Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-03-03

Does not every American feel
that assurances has been added to
our hope for the future peace OF
the world by the wonderful and
heartening things that have been
happening within the past few
week in Russia? Russia was known
by those who knew it best to have
been always in fact democratic at
heart, in all the vital habits of her
thought, in all the intimate relation
ships of her people that spoke their
natural instinct, their habitual atti-
tude towards life. The autocracy
that crowned the summit of her
political structure, long as it had
stood, and terrible as was the re-
atty of its power, was not in fact
Russian in origin, character or pur-
pose; and now it has been shaken
off and the great, generous Russian
people have been added in all their
native majesty and might to the
forces that are fighting for freedom
in the world, for justice and for
peace. Here is a fit partner for a
league of honor"
Illusion Shattered.
Many things have eventuated
since that confident declaration
Happenings in Russia have rudely
shattered Mr.. Wilson's illusion that
the Russian democracy could be
taken into full partnership with the
league of nations without any period
of probation and could be relied
upon from the start to be an Efficient
and valuable partner. Undoubtedly
Mr.. Wilson has been obliged re-
gretfully to revise his opinion.
But despite his disappointment in
the Russians-and to him inquest
tionably the Russian chaos is a
great and shocking disappointment
the president has not changed his
attitude of friendliness toward the
Russian people and their aspira-
tions. He has been adamant to the
suggestions that the best interests
of civilization demanded that the
Russian bolsheviks be made to feel
the iron hand of the other allied
powers of Europe and of the United
States. He has felt that would be
both an unwise and an ungrateful
course. He has remained firm in the
conviction, against the most insis-
tent and most powerful persuasion,
that the best way to meet the de-
plorable and difficult conditions in
Russia is through kindness and rea-
son rather than by harshness and
force.
He gave his consent to American
participation in the military in
vasion of northern Russia only be-
cause he was led to believe that such
an expedition would be the best way
to afford opportunity for the peo-
pie of Russia 10 express their will
as to the character of government
under which they wished to live.
He did not believe the government
of tyranny, established by Lenine
and Trotzky represented the real
wishes of the Russian people, but
was inclined to regard it as an aux
iliary of German autocracy whose
aim, primarily, was to aid Ger
many, even though the aiding of
Germany involved the ruin of Rus
STA.
Has Been Failure.
It is now abundantly evident, in
fact alarmingly so, that this expe-
dition has been great failure. That
is admitted even by those who are
still unwilling to concede that the
expedition was undertaken under a
complete misconception of the Rus
sian peoples real attitude.
But President Wilson still re-
mains undiscouraged in his desire
to find out what the real attitude
and purpose of the Russians are and
ascertain whether it be not possible