New-York tribune., 1919-01-14
The Russian Menace
TO the Editor of The Tribune.

CIR: Has it not become fully evident
- that before a stable peace can be made,
or the foundation laid for a possible
league Of nations in the future, order must
be restored in Russia? 1t is also per-
fccty certain that this result cannot be
reached without assistance from the out
side, and this assistance ought to come
and only from the Allies and
ourselves. 1t is duty that we owe. in the
first place. to Russia. She has always been
our friend. and had it not been for her
hard fighting, attended by immense losses,
in the early stages of the war. France
would undoubtedly have been overrun, the
Allies beaten and enormous payments ex-
acted from Us by the German fleet.
Again, We owe it to ourselves. Boil
shevsm Ike the influenza, is in the air. and
is spreading with the same rapidity and the
same deadly results. The only way to
Deal with it is to stamp it out at its
source. Killed there, it would die every
where.
We owe it also TO the cause of liberty
and humanity. Our President is proclaim
ing in European capitals that we entered
the war to destroy tyranny and to secure
humanity. and while he is making this
boast tyranny is being spread and hu-
manity outraged within easy reach of our
forces, and we sit supine. Never in all
history has there been such cold booded
calculating. deliberate and persistent
cruelty and wchedness as is practised by
the Bolsheviki. They began by dispensing
the constitutional convention. and entered
at once upon prolonged campaign Of
torture. robbing and murder, with the de-
care9 purpose Of eXterminatng every one
with property education, destroying the
only possible basis for anything like gov
ernment for at least generation back, and
making peace in Europe or a league of ma
tons impossible.
T. is understood to be due wholly to the
unwillngness Of our administration to
act that Bolshevsm was not put down
at its inception Great Britain France and
Japan wanted to send sufficient force to
put it down. but we-or rather he-toOl.
the ground that the Bolsheviki probably
would be offended if any one i.lterfered
ard insisted Oh the adoption Of the same
weak. vac.lating. neither one thing nor
the other. worse ,han useless policy that
brought US such disgrace and humiliation
in Mexico. We have sent altogether too
few men to Russia to be of any use and
altogether too many to be sacrificed, as
they seem likely to be-
Last May had a most interesting talk
With the woman who commanded what was
known as the Battalion Of Death She
was fine looking. upstanding peasant. and
spoke with great earnestness and fuency.
She said she had Just Aecn all over Russia
among the peasants and that they were
eager to be rid Of the Bolshevik oppression
and ruin and that if we and the Allies
would send joint force Of 100000 men t.
their rescue the would rally against them
and drive the tYrants out. Above all things
she urged immediate help, saying it would
be effective then. but that delay wou'd be
fatal and truly it has been. Our govern
ment. has acted with the same lack OF
judgment. fores ght preparedness aad
executive ability that it exhibited at the
beginning Of the way, and a humane and
valorous California Senator is urging that
our forces be withdrawn and Russia left
to ute ruin VETERAN
Washington, d. c.. Jan. TO- 1919.