The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-11-18
T0LST0Y TELLS
THE WHY Of MANY
Library
: THINGS IN RUSSIA
Illuminating Address by Son of
Famous Writer
SPEAKS FOR FORTNIGHTLY
Engagement Made for Purpose
of Aiding Russians Strand
ed in Foreign Lands
SPEAKS FOR FORTNIGHTLY

The auditorium at the new high
school was nearly filed Thursday eve
ning by an audience gathered to hear
the address by Count Ilya Tolstoy.
son OF the world-famous writer and
philosopher, who is making tour of
America in the interests OF his coun.
trymen now In worse than stranded
circumstances in every civilized land
outside Of their native county
Count Tolstoy's address may best
be described by the one word" en-
tightening" or, as Mr.. Spacgo pat It
in his remarks following those of the
distinguished guest, "al interpreta-
| tion of Russia. for out OF it his aud.
ience must have derived large fund
OF information. Such d simple,
straightforward, explanation CT big
theme is seldom delivered from the
lecture platform.
AT the conclusion of Count Toll
stoy's remarks many persons in his
audience previously uninformed must
have known the why" of many
things concerning Russia about
which they were previously in the
dark. The speaker explained where
in nation devoted almost exclusive
| II to agriculture-there were hut O.
100000 industrial workers in Russia
was unable to cope with the effici-
ency Of Germany in the war, although
| he insisted that the participation of
| his country in the great struggle,
saved the cause of the allies. He
drew vivid picture Of the destruction
wrought by Bolshevism, tyrann
worse far worse than any regime that
! preceded it, Bolshevism, he sa 4.
had reduced the population of MOI
COW to single million OF whom hua-
dreds of thousands are public offic..
| ais. Natonalism has only resulted
| N the destruction of what had prev
icusty existed without additional pro
| iuction. ss
The peasants, County Tolstoy ex-
blamed, had originally adopted the
policy OF the present government be-
ause of its attitude toward the land
which is the beginning and the end
Tor 50 per cent of the people of Rus
a. Large estates were divided
| lmong the peasants but when the gov
ernment sought to nationalize the
products Of the farms the attitude
| hanged. In the end the officials
4dopted a policy of permitting the
peasant to retain enough wheat for
The use Of his family and thereafter
ne raised no more. The conse.
luence was famine and deprivation
| = all kinds among the urban resi-
dents.
In closing Count Tolstoy paid
ouG1ing tribute to the memory Of his
ather who he said would surely be in
accord with the efforts now being
made in Washington to relieve the
eople of the world of the great bur.
len they have carried for centuries.
| John Spargo of Old Bennington,
Who introduced the speaker, closed
he exercises with an explanation of
'ount Tolstoy's present purpose in
ppealing to the generosity OF Ameri
in the critical condition of many
atives of Russia throughout the
world. Thousands of them, said Mr..
opean lands and even to America
open lands and even to America
Many OF them, men of brilliant attain
nents, are incapable of providing
themselves with the necessities of
ife in their new environments and
3eir hardships closely approach the
sufferings of those they left at home.
collection netted $125 in money
and $50 in pledges, and the Fortnight
I.y under whose auspices Count Toll
,toy came to Bennington, is to be
congratulated in providing such a
highly appreciated opportunity and
II assisting such worthy cause.