New-York tribune., 1920-01-03
Is Folly To Be Repeated?

40 Ouy 10 10 repeated
National psychologists are mystic
riously persistent despite changes in
institutions. China has been China
for 5000 years and India has been
India. Germany is largely still the
Germany Of Tacitus. The England
and France Of to-day have affinities
to the England and France of the
Middle Ages.
Bearing In mind the fact of this
continuance Of national personality,
what are the peculiarities Of the
Russians? Two of concern to the
world may be mentioned. One is that
the Russians have been conquerine
imperialists, forever seeking to en-
large the boundaries of their power.
The other is that they have not been
averse to autocracy.
In three centuries the frontiers Of
Musccvy were pushed to the Pacific,
into Central Asia. and beyond the
Vistula. Seldom has the Russian
bear drawn back his paw. The gla-
cier has come on. Is it probable the
Russian de-Russianized when he be-
came Bolshevik? Let those who
know history judge.
And always was there the auto
crat. The people. II not content,
we're obedient. Russia has had few
civil wars. Scratch a Russian and
find Tartar" said Napoleon, and
the Oriental Tartar assumes the
necessity Of despot. It is no acci-
dent that the Russian revolution
merely substituted Car Lenine for
Gar Romanoff. The first RomanofF
came to the Kremlin much as did
the present occupant.
It is improbable that the Russians
have acquired a new soul. When the
waves Of the recent disturbance sub
side it may be expected Russia will
act according to her old spirit. She
will not leave her neighbors alone.
She will obey master. There will
doubtless remain some degree Of
communism, but 1t will be the COM
4unism Of = type which has often
existed under an autocracy.
Already Russians are being COM
PEELED to work by use Of modern
equivalents Of the lnout. The new
Bolshevik Railway Minister, with
Lenine's consent, recruits workers
by force and compels them to serve
twelve to fourteen hours day.
He boasts he repairs locomotive in
two weeks, where a year ago SIX
months were needed. Trotzky has q
conscripted army, and It's appointed
officers inf1ict the death penalty.
The elements that pooh-poohed
the possibility Of Germany doing
what she did are now derisive Of the
russian menace. They point out
that the Bolsheviki say they are
oGceable. So did the Kaiser. I.
There to be a revival Of the delusior
that the word Of any country car
be accepted against its acts? /.
there to be another period Of "paci
fist" folly?
At Paris tho opportunity to max,
= firm union Of the democratic ma
tions was not seized. A great chanc.
dribbled of into a spectral inanity
For the blunder the future may b,
called to pay dearly.
With y powerful Russia there l.
center for another Triple Allianc,
---an alliance that on one excuse o.
another will revive Imperialism IL
a most dangerous form; an impe
rialism whose policy will threate1
border peoples who genuinely wisl
to be democratic, to be free and (.
be peaceable. Yet the world looks OF
az fatuously as It did when Germany
was hammering on her weapons
There Is no Edward VII In sight Il
prepare for q new defense Of civil
zation. There II no vision to se,
that the hope Of peace now rests OF
the ability to convince the darl
powers that an onslaught woult
surely fail.
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