The Topeka state journal., 1918-07-25
One Million Soldiers Deserted
in 1915 Under Gar.
Revolution Broke Up Machin-
cry of Government.
THE BOLSHEVIKl DID THE REST
Placed Empire in the Clutches
of Hun Militarists.
BO1Sheyiki Can Never Restore
Order in Russia.
BY JOSEPH vEKsLER sHAPLEN.

BY JOSEPH vEKSLER SHAPLEN.
| Copyright, 1918. Nv The United Press)
Stockholm, July 25.-Altho the
fourth year of the war was marked
by the complete disorganization of
| Russia, both militarily and politically,
| the country was really out of the war
in 1915, when more than a million SOL
diers deserted from the army. Only
the czarist censorship prevented the
| truth from becoming known to the
world at that time
The tremendous shaking up of the
already disorganized national fabric
caused by the revolution, in addition
to the many complications both inter-
nal and external from which the revo-
| luton found itself una BILE to escape
when peace was most needed in order
to solve these numerous problems and
| repair the terrible consequences of
war-opened the road to Bolshevism
and threw Russia into the clutches of
! German imperialism, whose seal was
finally set with the Brest-Litovsk
treaty.
So far as military operations in the
! year 1917-1S are concerned, there
We're hardly any worth the name with
the exception of Korniloffs drive to-
wards Halicz, which really belongs to
the end of the third year of the war.
This offensive, which was carried out
| largely on account of pressure brought
to bear by the allied representatives
in Petrograd, was at first most sue
cessful The Russians captured kalush
and had advanced as far as the sub
urbs of Halicz. Then, they were
hurled back by German reinforce
ments who not only recaptured Tarn-
opol but the entire triangle of Voly-
nian ortresses-Royno, Dubno and
| Lutsk,
Boost for BoIshevism.
The disorganization of the Russian
army now appeared complete The
| failure of the offensive proved to be
a great boost for Bolshevism, and
Korniloff's subsequent advance upon
Petrograd served to pour oil on the
Bolshevist flames. Shortly before the
| latter circumstance, Riga had been
taken, and Korniloff had been accused
of deliberately surrendering it in order
to arouse Bolshevik resentment
and halt the growth Of Bolshevik
propaganda. These events, plus the
German attacks under Linsingen prior
to Korniloff's drive for Hahcz ana
which the Russians with consider
able losses parried, finished their mill
itary operations for 1917.
AS for naval operations, the Ger
mans, utilizing Riga as a base, landed
troops and occupied Oesel, Moon ana
Dabgo islands AtNfirst they succeed
ed in bottling Dip the Russian fleet. but
the latter by a really clever manoeuvre
managed to escape from the periious
Moon Sound.
| The end of 1917 saw the triumph
Of the Bolsheviki and the, separate
peace with the central powers, with
all its disastrous copsequences- Rus
| sia lost Poland, Lithuania, the Baltic
| provinces. Ukraine Bessarabia, Fin
land and part of the Caucasus And
the losses in the last named are likely
! to increase in view of the general dis
organization in that quarter, the disso-
opening the road to Turkish aggres-
sion.
Big loss of Territory.
/ The appalling character of these
| losses is evident when it is considered
that they comprise 100000 square
versts "a verst is SIS of mile) of
territory with population of 46,O00,-
900. This decrease in the area of the
Russian republic is slightly less than
40 per cent. but the lost provinces are
the most fertile and most populous of
the entire country.
The lost territory had total bread
! and potato production, conservatively
estimated, of 2,S96.000, 900 puds. GA
pud or pood is 1907 pounds.) In 9TH
er words the arabic area is reduced
27 per cent. and crops lessened 81
i per cent.
III T.
500 versts. out of total of $4,000, or
about one-fourth. This loss is even
more serious than the mileage fig
ures indicate, inasmuch as the sur
rendered territory includes many of
Russia's most important railway juno
tions.
Prior to the var Russia's total an
nual production in manufactures was
$500, 100000 rubles Ca ruble equals
SIS cents); the number of workmen
employed was 2.075.o00 and the num-
Der of machines in use was 1.457.000.
The reductions now represent 925.-
100000 rubles. $4,000 workmen. and
SIS, 900 machines. or respectively 33
per cent, 20 per cent. and SO per cent.
In coal and iron output, the basis
of all Industry in Russia, the reduction
is even more startling. Before the
war Russia produced annually 2.000.-
600. 900 puds of coal and 260.ooo,0 900
puds Of Iron. Present Russia can pro-
duce only 1000. 900 puds of coal and
70,000,000 puds of iron.
Wipes Out Development.
These figures mean that Russia's
twenty years is practically wiped out
as a result Of the 4th year of the war
the sabotag ge of the Russian peace
program and the policy Of the Boil
sheviki.
The big question now Is whether
Russia can withstand such b1ood-let-
ting. In opposing the forces of i'm
perialism she faces her severest battle
for political and economic independ-
ence. Only the speedfest reorganfza-
ton of the nations physical and
) human material can prevent Russia IS
falling into the status Of China or
Turkey.
The task is too big for the Bolshe-
Wiki. Only the united efforts of the
whole democracy Of the country by
means of a real constituent assembly
can save her
The 4th year of the war saw Rus
sia's great revolution and Russia s
great fall.
Will the 5th year be the year Of her
|