The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-03
By FRANK A. VANDERBILT.
CHAPTER XIII.
The Power Of Minorities.

w THOEvER has hope for hui
M manity, whoever believes in
democracy, Is convinced that
the great mass Of the people is right
minded. well intentioned and. despite
local alterations. that the voice Of the
great majority il a wise voice. One
comes to a comfortable optimism that
things will work out well in the end II
the majority rules.
One OF the most startling impress
sions which I have received in Europe
is that the majority do not rule and
that sometimes minorities, apparently
almost inconseauentialiy small. may
grasp power and WELD 1t In amazing
fashion. II this 10 30 we cannot rest
comfortably in the assurance that
majorities are right minded and that
!. right mindedness win control destinies
where majorities have the ostensible
political power.
war Illustrates Minority's Power.
Perhaps the most awful illustration
Of ell time Of the terrible power Of a
minority is to be found In the starting
OF the great war itself. The power OF
that numerically insignificant party
OF Prussian militarists to throw q
whole world into q cataclysm has nc
; parallel. But here It may be stated
there was no free play Of the voice
of democracy and that a great people
had no volition but had too follow
where they were led.
Let us take another illustration
Perhaps 100. 10000 people of the 49,
o0o, 900 that once constituted Russia
have passed under the sway Of 9
Boishevik regime. although the true
adherents TO that political theory
probably numbered less than 5 pei
cent OF the population involved. TIL,
most centralized and autocratic gov.
eminent in modern times has sprunt
up In Russia, although sb per cent. o.
the people involved did not adhere II
p the political theories and would re-
pudiate the authority IL they could.
Perhaps It would be as appropri
ate a place as any to give a picture
OF the internal Bolsheyik Russia OF
the first Of April. 1919. 1t Is sec
ond-hand picture to be sure. but It Il
only second hand. II is made up from
facts related to me by one Russian
and two Americans who were II
Petrograd and Moscow for the pur
pose OF observation, who had corfer
ences with Lenine and Trotzky ant
who must at least have grasped tn
superficial aspects of life under tn
Boiahevik regime.
Here are the essential features o
what these men told me they saw
They entered Russia across the Fin
nish border taking with them a rer
tain amount OF food, and came with
out great delay TO Petrograd. Thei
ArBt impression was City OF Silence
but not a city of destruction. Petro
srad stands outwardly very much as
AID before the revolution. Tn
+ Winter Palace is SCARED here an
there from shots, and there are trace
OF the effect Of machine guns on tn
walls OF good many buildings. Their
has been no wholesale destruction
Every shop in Petrosrad is closed an
the windows suffered. Whateve
may be bought must be purchase
from the great Government depart
Z ment stores. Their stocks are meage
and there are many awkward blank
Not over 100000 people are left !
the city. Literally, starvation IL
matter OF daily occurrence. becaus
Of the impossibility OF moving foo
into the city over the broken dow
transportation system. Out Of tn
$4,000 locomotives that none too ndc
msrpIatsly served the Boishsvik resio
to the revolution less than 500