New-York tribune., 1918-12-22

upon that angelic devil--the mass.
- 1t Is simply an effort to explain
"scientifically"-a it is now the
fashion to do-a very interesting phenome-
non of social psychology. Neither is this
an advance notice intended to preclude the
possibility of the writer being lynched by
an insulted and infuriated mob.
The reader will, of course, ask: "Why
this humorous prelude to 'tragedy'?" Let
us reserve the answer for the reader. Per-
haps when the things about to be said
shall have been said he may decide to
change the title to "The Trag-Comedy of
the Russian Intelligenza."
Some 130 years ago, in the reign of the
wise and august Catherine II, there was
burned ia public square a peculiar little
volume. 1t was entitled "a Journey From
Petrograd to Moscow" It's author was
Radischeff. Radscheff described the
things he saw on his journey in such a
manner as to bring upon himself the
charge of sedition The consequence was
that his book was ordered given to the
flames by GATHERINGS guardian of public
the contents of the book permeate the
public serious disturbances might follow.
Radischef was the father of the modern
Russian intelligenzia. The sparks of the
flames that consumed his little volume,
famed by the intelligenzia, later supplied
the fame of the revolution.
For 1870 years the Russian intelligenzia
taS 1ad in
years, under slogan peculiar to it's par
ticular genius-"All for the people, all
through the people," Inspired by this slo-
gan, the members of the intelligenza,
whether the scons of castle or hamlet
gave their lives to the liberation of Russia.
They were not particular as, to what place
the Car chose for the sacrifice. They were
quite ready to go apywhere-to Siberia, to
the dungeon, to the gallows or the torture
chamber
And then in February March, 1917, came
the revolution. 1t came and brought varied
gifts to varied sorts of people. The in
telligenzia became more than ever intoXi-
Gated with the illusions it had been weav-
ing for 1870 years. 1t waited for the gift
that the revolution would bring to it. The
gift was rather an unexpected one. 1t
consisted in the fact that the Russian in
telligenzia was suddenly and unexpectedly
removed from Russian life-simply cast
out of it. A storm broke. The people de-
cided that the captain was at fault They
threw Czarism overheard. But the storm
did not abate. On the contrary, it grew
more wild. Then the captain-the
triumphant mass, noble aristocracy of
muscle--decided that the ship cursed
and that the curse was due to the pres
ence on board of that pecular-looking in
dividual-the RHasian intelligenzia. Over
board with it! Overheard it went Since
then the ntellgenzia has been struggling
for it's life spiritual, political, economic.
But why this ingratitude? 1t wasn't
of ingrattude, said the people. 1t
was simply case of the people realizing
something, they said, they ncve- realized
before namely, that they did not need the
intelligerza Really, there was no occa-
sion for the intelligenzia to create illu-
sions as to its value or necessity. "You
worked for 1870 years to overthrow Gar
ISM For $50 years you tried to do it. And
you failed. No sooner than uQdertoQk
the attack than the old thing crumbed
into dust. So, you see, there is no occa-
sion for you to exaggerate your Importance
Just because you can discuss and analyze
at length the values of Tolstoy and Dos
toyevsky." Apparently the people had de-
veloped memory for names.