Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-02-05
Russian Socialist Experiment.
(By II. H. Windsor. In the February Populal
Mechanics Magazine.)

There are apparently IS many kinds
OF socialists In Russia as there are
varieties of grapes in vineyard. These
range all the way from nihilists and
bomb throwers to quite conservative
thinkers. At any rate, the word social.
ist in Russia and here, for instance,
means quite different things In many
respects. It might almost be said that
any man or party In Russia who Ii anti
czar, calls itself socialist.
It is unfortunate in more ways than
one that Germany has 80 speedily
dominated Russia-or apparently 60
for It would have been interesting to
have watched how some fond theories,
long cherished, 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 committees of
privatea; for one of the first acts of the
bolsh heviki was to form committee of
three from the ranks In each company,
which was to decide what their company
would do, and instruct the officers to
carry ont such decision. Even Kerensky
and bis cabinet associate, Savinkov, who
soon after the revelation abolished the
death penalty In both military and civil
life, recently acknowledged to dis
tinguished American that to their great
regret the ideal they had cherished prov.
cd to be impossible in these days, and
after some weeks were obliged to return
to the old way. And the same was true,
they stated, in regard to other ideala; ali
right In theory, but In practice failure.
At the date of this writing, and from
our distance, 1t would appear that
Russia wss lost to democracy and that
by German intrigue she had merely OK.
changed GEAR for kaiser. Eighty.five
per cent of tho Russians are flliterate,
and In their new-found freedom many
OF these have az wild expectations as the
southern negroes when as suddenly set
free. On the other hand, the very fact
Of many political parties OF socialists
gives expectation that Russia will not
tpermsneptly be sacrificed 10 the igDe-
rance and gullibility of the bolsbeviki,
whose present leader is German who
has changed his name to q Russian one.
| That distinguished physician. DR..
Frank Billings, Of Chicago, with the
rank of lleutenapt colonel, recently went
to Russia ct the head Of the Red Cross
Mission. With unusual courtesies at
bis command he travelled Russia and
Siberia extensively, talking with repre-
sentative men everywhere. The cabinet
in control at this writing is the seventh,
but DR.. Billings points out that each
sucoeeding cabinet, by evolution, brings
the national condition to . higher level
than before. His observation - to the
intelligence, ability and conduct of the
masses there, 10 of q most encouraging
nature, and places tho Russian Citizen
as whole on very much higher plane
|thau We have been accustomed to regard
him. They are keen business men, sur
prisingly skillful In oil manner OF handi
oraft, thrifty, good-natured, and vi:t
freedom and education have the making
OF nation Of world leaders. II, there'
fore, German intrigue finally fails there
a. German arms already have, We may
yet count Russia among tho republics
and In the meantime We must be patient
and can be hopeful that right and Justice
VIII, IN good season, fols free Russia