The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1918-02-22
THE UKRAINE

nished the Echo by Mr.. VIM. McIn-
tosh 1t throws much light on the
present situation in Russia.
"The upheaval in Russia has
brought new state into existence,
the Ukraine. It is a new country,
which is likely, whatever be the out
come of the war, to find place
henceforth on the map of Europe.
In these days "self-determination of
nationalties" has become the most
popular of all phrases. 1t is indeed
so popular that one hesitates to re-
call that there is frequently some
difficulty in determining what is a
nationality and what is not, and
nearly always great difficulty in fix
ing any nationality's exact territor-
ial boundaries. But let that pass
for the time being; for the principle
is sound however difficult of appli--
cation. In any event, in the pro-
cess of "self- determination" the
Ukraine presents itself as pioneer.
Without waiting for any European
conference, it has determined itself.
It has it's popularity elected Rada in
Kiev; it has broken with the control
of the government in Petrograd;
and it has its own representatives
at the Brest conference. A new ma
ton has according come into exist
ence whose founders are plainly be-
levers in the virtue of the "acom-
plished fact"
The Ukraine pronounced COOK
ryne," and meaning literally the
'borderland") comprises large area
in southwest Russia. It's bounda-
ries are somewhat vague, but it pos
sesses a character of its own which
differentiates it from the rest of
Russia. In the town of Kiev it po-
sesses a natural and historical cap
ital which serves as focus for the
whole territory. In the language
of the country the Ukrainians are
called Little Russians (Malorusski)
as distinguished from the Great
Russians "(Velikorusski') of Nose
COW Petrograd and all the area to
the northeast. Between these two
sections of the Russian people these
is a pronounced difference. Tt is a
deeply marked difference of folk
type. The little Russian has his
own habits and customs, his own
folk music, and in short, separate
racial consciousness. Above all, he
has his own speech. This factor,
the linguistic one, is very important
for the difference of speech is more
than merely dialectal. The little
Russian speech partakes of the wes-
tern Slavonic type. 1t has many
Polish words, and although the bar
rier between it and Great Russia is
easily surmounted by the educated
man, to the uneducated it is vir-
tually a different tongue. In Rus
STA the Ukrainian type is designated
by the popular term "hahol' which
has about the same implication as
Clock" when applied to Scotch
soldier
The total population in Russia
which can be classed as Little Rus
sian" in speech and sympathies is
very large. 1t is no less than go,
100000. The bulk of these are ii
the area around Kiev, but they
stretch eastward to the Don river
and southwark to the Black sea. Tt
the foregoing there have to be ad
ded some 100000 Ruthenians il
Austria. These. Ruthenians who
form a very important element il
the politics Of middle Europe, are Of
the same race as the Ukrainians
They make up nearly half the popu
lation of the Austrian province Of
Galicia, and their union with the
! Ukraine is one of the definite aspi
rations of the Ukraine movement
The greatest difficulty which this
new Predetermined state will even
tually have to face is the fixing Of
it's boundaries. Nowhere except or
the west, where the Ruthenians are
bounded by the Carpathian noun
tains, is it possible to draw line
on the map to represent the limits
of the Little Russian population. II
shades into the Poles Great Rus,
slams, Cossacks, and so forth witt
no cleaness of outline. Moreover
there are some very bitter racial an,
imosities in that quarter of Europe
which it is to be hoped the great
war has done something to still
The hatred between the Ruthenians
and Poles in Austria, for example
is more bitter than that between the
Poles and the Germans.
We are nowadays free to discuss
Russian matters with candor; and il
can now be stated that the move
ment for the independence of the
Ukraine is no new thing. In the
early days of the war a separatist
movement made its appearance in
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