Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-02-04
"BOLSHEVISM"

L UI
Boston. Feb. 4.-when- Halley's'
comet made its last appearance, a few
years ago, there was uneasiness in
some minds. A similar uneasiness ex-
lists today with reference to "Bolshev-
ISM" which has swum into our ken
without any antecedent knowledge
on our part of such phenomena. Will
it hit the earth with destructive Inn
pact? While the financial and indus
trial mind OF New England does not,
tingency is nevertheless being actively
It is easy to see why Bolshevi.m
named into being in Europe, but it is
hard to see why it should gain any
ascendency in this country. Those
who read CARLYLE and the older his
toflans OF the French revolution have
no difficulty in explaining the storm
ing OF the bastille and the subsequent
events eliminating in the Ninth Their
midor. Yet those events pale beside
the occurrences which seem to have
~precipitated the present frenzy in
Eussia: The two situations are alike
philosophers of the eighteenth cen
fury, sowing seeds of political discon.
tent, have their counterpart in the
Russian intellectuals of the nineteenth
and twentieth centuries. But the prox-
innate causes Of the two revolutions
were very dissimilar.
Why Russia. Went Mad.
What Infatuated the Russian masses
was the discovery that their govern
ment, acting as individuals at least.
had sold the Russian troops to the
Germans, and Furthermore wal strip
ping Russia of food and sending 1t
into Germany. This a t least. is the
! E4V the situation 10 vi1tSn4a =, 49,
petent persons who were in Russia
during the whole of the war and who
witnessed the revolution and the out
burst of B~olshevism. II appears to be
a case Of rage and despair, Of impo-
sition and suffering beyond the limit
a ar hym an3 e snaaranee' ending in an
spread outside OF Russia is naturally
a question of first Importance. So
many astounding things have hap
pened in the last four years that
prophecy has become practically a lost
art. Common n is, however, a
sense applied to present world prob
lens is calculated to allay the appre-
hension created in so many minds by
the recent happenings in Russia.
The attempt to foist Bolshevism on
the Germans is not as yet very suc-
EIoStut' anu pToOdOly rev persons at
this financial center whose judgment
is Of value have any real fear that it
is going to be. 1t is believed that the
thing in its essence is foreign to the
Ieutonic mind and temperament.
That things should be out Of adjust
ment in Germany is not surprising
when n considers the economic
been reduced by war and the disband-
ing-of armies habituated for more
than four years to plumber and law
lessness. This. however. by no means
implies that the German People have
lost their grip upon themselves. The
German masses; it is believed. are In
telllgent enough to know that they
have everything to lose and nothing
to gain by following in the footsteps
OF the Russians.
Basis OF Radicalism.
II this is true Of Germany it is GER
tainly true of all the other nations to
whom in the past we have been in the
vanced." That anything like regime
of Bolshevism is possible in this coun-
try is regarded as absurd. 1t is pos
sible, however, that we may expert
ence some reflex from B~olshevisn,.
ttadtcals are always the loudest talk
ceptional opportunity of getting and
holding the ear Of legislators. While
few persons have any fear of a social
AND economic overturn such az. has
occurred in Russia, a good many are
a~pprehensive of governmental action,
OF n sort or another. which may de-
lay the nation in improving the indus
tral opportunities created for US by
the changed status Of the world in the
last four years.
Frankly, the thing that is really
troubling the financial and Industrial
mind OF New England IL the. spectre
50 constantly raised of labor agitae
ton Yet. after all. the Fundamental
1eeling is that the labor situation will
reach an automatic settlement, devoid
Oh violence or a too excessive dose Of
uneconomic governmental interview
ton. Labor in this section is talking
a good deal about its aims and pur-
poses. but at the same time members
of-the labor class are, sensibly adjust
ing themselves to curtailments and to
shutdowns. present and prospective,
land are looking about for new jobs Al
1.-The market rate for labor.
y 1t now remains to BIZ seen II labor
will demand, by governmental means,
enough more to impose a dead hand
On industry. This. in a word, is the
.6ne thing that is in everybody's mind.
BY Its mere control OF the railroads
the telegraph, and the telephone, the
government has acquired an extraor-
binary voice in fixing the labor wage
scale of the whole country. II at the
behest OF organized labor 1t carries its
policy OF the past Yea to- an ever
more advanced point, the enectSupon
private industry will. tits fear, be de.
terring rather than stimulating.-N