The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1918-01-24
Russian Socialists Expert.
ment.
(By H. H. Windsor, in the Popular
Mechanics MagaZine.)


There are apparently as many kinds
of socialists in Russia as there are
varieties of grapes in vineyard.
These range all the way from nihil-
lists and bomb throwers to quite con-
se:yrtive thinkers At any rate tie
v ord socialis. in Russia an dl,erc. fol
instance. means quite di!fcr.- =. thin S
in 1sny resi- ects. 1t misks most
be ssiu that aav man or p,r-v in
Russia who is anti-czar, calls itself
socialist
1t is unfortunate in more ways than
one that Germany has SO seedily do
minated Russia-or apparently so
for it fould have been interesting to
have watched how some fond theories,
worked out when the opportunity
came to give them the acid test of
actual use
For instance, how far an army
would get under direction of COM
mittees of privates; for one of the
first acts of the Bolsheviki was to
form a committee of three from the
ranks in each company, which was to
decide what their company would do,
and instruct the officers to carry out
such decision. Even Kerensky and
his cabinet associate, Savinkov, who
soon after the revolution abolished the
death penalty in both military and
i,-y1 11Ir
distinguished American that to their
great regret the ideal they had cher
ished proved to be impossible in
these davs, and after some weeks
were obliged to return to the old way.
And the same was true, they stated,
in regard to other ideals; all right
in theory, but ip practice failure.
At date of this writing, and from
our distance, it would appear that
Russia was distance, it would appear
that Russia was lost to democracy
and that by German intrigue she had
merely exchanged czar for kaiser
Eighty-five per cent of the Russians
are illiterate, and in their newfound
freedom many of these have as wild
expectations as the southern negroes
when as suddenly set free. On the
other hand, the very fact of many p
tical parties of socialists gives ex-
pectation that Russia will not per-
manently be sacrificed to the ignor-
ance and gullibilty of the Bolsheviki,
whose present leader is a German
who has changed his name to a Rus
sian one.
That distinguished physician. DR.. |
Frank Billings Of Chicago, with The |
rank of lieutenant colonel, recently
went to Russia at the head of the
Red Cross Mission. With unusual
courtesies at his command he travel !
ed Russia and Siberia extensively, |
talking with representative men
everywhere. The cabinet in control
at this writing is the seventh, but
DR.. Billings points out that each sue
ceedin9 cabinet, by evolution, brings
the national condition to higher
level than before. His observation
as to the intelligence, ability and
conduct of the masses there, is of
a most encouraging nature and places
the Russian citizen, as whole, on a
very much higher plane than we have
been accustomed to regard him. They
are keen business men, surprisingly
skillful in all manner of handicraft,
thrifty, good-natured, and with free
dom and education have the making
of a nation of world leaders. If,
therefore, German intrigue finally
fails there as German arms already
have, we may yet count Russia among
the republics, and in the meantime
we must be patient and can be hope
full that right and justice will, in good
season, rule a free Russia.