New-York tribune., 1918-08-18
Old Bear Still Breathes, Despite His Doctors Poison

minimiZed the potency of other things af-
fecting human action; he was impulsive and
changeable and in the whirl of events went
first in direction and then in another
But the main issue, as to the only thing
to which the outside world can rghtfully
make inhexible demands on Russia, he land
ed right at last. He went into exile because
he would not agree to q separate peace, and
although his conduct may have been foolish
he proved that his heart was sound
"Kerensky failed and is obviously not of
the stuff out Of which great statesmen are
made. But we do not know, and perhaps
never will know, to what extent his failure
was due to his own deficiencies and to what
extent due to the coercion Of circumstances.
At times he gave the impression that his
changeableness arose from an honest effort
to save the situation. 1t is not to be for
gotten that evil forces at work in Russia
were strong enough to drive Lvotf and
Miliukof from power and to maintain Le-
mines supremacy for a year Kornloff and
Kalednes were compelled to run. Il is by
no means certain that even if Kerensky had
been of different quality he would have
succeeded"
"The Chicago Daily News also de-
parts somewhat from conventional ways
by discovering that the Soviet form of
government has virtues that may not
profitably be disregarded by other de-
mocracies. The writer, it seems, has
found a Soviet official in the United
States and has drawn an explanation in
comprehensive terms Of what the mys-
terious "Soviet" is like in operation He
declares:
"This gentlemans name is Klodnitzky.
He is an official of the Murman railway
which runs from near Petrograd up north
ward to Kola on the Arctic Ocean. He is
member of the Soviet of one of the prov
inces through which this railway goes.
"He is not a politician at all. He is
simply railway man. And what he repre-
sents is the railway, the railway itself He
is not elected by district He is elected
by the railway workers He does not rep
resent a certain number of square miles, in
habited by a certain number Of people of
all sorts. He represents a special vital
business, and he brings to his Soviet spe-
cial personal practical knowledge of that
business. His constituents are all employees
of the Murman railway, wherever they may
live; or, rather, his constituents are the
rank-and-file employees. The higher en-
poyes, the managers, have a representative
Of their own.
Each of these representatives is a check
on the other. One is chosen by the rank
andfile employees and has to be approved
by the managers, and the other is chosen
by the managers and has to be approved
by the rank and file employees Mr.. Klod-
nitzky, the choice of the rank and file. is a
Socialist Revolution St The Socialist Rev.
olutionist' party, in spite of its name, seems
to be one of the milder of the Russian po-
litical parties. Mr.. Klodnitzkys colleague,
the choice of the managers, is a Cadet The
Cadets led by men like Miliukoff are
relatively conservative enough. Accordingly,
the men who represent the Murman railway
IN Mr. Klodnitzkys Soviet may be said to
reflect two different views of the railway
business. But the point is that they both
reflect and they both represent the railway
as a railway.
This idea of representation by indus
tries, we'll as by districts, may turn out
to be a growing idea in the world. It is
much discussed in England today. 1t is
proposed there, and by thoughtful and
powerful people, that England be organized
by industries and that each industry elect q
national council and that each national in
dustrial council send a representative or
several representatives to Parliament.
"Of course, just as in Russia, there
would be geographical representatives, ter
rltorlai representatives, too. The Russian
SoVIets include thousands of members who
are elected by districts. But in addition to
the geographical representatives there
would be industrial Representatives And
what would be the gain?
ut would be this: In the British Par
hament, in the French Chamber of Depu-
ties, in the American Congress, tbs mem
bers are mostly professional politicians who
have no special knowledge of the special
internal problems Of special businesses.
and they often make sad hash of their
special dealings with them. Yet thew have
their value, these politicians They often
get more comprehensive view of national
problems than is taken by specialists. So
! keep them. But add the specialists Put
into our national legislatures certain num-
ber of men specially competent to give ad-
vice and guidance with regard to the gov
ernmental aspects of the intimate working
details Of railways, mines, forests, manu-
factures, wholesale commerce, retail COM
merce, agriculture. Let US have knowledge
as we'll as craftsmanship
ut is worth thinking about. 1t is not q
Socialist idea. 1t is a plain human idea.
And as time goes on we may discover that
the Russians, fellow countrymen of come
of the greatest scientists and artists that
ever lived, quite considerably human
and normally intelligent"