The Evening Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1917-1920, 1918-07-17

= PAOIO6AdPho anu -
: tant documents.
The high value of the book can best
. be shown by an extract from the in
PRODUCTION which extract will also
throw light upon the present condi-
ton in Russia:
The purpose of this book Is to
present to the American people, first,
the great movement which brought
Russia to the Revolution of March,
1917, and then, as far as possible by
documents, the development OF the
Revolution from March up to date.
THE Revolution Of March, 1917. was
the outcome of a great movement
which started a century ago, imme-
diately after the Napoleonic War, and
in which the best representatives OF
Russia's mind and soul participated
from generation to generation. The
first revolutionary uprising in Russia
was the so-called "Decembrist" revolt,
on December IA, 1925, organized by
small group of young officers who,
visiting Paris in 1914, had become in
fected with the ideas of the Great
French Revolution. Five Decembrists
were executed. the others were exiled
to Siberia. When Russia's greatest
national poet, Pushkin, sent his greet
ing to the exiled Decembrists, they
answered him from Siberia, "The
spark will burst into fame" This
prophesy has been fulfilled. While in
1926 it was only a small group of
young idealists who rose in revolt
against absolutism, by 1905 great
masses were engaged in open conflict
with TZarism, and in 1917 the entire
people, through a swift and almost
bloodless Revolution. began its life as
a democratic nation.
AT this moment Russia is in state
of temporary disorganization known
in the life of every country that has
passed from tyranny to free, demo-
cratic development Whatever has
happened in Russia, our friends should
not be too pessimistic. Russia is not |
an old man dying from exhaustion. she
is a child hurt in trying to walk in
for the first time in her
life. She is young and strong, and her
people have already begun to under
stand the cruel lesson. With the help
of her friends, we are certain Russian
will be able to emerge from the pres
ent crisis
Until the March Revolution Russia
was one of the most pitiful places on
the globe, with the intellectuals in
chains and with the masses in power
ty and in darkness. Nevertheless,
even under the old regime, there was
4 light shining forth from Russia to
The world, the light of Russia's beau
.iful culture: Russian literature, Rus
sian science, Russian philosophy, Rus
sian music, Russian art.
"We must emphasize that this Rus
sian culture, known throughout the
world, was not the product of the in
of the Russian intelligent
sia" alone. It is true that the Russian
'intelligentsia," crucified in prisons,
Turing the nineteenth century alone,
such writer's as Pushkin, Gogol, Tur-
yeniev, Dostoievsky and Tolstoy; such
as Glinka, Tchaykovsky,
Mussorgsky and
,criabin; such scientists as Mendel-
.iev, Lebedey and Metchnikoff. That
s all very true, but there is something
n Russia's culture even more signifi- !
amt, and this is the act that cultural
,reation in Russia was not the monop-
,ly of the intellectual class alone. The
russian masses, themselves, in spite
II their poverty and darkness, under
regime of horrible oppression, Great
ID a beautiful philosophy, beautiful !
literature, a beautiful art. AS a mat
er of fact such writer's as Pushkin,
iogol and Tolstoy took many themes
nd figures from the literature created
" the people around them, the litera-
ure which has been In existence for y
thousands of years, having originated,
even before the formation of B
he Russian State, and orally trans d
nitted from generation to generation. v
"Glinka and Rimsky-Korsakov took !
heir beautiful melodies from the folk 7
ongs which can be heard in every /
tussian town and in every village.
he more you know the culture Great ~
by the Russian masses, the more
ou will admire It. You will admire it
ven in its philosophy, in its reflection .
pon the most vital problems Of hu- 3
ian life Tolstoy used to say that he Il
earned his philosophy from an old, a
literate Russian peasant, Siutayev, {
nd If you ever have the chance to .
peak with old people in the Russian :
illages, you will be surprised to find y
ow. much there Is in common be- v
ween these simple. sometimes naive
linds and the trend Of thought of the "
reatest philosopher and thinker pro- D
uced by Russia. /
"Russia's final fate is not yet de-
ided 1t depends very much upon the
utcome Of the war. We may imagine
lrther years of conflict, but France,
ngland, Italy and the United States
ill stay at their fighting posts. And p
the conflict is continued, Russia will Il
)me hack. We NAV imagine years of "