Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-07-04
Will Russia Rise Again?

THE allied governments have extended
recognition to the Kolchak government in
Russia. They have held out their hand to
the struggling millions OF men and women
in that blghted country. They have offered
moral and material assistance TO the one
element in the old empire that seems to
promise regeneration and civilization once
more. They are withdrawing their armies
from the Archangel area as signal that they
want Russia to set its own house i'll order, TO
return by its own processes to decent stan
dards of living and TO achieve its own destiny.
1t is far too soon to pronounce the recog-
milton OF the Omsk government the stroke
that will break Bolshevism. But il is not
too soon to applaud that action as a mark
of wisdom on the part of the powers which
are striving for peace and law and order
where chaos. terrorism and lunacy have
reigned for more than two years. 1t is not
the part of the allied governments to inter-
rcne in Russia. 1t is not their part to send
powerful army to overrun that country to
set up a military dictatorship and to rule with
iron an alien people
1t may be assumed that a few hundreds OF
thousands of veteran troops from France
without great difficulty could subdue Russia.
drive the Bolshevists to cover, seize and
occupy Petrograd. Moscow and Odessa, set
up domestic regime and enforce its DEGREES,
for time. Russia is not prepared to offer
serious resistance to such move. but moth
ing of permanent nature could be gained
by it. The minute the entente withdrew it's
armies. Russia would return to state of
anarchy. Civil war would return from end
TO end of the nation. and the only actual
achievement would be the loss OF few thou
sand OF precious lives, the expenditure of
few hundreds of millions of dollars and pos
sibly the spread of Boshevist doctrine
throughout all Europe.
1t is far better To allow Russia to fight
his fight out itself. If there is to be a new
regime reared on the wreck of Boshevism,
that regime should be set up by Russians.
manned by Russians, supported and protected
by Russians II kolchak and his associates
overcome the Lenine forces by their own
might, they may hope TO endure. If they
establish constitutional government in the
old empire and buttress IL with guarantees
of life, liberty and property rights, they can
deal the Soviet a deathblow. and once
sovietism dies in Russia, il will gradually
perish throughout all Europe. When the
source of any evil is removed the evil itself
soon disappears.
Whether Admiral Kolchak has the strength
to make winning fight even with allied
recognition remains to be seen but ii is
clearly evident that he is the only man in
the country who promises victory. He has
withstood the assaults Of the Boshevist
forces for more than year. He has stood
his ground when all the other counter
revolutionists have been driven from the field
and he has now cemented the anti Bolshevist
factions into a solid front. With such aid as
he may expect from the allied powers and
with his fair promises OF constitutional gov
eminent, he may prove to be Russia s de-
lverer Ii he does, all the world will ac-
claim him and give him cordial welcome
into the family Of civilized nations