Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1918-02-22
RUSSIA TOMORROW
Written Exclusively for THE EVENING
JOURNAL.


Department Of the Pet ograd
Military District.)
Russia tomorrow Tomorrow much
Of Russia vii be starving.
Just as II is beyond the power Of
man TO tell what Russia suffered under
the Car, so it is beyond his power to
paint the prlvatlon which It seems to
me a part Of the Russian population
must still 80 through
There is wheat in Russia-yes. But
there's none in the cities And the
B0lsheviki can not get it into the
cities.
That is not the worst Of it. / doubt
that If q miracle were TO happen and
the most efficient organization con-
ceivable were Immediately set up In
Russia doubt II even then the in
habitants Of the Russian cities could
be saved from wholesale starvation
do not believe the Bolisheviki can
feed the Russian cities. Worse. / do
not believe anybody can feed them
In all lines Russia is at the end OF
her resources. Her rail Dads are de-
/
tered and decneplt This complete
breakdown Of the transportation sys-
tenn, coupled with their lack OF ad
mlnlstrative power, is going TO prove
the undoing Of the Bosheviki. Their
promissary notes are beginning 10 fall
due. They cannot pay. They are
bankrupt, and VIII therefore likely
soon be 0utcasts.
But that is not the whole truth. The
complete breakdown Of the Russian
transportation system, even II some SUI
preme administrative genius were put
at once in charge, is such that Russia's
Industrial chaos seems bound to con-
tinue and Russian city workers to go
hungry
That is what the war and the revolu-
ton have meant to Russia. What has
the Russian revolution meant 20 the
world? Well. this is the way Germany
Is counteracting Russia's peace propa-
ganda She Is telling her people
The Russians have social revolution
and they are starving. Is that what you
want2"
Can il be doubted that the Russian
people are ripe FOR that sort or propa-
ganda from the old reactlonarics? II
the remnants Of the old regime tell the
Russian people-"You see that these
false leaders can not govern. They are
starving you, killing you"-will not
the Russian people be ready 20 set
back the cause Of political and social
freedom ten generations? VIII it not
seem that fhev have tried freedom and
fornd it wanting?
believe the damage the Bolshevih
viii have done the Just cause Of real
! freedom will be beyond calculation I'M
/ less something happens to save the
/ Russian revolution.
/ / can see only one hope for Russia
/ today revolution within Germany
That falling / can see anarchy. de-
privation unheard Of and after Ions
suffering perhaps a show Of political
freedom by no means as great as that
which the Kerensky program compre-
hended
That part Of me which is Aomrican
I Is proud, above an other things, or
/ this fact: America is the only nation
that has really understood the New
/ Russia, and tried 20 help her.
It is not my purpose 10 condemn or
7 TO condone any men or set OF condl-
lions In Russia but 10 explain both men
and conditions. Here Is where Ameri-
cans are wrong They think Of the Rus
sian revolution in terms OF men, In
terms OF leaders. They are swept
away by gigantic forces. They cannot
even steer the revolution. Please think
F IN terms OF conditions and not In terms
Of men.
Russians today are running after
Trotsky and Lenine not because they
are Troisky and Lenine, but because
OF what these men stand for.
Judge not Russia. lest We be Judged.
Russia needs the worlds pity, not ITS
judgment
II man IS inclined TO condemn
Russia let him think Of the soldiers
among whom worked. and who went
unarmed into the machine gun and
cannon FIRE OF the Germans and Aus
trians with these Instructions: As
soon as a comrade Is killed grab up his
rife and light"
Let Americans think Of the locomo-
tives landed in parts on the docks Of
Vladivostok and hauled in part on cars
10 the interior OF European Russia,
when they should have been assembled
at VladNostok and under their own
steam hauled the freight Russia needs.
Let Americans think Of the Russian
retreat in the Carpathians. Russia re-
treated because she had no shells.
Rather. she retreated because while
she had plenty OF shells they would not
ut the Russian guns. Therefore the re-
treating Russian army left the useless
shells behind.
The Austrians came up, put the
shells into Austrian cannon and used
them TO NOW down the retreatins
Russians.
The shells had been made in France.
They were maze from specifications
furnished by russian generals. And
these russian leaders had been briDed
by Austria 10 furnish The specifications
OF the Austrian shells. in order That
the shells Russia paid for might be
used against her In Just the way IN
which they were used.
Hove pity on the russian people, Tor
today they are the most pltsDie peo-
Die on ca. th. The world WA never
Anow what they have ogne Though.
The world Will never realize want they
have yet 10 endure.