The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1920-08-13
THE. WEEK
Little Real War in Poland
Rble Prophecies Interest Many
Tweaty Csatietea for Seditioa
Our Oil Dietators
!
Bertrand Russell On Russia

Direct armistice negotiations be-
tween Poland and Russia failed to
develop the results desired by western
nations. News reports tell US Of Sc
we're fighting over the entire line and
Of the rapid approach of the Russians
to Warsaw. In actual fact, however,
there is probably not great deal of
fighting being done. 1t appears to
be more the nature of bushwhacking
than modern warfare. Modern armies
can not retreate more than Is miles
a day in good order, not to mention
fighting, and inasmuch as the Poles
have been retreating at this rate from
important fronts, it would seem as if
the reported furious fighting were
merely rear guard actions to keep the
Russians cautious and from advanc-
ing fast enough to take great patches
Of prisoners.
Conditions in Poland, bad enough
before this war and made practically
intolerable by overwhelming defeat,
must make for u great deal Of revolu-
tionary sentiment in Poland itself.
The Russians will undoubtedly at
tempt to increase this revolutionary
element as much as possible both by
defeating utterly the present leader
ship of land-owning aristocracy and
by propaganda offering fair conditions
if Poland adopts Soviet or working
class government, which would be
hostile to French and English plans.
A surprising number Of people ap-
pear to be interested in the teachings
of the late Pastor Russell-especially
in the Interpretation Of certain biblical
passages as prophecies relating to the
recent war and other great events to
Russell have extended his work.
During the war several prominent
leaders of the new faith We're in At
lanta prison for q time for holding, it
seems, the opinion that the Great war
was the beinning of the general reign
of Satan. About six months ago they
were released on u decision that the
lower court had erred in convicting
them of sedition.
About 70 years ago the Millerites
made similar Interpretation of these
scriptural passages. Other sects have
done likewise. But the great mass of
the Christian church evidently does
not regard them as definite prophe-
cies as to time. Perhaps much Of the
reason for the new interest lies in the
fact that we are actually in a period
of profound change. The war was a
great secure of civilization. Recov-
cry from it along the old lines grows
less hopeful every day. Our leading
capitalists, as we'll as leading radicals,
are gloomy as to the survival of the
big profit system OF doing business.
These fears constitute the motives for
suppressing free speech, for mob vio-
lence and misuse Of courts. now the
rage with us. Ordinary observation,
therefore, appears to confirm the sup
posed scriptural prophecies.
An interesting point in this connec-
ton is the formal prophecy Of Count
Leo Tolstoi, made about 1911, fore
casting Il general war for 1913 or
1914 and following that a sweeping
change in social organization.
Twenty alleged members of the
Communist part: have been found
guilty by a state court in Illinois, and
have been given Jail sentences from
one to five years each. William Bross
Lloyd, who has been prominent for
many years as Chlcago's millionaire
Socialist, is among those sentenced.
The indictment against the defend
ants was brought under state
statute which outlawed many forms
of radicalism, and which was passed
during the heat of the war excite
ment.
Readers will recall that about six
months ago the district attorney of
Chicago conducted a spectacular raid
in which at least 500 people were ar
rested and that he protested vigor-
ousiy because the federal government
refused to participate in the roundup.
District Attorney Hoyne even went 50
far as to charge that the federal au-
thori:ies were ME fering with his de-
tense of America. Most of the peo-
pie arrested We're released shortly al
ter, but 20 Of the so-called Commun-
lists. and some others in a group
known as the Communist Labor party,