Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-11
CENTRAL POWERS SWORD
UPH0LDs landowners
Ensiaved and Oppressed Peasantry
Held Down in Occupied
Territory.
AS TO LrvoNIA AID CoURLAND
Landed Interests Are German, While
Let's and Esthonians Form Ten
antry-Iarge Holders Fear Rus
sian Aquarium Revolution.

stun Aquarium Revolution.
ION April the Arbeiter Zeitung. the
official organ OF Austrian socialism
published the following highly sug
gesticc article on The Social Mean
ing of the Peace in the East" 1t
throws light upon Il factor no less
fundamental than the racial question
in the future development Of Eastern
Europe)
(From the International News Burcau.)
The Russian revolution has dis
possessed the great landowners and
declared the land of the churches and
monasteries, of the nobility and Cant
talists to be the property OF the peo-
pie: sthis has already been carried out
throughout great Russian territory
Whatever may be the fate OF the revo-
luton. the landowners Will not re-
cover their land. and it will remain
reaction afters 1915 could not dare to
deprive the French peasants of the
land which he had taken in 1893; as
the Austrian countcrrevolution after
lSiS could not dare TO restore robot
Qorccd seryice), tithcs and seignorial
eminent will be able TO restore tho
mobiles and bishops TO their former
property.
"Ir Livonia and Courland. Lithuania
and Poland were not to-day held by
German troops. then the Russia n
agrarian revolution would naturally
have a powerful influence on these
countries also. In the two former the
peasants are Let's and Esthonians, the
proprietors Germans. The peasants
are not owners, but tenants. and the
landlords still enjoy rights against the
peasants. such as recall the golden
age of fcudalism. What terrible
hatred prevails there between land
lords and peasants vas shown by the
bloody horrors of the revolution OF
1905. If German troops were not in
occupation. the Russian agrarian revo-
luton would a once spread TO the
Prussian frontier. And If the ducal
caps of Courland and Livonia were
really united TO the German crown,
permanently saved their land. Fo,
German suzera!nty will naturally lind
its support in the German barons and
not in the Lettish and Esthonian peas
ants who. after centuries OF class rule.
are full of wild hatred of the Ger
mans. Germany will naturally not be
able to dispossess the class on which
alone her rule can rest. This. then.
Is the social significance OF the union
(angliederung) of Courland and LII
vonia to Prussia; it secures the coun-
try from the injection Of agrarian
big proprietors from peasant expro-
priation.
I'm the same way In Lith1ania the
German soldier is protecting the land
Of the Polish Schlachta against the
Lithuanian and White Russian pea
SAINTS; and, in the same way, in Poland
the landlord is seeking the protection
Of the Central Powers against the
peasantry. which can very easily be
I'M cd hI, hn Ines iar
Tho order established by the central
powers throughout the East has every
where the important social result Of
guaranteeing the property Of the land
lords against peasant risings.
CURRENT WOULD SOON
UECOME IRRESISTIBLE
THE fact is OF the greatest impor-
lance for the central powers above all.
Prussia. Even before the war the
aGrarian constitution east of the Elbe
was being more fcrcely attacked
Powerful currents inside the German
people demanded the internal coloniza-
ton OF the East Elbe districts, which
belong almost entirely TO the Junkers.
These currents would certainly be ir-
resistible If, throughout Eastern Eu-
rope, the large properties had been di-
fided up among the peasants. Not
merely because the example of such an
uDheaval would have awakened the
greed OF the Prussian agricultural la
borer, but. above all, because the agra
Ran revolution in Poland. Courland
and White Russia would have deprived
the Prussian Junker of the labor with
out which he cannot exist, for the East
Edo Rlttergut rests on the exploita-
ton of East European labor For long
past the Junker has not been able to
hnd enough German workmen as his
slaves. he can only keep going ow-
ing TO the fact that every year hun
dreds of thousands Of Polish, Lithu-
anian. Little and White Russian pea
SAINTS. cottagcrs. and workmen emf
grated to Germany and worked the
Junker's fields for mcager wage. As
long as the peasantry in Poland and
Lithuania has SO little land that II
cannot live on its own produce. the
RUSSIAN Junker Is sure of finding plia-
BILE material for exploitation among
these wandering workmen, the So
called Sachsengangcr. But il the land
In roland and Lithuania were divided
up ana the peasants could live on
what they produce. the stream of wan
dering workmen would dry up.
The Ritterguter would have to be par
celled out. and soon throughout East
Germany, where to-day the Junker
rules there would be a series OF pea
SAINT properties And with tho
land policy OF the Junker the Junker's
dominion would also collapse Thus 1t
can be understood what an interest
'he Junker had In separating Poland
and Lithuania from Russia and pro
tectlnS them from Russian infection.
In protecting the property Of the
schlachta he Is saving his own prop
erty and his own rule. This Is tho
social meaning Of the Peace Of Brest.
Ana the eastern treaties have the
same meaning for Austria and Hum
gary as for Prussia. Imagine the Rus
sian agrarian revolution having spread
10 roland. 1t Is clear that in that case
mo property OF tho Polish Schlacbta
throughout Galicia would have been
untenable. Imagine the land Of the
ooyars In Roumania divided among
the peasants: and it is obvious how
difiicult would be tho position Of the
big Magyar landowners in Transyl
vania who are sitting upon Roumania
peasants. And this shock to the landed
interest In Galicia and Trtnsylyania
would also have placed the Bohemian
feudal nobility and tho Hungarian