New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-05-23
Unprofitable Ukraine.

This mornings paper brings what
appears to be confirmation of the idea
brought forward in my letter of May
1 that the Germans are finding the
necessity of furnishing seed corn to
Russian peasants.
One Of the official reasons given by
the proclamation, which appeared
yesterday, overthrowng the local
government Of Ukraine and establish
ing German military rule, was that
the Ukraine government had not talk
en- proper steps to encourage spring
planting. This seems to be con-
fession that things there are not Us
the Germans hoped to find them, and
that they have experienced bitter dis
appointment. In fact it looks as If
there were but one direction in which
the Germans could profit materially
by their breach Of faith in this re-
gion, and that is by selling all cop
per and brass. 1t is a question, how
ever, whether they will dare to do
this There is a limit even to their
tenn erity and it would be difficult to
imagine anything surer to spread
everywhere, even in the humblest
circles, the profoundest hatred of
everything German, for almost every
peasant family In Russia has copper
or brass kitchen utensils which form
the mainstay Of their cooking outfit.
This resource would be of real fmpor-
lance if the German authorities dare
to utilize it, but the universal resent
ment which would thus be provoked
might be SO severe that a larger army
would be requisite to prevent an up
rising than could be equipped with
the metals Of which these poor
o4o1,o hn u
course they would be fed on prom
ises of very superior iron sauce pans,
etc., but it would take a long time
to furnish these under present condt-
tions and before these promises were
fulfilled the damage would have been
done.
Even as it is I fancy that the Ger
mans are going to have terrible
time throughout Russia. They have
so completely destroyed all local or
ganization that no local authorities
remain against whom threats could be
made in case of guerilla warfare, and
with the universal hatred of the Ger
mans accumulated by robbery Of the
lowest individuals, it SENS not I'M
l,kelv that murder of individual Ger
mans will be looked upon as most
glorious deed. In fact, this system
Of handling oppressors has been in
great vogue among the Slavic races
for a long time.
It is worth notice that Heyduc, the
Serbian name for local hero, and
the Greek klepht, the name of the
party which finally overthrow the
Turks have the same meaning, name
" robber. They, in each case have
represented the element which took
TO the wiIds and upheld the spirit of
the people in the same way as Rob
in Hood 600 years earlier in England.
1t would seem probable that 100000
men would be q small force for po-
ncing the 160,000,00o people who
made up the Russian Empire. For
the most part these are scattered In
small hamlets of not exceeding !, 500
people At this rate 500, 900 police
would only mean one for $40 Of pop
u1ation, or say five for an average Of
1000 people. Surely a smaller num-
her than this would have much diff
ficulty in maintaining order among
50 large a hostile population, and
probablv even at that rate at least
20 per cent. of the force would hive
TO be maintained as a reserve in var
ious sections leaving on the average
for the actual garrison only one per-
son for 400.
1t does not look as if this overthrow
of Russia were likely to be an I'M
mixed boon to Germany.
N. T. Bacon in the
providence-Jo journal.