Reviews puts the blame on
the Russian soldier for his lgno-
rance. The newspapers of the u
S. are full of attacks upon Rus
STA. The Seattle Times and the
P.-I. had the effrontery to sug-
gest that Siberia had better be
given to Japan than have the Rus
sian gold fall into the hands OF
the Huns.
1t is quite evident that the press
reflects the ideals of the people.
There is no feeling for the blood
shed, no sentiment for all sacri-
fifces and all the loss OF lives.
There is only regret for the gold.
Il is true the Russian enters the
temple of knowledge reverently
with his head uncovered. He Is
Ignorant. But is it his fault?
You free citizens, did you ever
consider this? Did you ever try
to acquaint yourself with the his
tory of the country?
The Russian parents as we'll as
the Russian youth wanted to teach
and learn. But 1t was not the
privilege of the common people to
attend school with the children of
the army officers, the dukes, the
counts and even the police officer.
The same as the children of the
negro were not allowed to attend
the school of the children of the
plantation owner.
You blame the ignorant Rus
slams for having entered upon a
civil war. You Americans are
very forgetful. Just turn back a
page in the history in the world
war and you will see that Russia
has had to withstand the attacks
for three whole years OF Germany,
Austria-Hungary and Turkey along
a front Of over 1000 miles.
For three years Russia has
dyed these 1000 miles with the
blood of her youth and manhood.
Also, she has had to fight not
only Germany, Austria-Hungary
and Turkey, but her own traitors,
besides.
You have not observed the Rus
sian women who have seen their
husbands, brothers and sweet
hearts dying from the bullets of
the foe and from gas liquid fire
and treason.
The Russian women left their
children unattended and titled the
soil, seeded it and harvested it.
You have not seen Russian
women after a days toll like this
digging the graves at night for
their dead husbands and children.
You have not seen those six mil
lion graves on the theater of war.
No. you free citizens, have not
seen them and now you are dis
appointed in Russia. When these
graves were being dug, you were
pleased to read in the papers of
the large orders that France and
Russia had given to the factories
of this country for hundreds of
millions Of dollars.
You were glad of your pros
perity. You were glad to be able
to buy fancy clothes for your
mothers wives, sisters and sweet
hearts.
| iOo, youi prosperity eudDleS you
to buy diamonds, but you were not
aware that your employers sold
the guns to Russia for about $40.
You were not aware that your
prosperity was running Russia.
You were not aware that the mil
lions of dollars profit made by
Iyour employers and the silk stock
ings worn by your wives was the
blood OF Russia and France and
the diamonds were the crystalized
tears.
1t would do you well before re-
preaching Russia for her civil war
to look up the history of your own