Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-11-09
MORE BOOKS
ABOUT RUSSIA
accounts Of the Struggles for
Set-Espression by the Siaus
Written by Observers

The real book about Russia since
March of last year remains to be writ
ten' and it probably cannot be written
Tor some years. In the meantime every
book about the country which apnears
is read eagerly by the large and in
creasing American public anxious 10
understand what happened. -Four new
ones have appeared within month
written by observers Of one kind or
another. They are "tnchained Russia '
by Charles Edward Russell. a Socialist
who was member of the Root commis-
sion: THE Red Heart Of Russia" bv
Bessie Beatty, a correspondent of the
San Francisco Bulletin, who spent six
months or so of last year studying con-
ditlons in various parts Of the country;
six Red Months in Russia by Louis
Bryant. the wife of John Reed, Social
list, describing the work Of the BoIshe-
wiki, and "The City of Trouble" by
Meriel Buchanan, daughter Of the Brit
ish ambassador in Petrograd, who
writes from Athe point of view Of the
embassy.
Each OF these books is worth while
because each contains information and
each approaches the subject from point
of view different from the others. If
there Is any likeness IL is between the
books of Mrs. Reed and Mr.. Russell
The purpose Of Mrs. Reed seems to have
been to interpret the Bolsheviki, who
are Socialists and internationalists as
sympathetically as possible and to de-
fend what they have set out to do.
She denies many of the sensational
stories that have come out of the coun-
try and her version of what happened
is certainly plausible. The BolSheviki
are not fiends and she insists that they
are conscientiously striving for what
they regard as the good of the people.
She denies Indignantly the charge that
either Lenine or Trotzky has received
German gold and she explains that the
famous old woman who was known as
the grandmother of the revolution lived
For a while in a single room on the top
door of the Winter Palace, and not in
tn, Cars apartments, and that she
remained in the palace becauseTrotz-
sky insisted. Most of her book was
printed originally in the public Ledger
Mr.. Russell is as sympathetic with
the BolsheViN as Mrs. Heed. lie was
the one member of the Root Commission
who could get in close touch with the
Russian leaders and the only member
with whom those leaders seemed to
care to deal. lie traversed the ground
that has been traversed before in dis
cussng the work of the women, the
the fail of the Car, the mission and
purpose of Lenine and Trotzky, but he
does it not from the point of view of
Il Newspaper writer, but from that OF
student of political institutions lie has
set out to try to explain that the Rus
slams are engaged in an Industrial as
we'll as in political revolution and
to show the difficulties that beset their
path He does It well.
Miss Beatty's book is SPLENDID piece
of newspaper reporting. 1t is brilliant
and impartial She and Mrs Reed were
together when some Of the events de-
scrbed happened. Her story is that
of an observer. Mrs. Reeds story is
that partisan of the leaders in the
revolution. They both tell OF the fall
of the Constituent Assembly and OF the