The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-03

former empire of the Romanoffs, he
might have left it alone, trusting to the
Russian people the task of securing their
own destiny. But, as he shows very
clearly, Bolshevism is confined in no such
circle. Its apOlogists and apostles are
everywhere. They desire to have US en-
brace it here in the land of Lincoln.
They would set up here the Dictatorship
of the Proletariat. These things inspire
Mr.. RusselPs relentless investigation. He
strips Bolshevism stark naked, exposes
its essential character and its intentions
and aspirations as far as these concern
the United States, and then demands of
his fellow citizens that they face the
challenge.
The story told in these pages in ad-
mirable outline is supported by an ample
volume of unimpeachable evidence, so
that its truth is established beyond ques-
ton. A 'cloud of witnesses" including
leaders of the Bolsheviki and their prin-
cipal journals, establish these facts /:
When the first Russian revolution over
turned the despotism of the old regime
the leaders of the movement addressed
themselves with sincerity, skill and wis
dom to the task of establishing In Russia
the foundations Of great democratic CO.
operative commonwealth.
They were handicapped as the states
men of reconstruction periods have rarely
been. First of all, it was necessary to
continue war which had been entered
upon by the old despotie regime, together
with an alliance achieved by that old
regime, with partners who could not
. understand the revolutionary reactions
of the Russian masses and who made
every mistake they could possibly make
by their lack of understanding, driving
the people Of Russia into exactly the
temper the statesmen Of Germany desired.
History viii, I believe, make it quite
plain and clear that one Of the principal
factors IN bringing about the overthrow
Of Kerensky and the consequent inev-
liable triumph Of the Lenine- Trotzky con-
spiracy was the singularly uninteligent
policy of Russia's allies.
Once they succeeded in overturning
the Kerensky Government, the Bolsheviki
instituted regime more oppressive, more
savagely cruel tnan that of Car Nicholas
IL, and hundred times less efficient to
provide the necessities of Life
Unlike many of those who ha. writ
ten against Bolshevism, Mr.. Raxell is
most careful to establish the competence
and trustworthiness of the witnesses upon
whose testimony he relies. He is not i'm
partial and does not pretend to be. Any
body who processes impartislity in this
great discussion is obviously insincere
and untruthful Mr.. Russelrs merit lies
in the fairness and intellectual integrity
with which he presents his case Not for
hun are the numerous sensational and un-
verified newspaper stories Of atrocities
and crimes He quotes the official or
gans of the BolsheviH and the testimony
of witnesses Of established repute for
whose veracity be can vouch. When one
has read and digested the mass of testi-
mony thus offered, the justice of Gorky's
scathing summary is realized. eve have
exchanged an autocracy of scoundrels for
an autocracy of sayages," wrote the bitter
genius.
The utter incapacity of these reckless
experimenters to carry on the economic
processes essential to a modern civilized
nation is set forth by Mr.. Russell with
memorable logic and an amplitude of de-
tailed information for which he is en-
titled to our gratitude. 1t is an old cry,
levelled tauntingly against the Socialists,
that in the Socialist movement there are
too many who want to manage the world,
while they have not demonstrated their
capacity to manage the simplest business.
In the DAYS when he was still n Socialist