The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-02-25
CHAOTIC RUSSIA.


One of the most unfortunate effects
of the present Russian political and
military tangle is that it will acceler-
ate the decentralization in economic af-
fairs which has been in progress ever
since the outbreak of the war. Until
the return of more stable conditions,
the Russians themselves will be un-
able to take any steps toward improv-
ing the agricultural, Industrial and
commercial situation, and until some
measure of order is restored, other ma
tions will naturally refrain from con-
ii luing That generous assistance which
they have been giving to a sorely tried
people. Chaotic as are the present
economic conditions, it would seem
that they must become worse. if that
be possible, before there is any like
lihood o. their becoming better.
The order for the mobilization of
the Russian army issued late in July
of 1914 marked the beginning of the
breakup of the country's economic
str ucture. Whether the calling out of
an army of men out of all proportion
to the immediate necessities was the
result OF subtle intrigue on the part of
the German agents in close touch with
| the Russian authorities, says the Phil
adelphie Commercial Museum in a re-
view of the Russian situation, or
whether it was the result of biunder-
| ms judgment on the part of honest
officials. the very act itself was dis
astrous to Russian welfare, and in
two ways. 1t took away from their
usual and gainful occupations a large
proportion of the agricultural and in
! dustrial laborers of the country, and
reduced the productive abilities of the
| country to that extent. The subse-
quent necessity of transporting, cloth
ing and feeding this vast horde so
taxed the resources of the country
that agricultural and industrial enter
prises were practically starved of nee
essary materials and equipment, and
were unable to meet even the m-ni-
mum requirements of the civilian pop
ulation.
| No attmpt was made to correct the
first blunder, and conditions could not
fail to go from bad to worse. Then
| came the overthrow of the cars gov
errment' later the dissensions of the
various clements seeking control, and
finally, the splitting up of the country
into the republics of the Bolsheviki
the Ukraine and the Firms, each more
the common enemy.
There is dissension, too. among
those contending for control in these
different parts, and in the meantime
the agricultural. industrial and COM
mercial Generalization continues. For
exa mple. in the region controlled by
the Bolsheviki a plan of dividing the
land among the peasants was inau-
gII-ated. Local committees were dele
gated to distribute this land so that
each peasant would have one farm
The Russians soon began to realize
| however, that the members of the
committees were obtaining the best
lands for themselves, their relatives
and their friends. The answer of the
peasants was to put the members OF
the committees quietly out of the way
The communities in which these local
committeeman have been found muir
dered overnight have been neither few
nor isolated. While the problem in
the Ukraine is somewhat different and
is being worked out along other lines
in conjunction with German advice
nothing has yet been done which
promises an early resumption of nor
NAL agricultural activity. There is
the same DISCRIMINATION in industrial
Poland and in agricultural Finland.
Confusion extends also to the trans
portation system of Russia. Even be-
fore the war the railroad facilities
were utterly inadequate to meet the
country's minimum requirements, and
despite me later efforts of the allied
countries and the United States to sup
ply executive direction and materials
toward the upkeep of the roads as q
military necessity, it was impossible te
do any more than check the destruc-
ton which had been going on. Their
came the big revolution and the small
Ter revolutions which prevented a con
tinuanoe OF this help from the out.
side.
In the train OF the revolutions came
also the release of the native railroad
operatives, from all authority. Train.
now run only at the pleasure of the
engineer, the firemen and of tn,
trainmen, and the convenience OF thes,
same hands, dictates the destination o
whatever the trains may be carrying
| --
Approximately four-fifth of thu
grain produced is used as feed fo
livestock. To take care of an increas