New-York tribune., 1918-08-18


- Correspondents sit inside it
with their ears to the heart of
> it; reviewers and commenta-
arc strained at the long distance
''iv ..oscope. Rumblings come out of it;
49, ;s q sound of cracking. Much dis
~. 'n.ars into it, and is seen and heard
Tla T.lhr;eav thereafter. 1t is a great nav,
II ., ,be question tie publicists pose is,
su,hom s will it devour?' And the Rus
~ 40 neople themselves are not excluded
2 s.om m the possible candidacy.
But there is no constancy here. Events
IN and change. The unknown re-
-.;ns s the unknown, but the quality Of
:. ,nknowableness is not the same. The
cherian project Of the Allies approaches
..t;on: the Soviet government shows it's
.ss.b toward the Allied powers; there
40 rumors of a Lenine-Trotzky fight.
Germany may march on Petrograd
The Czecho-Slovaks are gaining in sig
.;scance in the war news. Observers
,se in them the saviors of the Russian
,;.uation, contributing new and unex-
,scted strength to Allied power in the
Il Fast British recognition of the new
,,tion and of it's National Council is
cen as contributing to it's effectiveness.
sauorts from Washington imply that
ne question of similar action on the
nart of the United States is being seri-
mslv considered. Red Guards, 100000
strong. are operating against the Czech
army on the Volga, with what success
! is concealed by the vagueness of reports.
Ii the same time comes the news Of the
rroving organization of Czech forces in
B,aemia, the storing of ammunition and
euns in preparation for probable use,
81 and the weakness Of the Austrian gov
srment, which seems unable to curb this
revolutionary undercurrent.
The Russian news is disturbing to
Germany, according to British observ-
ers. who find that German troops in
Russia already have enough to do to
keep down the civilian population. Ger
T. mans are said to be marching on Petro-
grad, but the only authority for this re-
nor. is dispatch from Helsingfors. OBJ
servers have their doubts of the reliabil-
iy of Finnish news at the present time,
With Finland trying it's best to choose be-
tween two German minor princes TO
head the new Finnish hereditary line
The Soviet declaration of war against
Allied countries continues to hang fire,
+ even against the demand of diplomats
for an explanation of the Lenine threat
to wage war on "Anglo-French capital
ism"
There is some attempt here and there
to explain outside of obvious reasons
the antagonism of the present Russian
government toward avowed aid. "The
Boston Globe" puts it on the ground of
fear Of democracy:
r. 1.-THE Bolsheyist idea is irreconclable with
our ideas 1t was irreconcilable also with
Germanys ideas, but Germany represented
superior force, and Moscow yielded to that
force, sacrificing territory, sacrificing prin-
cipes, sacrificing everything, for freedom
[ TO work out its social and economic expert
/ mentS.
ITO those experiments Berlin was less a
+ threat than Washington. If eventually Ger
aan military autocracy overcame all Russia
mere could be revolution against the new
[ aardom as against the old But if the Rus
+ slan people were won to the Western ideal
Of political democracy the Bolshevists' flank
would be turned and their vision would go
:limmering."
Lenine and Trotzky, says "The Phila-
delphia Evening LEDGER" amid the
T 'uln Of their plans, "as confused and as
oesperate as Wilhelm himself, seek now
10 mobilize the passion of Russia against
the agencies Of civilization" And
further:
! It is not surprising that the Allies should
aad the Bolshevoki at last actively and
+ '9ehly opposed to them. 1t will dc
Il ~ good to assume that Lenine, Trotzky and
asr followers were at the beginning de-
40efate allies or agents of Germany. II
lus1 be remembered that their quarrel has
A'' oeea chiefly with anv system of govern.
Asas The thing they hate and detest is
+ "'liizaton itself. . Allied states
aaaship in Russia from this on will have te
'ssize that the vast mass of people who arc
'Sparent supporters of the Bolsheviki are
A'' themselves conscious devotees of unrea
''a iney have been msled. One has fol
""eo the other. The task now will be te
sSa'lhce and reconcile these people-te
@a@e them realize that their interests anc
~s interests Of the country will be best
HsTed b. the rcvolutionists opposed to then
'a' believe in democracy rather than il
ansrchy'
Il