New-York tribune., 1918-02-20

Bolshevik authority and Immediate estab
hshment of modus vivendi making poss.
BILE generous and sympathetic cooperation
Thacher and Wardwell concur"
| am sure the professor will be interested
in knowing that Mr.. Allen Wardwell and Mr.
Thomas D. Thacher, who concur in Nj.
Robins's opinion. are both graduates OF Yale
University, on the faculty of which he Is
now engaged as professor of zoology. Mr..
Thacher is the greatgrandson of Jonathan
Day, onetime president OF Yale, and is a
member of the law firm of Simpson, Thacher
6, Bartlett, of New York Mr.. WardweN,
in addition to being q graduate of Yale, is
a graduate of the law school of Harvard
He is member OF the law firm Of Stetson,
Jennings e. Russell of New York. These
men have been in Russia continuously for
the last six months, and have been close and
intelligent observers of conditions there
Modus Vivendi Needed
There may we'll be differences of judc
ment to whether the Allies should for.
mally recognize the present de facto govern
! ment in Russia; but as to whether should
, make practical President Wilson's glowing
words of January and arrive promptly at
some sort of rnodus vivend with the pres.
ent ruling party in Petrograd, | think there
can be no question. This view is emphasized
by the statement that the Germans are again
planning to wage against the Bolshevik
and even to-day the German troops may be
on Russian soil, battling in behalf of the
temporary Ukranian government
May | quote from an interview printed IN
"The Washington Evening Star" os February
o, which l am certain the professor would
be glad to read? 1t is given by Colonel
TchoubakoF, of the Russian General STAFF,
attached to the Russian Embassy at Wash
lngton, the members Of which embassy hold
their commissions from the late Kerensky
government Colonel Tchoubakoff said: n
know Russia and the Russian people. =
openly declare that Russia will never have
any other government but one which wil
entirely lean upon the chief part of the pop
ulatlon-that Is to say, on the peasant and
the workman. Even if any other faction should
temporarily seize tle rule of Russia It would
be Instantly put down with great sacrifice
on the part of the higher class Al the pres
cnt time the higher class in Russia is either
passive or abusive of the present government
when they should consider II their holy duty
TO help IN the reconstruction Of Russia Of
the most democratic plans, sacrificing even
!
The wealthy Russian people think themselves
unhappy that their lands have been taken
away from them Many American slave own
I ers were also unhappy when their slaves
were set free. Now the idea of slave owning
IS quite incomprehcnsible TO the people Of
the United States"
From Follower of Kerensky
know the professor would Ike to hare
fnr4 4l,a- n
Mr.. Kerensky. DR.. David Soskice is yery
intelligent Russian, a strong ard just Iasn
who has lived for the past seventeen yesn
lr England and returned to Russia after ne
revolution. He became private secretary sna
chief adviser to Minister President KerensE
under the provisional government. and II
view of the fact that he had to so in Oh
direction and Mr.. Kerensky il another 81
the time Of the November revolution he Il
not personally very kindly disposed toWsn
the leaders of the present workingmen's gov
ernment. Yet in The London Observer" O.
Sunday, December so, 1917. DR.. Soskla
said:
THE Bolshevik, in my opinion, have been
and are in close touch with Germany b.
that ! do not mean to say that the Boz l.
shevik leaders German agents posses
no conclusive proof on that point, and ~
idea itself seems TO me 10 be unlikely. bp
judging from many facts which have @
fore NE and on looking carefully into 'N
nature and course of the armistice and pesa f.
negotiations between the Bolshevk aid W.
German government, l have come to w.
conclusion that the former must have bes'
and are still in constant communication VIZ
the German Majority Socialists"
know that the professors long stay
Freiburg has made him sufficiently acquslh'
ed with the German character to know tps'
an abandonment at this time of Russia v
the Allies would be regarded at Potsdam sS
by the German General staff with gs''
pleasure, and I sure that ne does ns
mean that we should cease to assist ~
Russian people. Surely he must also reg
as much as I do the activity OF old res'''.
Russian propaganda actively ensaseu
a campaign to poison the American 'N'
against the common people of huSsia.
WILLIAM B. THOMPSON
Palm Beach. Fla, Feb. 49, 19lss srs*