South Bend news-times., 1919-04-27
WS AND VIEWS FROM THE CAPITALS OF THE WORLD
THE AWAKENING BEAR By William Allen White
Starvation Has Carried off Thousands Where
Mo the Regime Of Lenine and Trotzky is in Effect

PARIS, April 24.-(By cable TO New York)-Russia
is awakening with the spring. During the winter.
the sleep Of the strange dreams pass
ing and some account must be taken OF them. For
he has been a starved bear and up hungry and
mad. Every brings visitor from Russia
to Paris and they all tell story. II has various
fringes; those who believe IN the bolshevsts the
thing from angle; those who hate them the
thing from another angle.
But all see the same important thing: In central
Russia in so-caed soviet Russia, the Russia of Lenne
/ and Trotsky. famine has carried of hundreds OF
thousands-possibly millions IN the city OF Petrograd
alone months death rate has been over
100000 a month Not a child there under two years
age is living Babies die for want of nourishment
and food prices fantastic. Famine has put awful
mark Russia, this Russia. inside
outside of the Gordon about the soviet govern
Fact number two which all agree upon. is that the
terror for the moment has ceased. Those who believe
boshevsts declare that It longer necessary
preserve order Those who hate them declare that
famine rendered the people helpless and that there
is resistance boshevst rule because the people
have lost all spirit
INDUSTRY NOW Is PARALYZED.
Fact number three is that industry paralyzed.
There is no coal At first men would not work; now
they are too weak TO work. And If there was
coal. there is transportation It from the
mines Men at first refused work In the railroad
repair shops keep the rolling stock de-
partment in repair; they cannot lin the burdens
required dp the repairing and railroad shops
checked with engines needing repairs which men
wek to make and the few engines running
almost lifeless pulses in the social body
The street cars run but few hours day and the
water plants in the cities only long enough to
supply drinking and cooking water. All retail stores in
Moscow and the cities boarded Food and cloth
ing only sold. and they from communal
stores whose have the preference the rail-
Private enterprise merely broken; it is
virtually gone.
Fact number four anomalous: The army strong
and well fed. No denies that Those who defend
the bolshevists declare peasants the
army Those who attack the bolshevists declare that
the boshevst army like a crooked mutual company
whose business pays it's daily That is to
say victories army territory furnish
loot which Keep the army going; loot attacks men
to it for for themselves and for their families.
No one may say without question that the lighting
strength of the bolshevists which has been steadily
growing due their ability to live off the enemy.
No disputes the fact that many middle class Of
fcers of the cars old army with the boil
shevsts. soldiers families by the
viii fight in Russia rather than to his children
die unless he fight. they certainly will die.
GAIN SUPPORT AMONG PEASANTS.
Fact. number five. the bolshevists are gaining the
support Of the peasants who until winter
against bolshevism rather openly always secretly
explanations these: The anti bolshevist OBJ
insist that the have been cowed into
bolshevik support; the bolshevists point
that they have changed their theory of land tenure
from holdings to the right Of private
ownership in such and his family
hold This is concession TO the middle class It
also produces boshevst recruits who have
no land: for boshevst soldiers promised farms
in conquered territory.
This latter deduction disputed by advocates Of boil