Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-05-25
ALLIES MAY Send
SOLDIERS TOS|DERIA
TO FIGHT BOLSHEV|K
Persistent RlInlor Of linden
burg's Death Throughout
West Front
By ]. w. T. Mason,

New York, May 25.-A new agita-
ton to attempt to persuade the allies
to send a military expedition into
Siberia is gathering headway.
1t shows evidence of being primary
to desire to discredit the bolsheviki
and drive them from power. A strong
force sent into Siberia to overpoweI
the bolsheviki might possibly be sue.
cessful in causing a reaction against
Trotsky and Lenine in Moscow and
Petrograd, but there is no certainty as
to this result. The two leaders of the
bolsheviki have successfully withstood
far more serious developments much
nearer home.
Even with Trotsky and Lenine over
thrown, there is no guarantee that
their successors would be able to car
ry Russia back into the war, which
would be the dominant objective of an
allied military movement in Siberia.
On the contrary, even more radical and
less experienced men might secure con-
troll of Russia s affairs and Russia in
her perplexity might throw herself un.
reservedly into Germany's arms.
The one basic fact in the situation
is that if Russian people really desire
to ally themselves with Germany, nc
army sent into Siberia can prevent
them. Russia is too big and Germany
is too near for that. The Russians are
now anti-German because German mill
tarism has fixed upon policy of ruth
less suzerainty over the Slavs. But, il
the allies engaged in Siberian mill
tary demonstration, there is every
reason to expect that Russian agitators
will charge that the western democratic
nations are as imperialistic as Ger
many. ~
Under this accusation the Russians
may despair of disinterested assistance
from any quarter, and may plunge
permanently into the sphere of Teu
tonic influences The treatment of Rus
sia by the allies is a matter that re
uuires the utmost delicacy. 1t is prop
erly an American war problem, since
America is in the war to help save tn
world for democracy. In tie final ad
iustments after the war, if Russia i
found to have been alienated from th
western democracies, the result woul'
be exploited by Germany and woul'
have grave consequences.
Russia cannot be treated like
naughty child to be spanked into goo
behavior. The allies cannot spanl
Russia without hurting themselves
Patience and far sighted vision of tn
new Russia that will arise in tn
future must be the guiding factors i
handling the situation. There is some
thing sacred about revolution
Monuments sometimes come to b
erected even to its excesses.
Is Hindenburg Dead
The persistent rumor of Won Hin
denburg's death, which is being re
peated by captured German prisoners
is the strongest evidence that has ye
appeared Of realization by German.
Of the failure of Won Hindenburg
west front offensive.
There is no reason for believing tina
Won Hindenburg really is physically i
the grave, but it is unquestionably tru
that the rumprs to this effect hav
originated in the kaiser's army to ex
plain Won Hindenburg's enforced hal
in Flanders and Picardy with hi
major objective unattained. Reports o
the deaths of high commanders neve
arise spontaneously in a-.y army Will
victories are being won. 1t is the in
stinctive realization among the privat
soldiers that matters are going wrong
which starts such tales.
Won Hindenburg's long pause Will
; Ypres and Amiens remain uncapture
and the allied lines continue unbroker
must have created much pessimism il
the German ranks 1t is this pessimisr
. which now manifests itself in the re
port that Won Hindenburg has sacri
feed himself to his own machine 0
slaughter. The effect of the rumo
must be profound upon the morale o
the German troops.
; That the kaiser himself realizes tn
prevalence Of a new spirit of unrest
amply demonstrated by his own recen
efforts to explain away the break j
the west front fighting His ne'
; argument, however, cannot fool any
body. 1t is but mockery Of the vas
) numbers of new German dead for tn
kaiser to proclaim the desirability Q
awaiting patiently the fruits Of VII
tory without further sacrifice rathe
than to attempt to gain immediate sue