The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-06-29

In the current Atlantic monthly, an American
woman gives a most vivid picture Of life in
rural Russia under Bolshevik rule. Several Of
her letters written to a friend during the latter
part of 1917 are published Here is a brief ex-
cerpt from one Of them:
"As I came home kept thinking Of the
complex character Of the seemingly sim
pie peasant Every Of those today po-
lite, smiling neighbors, who are threatening
us have been the means of our ruin; for
BortnIh Is ruined. Their whole herd this
moment, I write, in our fields de-
stroying next years crop Of rye and
clover. They openly say they will rifle our
barn and granartes and house. Our timber,
which is sold, and we had hoped would have
been cut during the summer and payment
made every two weeks, is still standing the
buyers being afraid to work. we cannot
get cent that way. The absolute anarchy
and lawlessness is awful. One of Ckas
classmates here this summer. His father,
admiral, very genial, kindly chief,
loved by all, was brutally murdered in bed
simply because he was an officer. His ears
and nose were cut off and eyes gouged out
while alive.
Those were the conditions nearly a year
ago, before the real Reign Of Terror began.
The chaos in Faussia now must be indescribabe.
John r. Mott put it in very simple words the
other day when he said: 1.-THE heart of America
is in France.
1t is true beyond all questioning.
All the old standards Of life seem swept away.
The old interests and ambitions seem lifeless.
Old enthusiasms seem trifling now.
Money and position are not so important as
they once WERE
Most of the men who remain at home would
gladly exchange their position and their stand
ing in the business world for suit Of khaki
and a private's pay tomorrow. If it were feasi-
ble Most women who remain at home would
prefer to be Over there" nursing or working
in army huts, if they did not have to carry on"
at home.
Americas heart, truly, is in France and moth
ing else matters very much.
If the agony" columns OF The London Times
reflect the life Of England in war time. what
about the advertising columns Of the Trieste
newspapers?
A correspondent of The New York World tele-
graphs from Rome some of the advertisements
published in Trieste.
Here is one of them:
viii exchange single bed complete with
furnishing for one chic 1.-TWO pounds) Of raw
coffee.
Here's another:
"Wdu exchange a christening veil for cooking
oil; a pair Of working overalls for pound Of
fat.
Another desperate householder says: II want
a linen sheet to make dress Of; will pay cash
or exchange for some yellow flour"
They are getting back to first principles in
Austria Money appears to be. no longer uni
versal medium Of exchange. When money won't
buy anything 1t loses its desirability.
The college youth who works his way up the
Great lakes on a freighter, takes side-door
Pullman to the wheat fields, and earns pocket
money for the fall term while he is hardening
his muscles in the fields win be conspicuous
by his absence this year.
The boys who have not gone into the service
are fIocldng to the shipyagds attracted by the
lure of high wages paid to riveters In the ship
yards win be found many a gang composed Of
students from the colleges and universities.