The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-19
70 REcoNsTrTUrE THE RUS
|: 80 SIAN FRONT. 81. .
The Menace Of German Control From
the Baltic TO the PseiAc-Ursent
Necessity Of Prompt Work in
SiberIa--Are We DOiur Enouehi

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Necessity Of Prompt Work in
Siberia--Are We Doing Enoushi
To THE EDITOR OF THE suN-sr: The
wonderful success Of the allied offen-
sive on the front in France brings all
the problems of the war into focus.
Speculation as to future events out
side of France runs riot. The condi-
tons in Germany itself as the great
snake Of the German army shifts its
coils back of the Hindenburg line
rivet attention. Shall we find the
disheartened Germans turning upon
the Junkers and militarists preparatory
to tearing down the Government Of
the wretched Kaiser, dethroning like
wise the kings Of Bavaria, Saxony
and Wurtemburs, and then moving
FOR a free government with the Ger
man people ruling the Republic of
Germany? Or shall we find their war
obsession deepen with despair, and the
necessity Of pushing our victory
through blood and Are to Berlin be
forced upon US? The critics differ.
The prophets have contradictory
voices. The campaign in italy looms
up once more. Shall Austria, de-
serted by Germany. fall suddenly to
pieces and beg or make q peace
Shall an onrush by the Allies bring
them to Vienna while Germany fights
for her Kaiser's life? What shall
come Of the Salonica forces still upon
the flank Of Bulgaria. still watching
Serbia? Varying answers are given,
but as to one front there Is positive
unanimity, namely, the front in
Russia.
Every critic Of note on the allied
side and every German critic sees in
the Russian situation the most i'm
portant issue Of the times. The Amer
lean people should see 1t too. A tre-
mendous change has taken place with
In two months. In the sixty days Of
July and August the war situation in
France has heen reversed. With
great German armies sweeping with
| terrific rumble, irresistibly as it
seemed. on the road to Paris, and other
great German armies threatening and
expected to crash through to Calais,
the situation in Russia was just as
important in the eyes Of the watchers
OF the war. The whole game seemed
in the greedy German hands--in
France. the Balkans, Italy. and Rus
STA. The coming Of the Americans,
the genius of General Foch, splendid
generalship all around, the fighting
qualities OF the French, British and
Americans, have wrought the military
miracle. The truth that was latent in
1914, when, after the Marine battle,
Germany's, attempt to reach the Eng
lish Channel failed, has become clear
even to German comprehension now
her invasion OF France has failed def
nitely. decisively. But the Russian
situation, looms larger than ever.
| Russia in chaos. Russia dividing up
into separate and conflicting states
and types OF government. groups rath-
or than peoples ruling, and one OF
them-the Bolshevik!-under the COM
mand Of absolute traitors to Russia
The Russian army distntegrated, and
Germany with.a relatively small force
working her will. BY her treaty with
the Bolsheviki Germany claims lord
ship over the latest provinces. OF
northern and western Russia in Eu.
rope. By her treaty with the Ukraine
she seizes control Of the granaries OF
southwestern Russia to the Grimes
and the Black Sea. Her hand is now
loosely grasping all this. with but an
uniformed mass Of Russian opinion and
unorgarrized populations to say her
nay. Give US Ave years OF such con-
ditions," say the Germans, land We
Shall knit this Russia to Germany SO
that no one can detect the seam" II
they lose in France, but can keen
things going the German way in Rus
sia Germany will have fought a win
ming war. One military critic has
pointed out that II Germany retires to
her western frontier she can fight our
advance so grimly that 1t might take
years to reach Berlin. and In the
meantime Germany, IL let alone in
Russia. could muster Russian mar
power to her armies, bring Russian
wheat to her people and give Russian
trade to her industries until the world
will to war was fought to a standstill
That is why the Russian situation
looms SO large. Not that it is greater
In our accounting. but that it stands
out more markedly and seems more
threatening. When the counsels Of de
SPAR are added to her greed, Ger.
many may easily be moved to more
intense action: she may take UP the
intensive conquest OF Russia with 4
new determination. Should she sue,
coed in Russia, Germany may make
any peace the Allies ran enforce ant
be In position to renew at her pleasure
the war for French, a Belgian or {
Holland footing on the North Sea
Let us get this well into our heads
and act as becomes us.
) The menace OF a German powe
whose mandates would reach from tn
German Ocean to the Pacific Ocean a
Nladivostok, covering all northern an,
middle Europe TO the Ural Mountain
and then stretching through Siberi
to China. is a real one. The question
Is how It can be dissipated.
|. 1t is no secret that the great allie
Powers have recognized that for tn
main part Russia. must save herself
But they have also recognized that 1
Is necessary to help Russia to tax
and keep that stand-to help her SUI
hciently. 1t was feared by some tina
the Russians would not understan
allied assistance that had arms in it
hands: that the Bolsheviki would ca
the allies invaders; that German prop
uganda would have a great weapon 70
bringing Russians over to the German
way of thinking. The clearest heade
, knew that we must risk all that; an
the event has proved 1t. When a sma
, allied force landed on the bleak Muir