Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1919-05-15
eY WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE.

sleep of the bear strange dreams
have been passing, and some ac-
count must be taken of them. For
he has been a starved bear and
wakes up hungry and mad. Every
week brings some new visitor
from Russia to Paris, and they all
tell one story. 1t has various
fringes; those who believe in the
bolshevists see the thing from one
angle; those who hate them see
the thing from another angle. But
all see the same important thing:
In central Russia, in so called So
Wet Russia, the Russia of Lenine
and Trotzky, famine has carried
.off hundreds of thousands, pos
sibly millions. In the city of
Petrograd alone for four months
the death rate has been more than
400, 900 a month. Not a child
there under 2 years old. is living.
Babies die for want of nourishment.
and food prices are fantastic. Famine.
has put an awful mark on Russia, inc
this IL true OF all Russia. inside ana
outside of the Gordon o the soviet
government. Fact No. 2. which all
agree upon. is that the terror for the
moment has ceased. Those who be-
lieve in the ~bolshevists declare that IL
Ia no longer necessary to preserve
order. Those who hate them declare
that famine has rendered the people
helpless, and that there is no resist
ance to bolshevist rule because the
people have lost oil spirit.
Fact No. 3 is that industry IL par
nlyzed. There is no coal. At first men
would not work; now they are too
weak to work. And even il there was
coal, there Is no transportation to move
It from the mines.
Men at first refused 60 work ia the
railroad repair shops and keep the roll.
Anp stock and motor department in re.
,uair; now they cannot lift the burdens
.re0uired 90 do che repairing, n the
,railroad shops are checked with engines
,neediuq rspairs which mon are too
weak 10 make, and the few engines
cumming are almost iifsisss pulses in
che social body. The street cars run
tbut 4 few hours . day, n the water
splanto in the cities Y only long
.swoush 20 supply drinking. and eeoksnc!
rwatsr. All retail stores in-leseow =
,ths cities are boarded up. Food md
.eiothiNo only are sold, and they come
from communal stores whose wares
have the preference on the railroads.
private enterprise Ia not merely
Broken; 1t ia virtually gone. { NO.
4 In anomalous: The army Is strong
and we'll fed. No II denies that.
Those who defend the b~olshevissa de-
clare that the peasants feed the army.
.Fhoso who attack the b~olshevlsts de-
-cieare that the boishevist army Is Ike
= crooked mutual company whose new
business pays It's daily losses. That IS
20 say, the victories of the army in new
.Serritory furnish loot which keeps the
army going; loot attracts men to NJ
for food, for themselves and for theii
families. No one may say without
question that the fighting strength OF
the bolsheylsts, which a been
steadily growing, is due to their abil-
lily to live off the enemy. No one dis
spulcssthes fact that many middle
officers of tho cars old army now
are with the b~olshevists. But soldierss
families are fed by h state. and a
man4Will fight In Russia rather tnan
% eee hts children die. And unless
No does fight they certainly Will de
Eact No. S: The b~olshevtsts are
ssaiuing the support OF n peasants.
who. until winter came. were against
:buinhevism rather openly. and always
sccrctely. This, explanations are these:
Thc antl-holahcvists Observers insist
inst the peasants have besn ~