The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-06-09
WORLD STABILITY
RESTS ON RUSSIA
SPARGO DECLARES
Great Nation Must Resume Roe
of Food Pr0vider
SPEAKS TO FEDERATION
Well-knOwn Writer Discusses
Situation in Former En-
pire of the Cars


of Women clubs IN annual meeting
John Spargo of Old Bennington last
evening said in part:
| 1t Is not surprls ne that many Ameri-
leans have confessed their inability to
reach positive conclusion concerning
the great tragedy which is being re
lmorsely unfolded in the former Empire
OF the Cars There has been so much
written concer ns 1t, and even the
eye witnesses have differed so violent,
I ly in their accounts, that many Of Us
have come to feel that it is perfectly
hopeless to arr We at the truth We are
conscious all the time that mo [ Of
what is presented to us in the torrent
Of newspaper and magazine art cles.
pamphlets and books is propaganda OF
one sort or another. colored by pre-
iudices or the ntere is of the propa.
gandists. So many stories have been
widely accepted as true and later
shown to be false, that the average
mind instinctiyely regards with su
spicion pract ca ~ everything that
said or written about Soviet Russia.
This is unfortunate of course. but it
II quite natura Il - the inevitable
consequence Of the reign Ct propa
ganda.
And yet, for those who have the time
and the inclination to search honestly
and patiently for the truth it is not
difficult to ascertain with certainty the
salient and decisive facts. While
there must needs be a great deal of
w!nnowing in order to shift the chaif
from the wheat and while the amount
OF chaf is enormous the wheat of
verified and unique t.onabie truth j.,
there. and T. to be had as the
result of faithful winnow.ng That it
Is important that we should know the
truth is evident enough. In the first
place. Russia even now after the dis
memberment to which he ha, been
subjected is one OF the great nItions
OF the world
There are at least one hundred and
twenty millions OF human beings in
Soviet Russia today population
greater than that OF the United States
by something like fourteen millions
Perhaps twenty five or thirty mil ion
OF these people are living under such
appalling conditions as never existed
before in civ lized country, Famine
and disease stalk through the great
cities In a lana wonderfully rich in
natural resources capable OF sustain,
ing in bounteous comfort a vast larg-
or population, people are without food
or fuel SO much is universally admit
! ted to be true. The champ ons of the
Soviet regime and their most i'm
jplacable enemies are agreed upon this
, We cannot be indifferent to the misery
OF such a vast mas of human beings
and il there were NJ other reason for
/ our concern the ordinary instincts of
! humanity would compel us to become
interested in the Russian situation
( There are other resasons, eQua ly
compelling however. One ot these
reasons is the fact that until Russia
is restored, and her people once more
settle down TO normal living there
can be no general settl ng down of
Europe. This Is not a mere rhet0ri
cal fight of speech but q sober state
ment of a fact that is universally re.
COgni2ed by the worlds state men.
BY reason OF its geographical position.
and its Importance as one of the great
food producing countries of the world.
the stabi i2aton of Europe must of
necessity wait upon and depend upon
the stabilizat on Of Rus ia. Not until
Russia resumes her old role as d
provider Of food for the nations of
Central Europe and a purchaser of
their manufactured goods can those
nations possibly regain their normal
state. This applies in especial mea-
sure to new state, like Poltnl and
C2echo Sloyakia but it so applies 10
Germany, to the Scandinavian c0m-
ries, and to Italy. Moreover, no N
ternational settlements which have
been made since the war or which NAV
be made, can be other than tentative
until Russia is once moro brought in
to the great family Of nations, and
through her authentic state men is
enabled to partic pate in such settle
ments. Unrest and disorder and lack
Of stability in Russia mean and can
only mean the cont nuancc OF untea,
throughout Europe and A ia and the
grave peril Of further wars.
Professor Ross of the Univers ty Of
Wisconsin gives us striking and
unforgettable picture an allegorical
symbol OF the Russian Revolution
He depicts a poor, desperate wretch
confined for years in a dark and loath.
some dungeon Driven to extreme
desperation he is wi ling to pay any
price for freedom In some manner
he obtains possession of a quantity
of dynamite and sets about preparing
to blast asunder the wall of the dun.
geon, Knowing that he may be killed,
he is still willing to take that risk
in the hope that he may be fortunate
enough to live and find his way to
freedom While he is placing the
dynamite and getting ready for the
explosion there is an earthquake
which jar open the door of the
dungeon There is nothing to prevent