The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-01-12
WORLD PEACE
RESTS ON RUSSIA
SAYS SPARG0
Suffering Country EIust Emerge
from Condition of Chaos
JAPAN CHANGES TACTICS
JAPAN CHANGES TACTICS
Island Kingdom Has Been Big Factor
in Restraining Spread of B0lshe-
vism Outside of Russia

John Spargo was tne speaker at the
fourth Sunday night Fo um hed d at
the Second Congregational Congrega
tional church. A large audience was
present and listened with Intense in
terest to a remarkable address on
Recent Developments in the Rus
sion Situation"
Mr.. Spargo begun his talk by-saying
that the Russia of today can hardly
be defined with anything ! Ike exact
ness. Before the revolution. Ruesia
was the la gest empire in the world,
conta ming 100000 square mile, g..
100000 in Asia and 100000 in
Europe and with about 1S0.000,000
people, occupy ng 16 of the land sur
face of the globe. Asiatic Russia sti
rema MS unchanged but important
changes have come about in Euro
pean Russia by the treaty OF Versa l.
les-First, by the restoration o. Po-
land and second by the giving back
of independence to Finlnd-There
stu remains 156,O00,00O people in
Russia. Mr. Spargo says there can
never be health and peace and prci-
perity anywhe in Europe as long
- the suffer ne. anarchy and chaos
that now prevail in Russia shall con
tinue to exist and that just so long
will our own national life be i'm.
peri led.
There is great conflict of testimony
regard ng events taking place in Rus
STA and Mr.. Spargo said that no man
be he ever SO careful student OF
Russia can be sure that he has
grasped the situation. Two forces
worked together to make poss.bl the
Revolution of Ma ch 1917. Both
groups wished for the overthrow Of
the Gear, one in order to get peace
at any price and the other group VII h
ing to carry ON the war with the al.
] es until the defeat of Germany Mr.
Spargo believes that history is likely
TO record that the allied COVE nments
have made great mistakes in dealing
with Russia.
The request of Kerensky to the Allies
to restate their war aim was ignored
and no troops were sent to Russia to
help maintain and improve the
morale Of the war weary Russian
troops and Kerensky's nower failed
rapidly. The newly found govern
ment was finally overthrown by the
BolsheyiM. The question then was
should we recognize or fight the sBol.
sheviki government? Mr.. Spargo
feels that either decision would have
been better than no action which was
the course taken. In the meantime
the Bolshevh were carrying out
their terrible experiment on the Nv
ing body of Ru sa. The economic
O. ganizatlon of Russia was destroyed
the textile industries gone, railways
demoralized, hunger, sickness and
starvation rampant. Ant-Boa aheyist
forces have arisen in various parts of
The Empire and guerilla warfare is
en- every day occurrence.
Mr.. Spargo says that the great
tragedy has been the part p'ayed by
Japan in Easte n Siberia. While the
Allies have hesitated and haggled and
refused support to the Anti Bolshivist
forces, Imperiaiistic Japan has been
busy and gained great advantages
Japan offe ed to drive the Bo' 5heviki
out OF Siberia but the terms under
which she would do this were so un-
reasonable that the Allies refused. 1t
was finally decided that each of the
Allied governments should send 1000
troops to Siberia. In less than three
months. Japan had over 10000 troops
there, while Engnad had 5000, Amer
ca 1000, France a few thousand and
Ita'y less. Secretary Lansing finally
o dered Japan to withdraw al troops
over 1000 and Mr.. Spargo. stated that
few people know how or tical the re-
lations between Japan and America
were at one time over th 8 iasue.
Mr. Spargo believes that there is q |
great democratic power in the Rus
sian people and capacity for G.
ganization and he bel ewes in the fu
ture of Russia as a & eat democratic |
nat on He also said that there he,
been marked change in the last |
six weeks in the attitude OF Japan |
Bolshevism started out as a short cut |
to the m llennum, the people were to |
have peace and plenty. They have |
had niether peace nor plenty and Boil |
shevism has become mil tarism. The !
30 SneYlki hoped TO spread their uoc |
trines to Germany, then to Sweden
England and America. They know +
that is impossible now and i'll desper |
alton are tu ming their attention tow
ard the Orient This has alarmed |
Japan and now she Is ready to drive
the Bolsheyiki out OF S IBERIA in order
to keep Bolshevism out of Asia. If |
Janan succeeds In stnnming the tide
she may render the Allies great
serglca
At the close OF the address num-
Der OF questions were asked and ably
answered by Mr.. Spargo That the
Sunday evening forums are popular
was evidenced by the fact that the
aud ience remained until nearly ten
o'clock, the last half hour being de.
voted to questions and answers.