Evening star., 1921-05-22
The Future of Russia.


siA are today exceedingly difficult to
follow intelligently. This is true as
q result Of the censorship which OBJ.
tains and Of the consciousness on the
part Of the student Of those affairs
that much Of the news which reaches
him is Of q surreptitious or frank prop.
agandist quality. We have. from its
birth, recognized the fact that bolshe-
vism, abnormal in its conception and
abominable in its processes, must
sooner or later give way before the
reaction it would arouse.
We have studied the scanty news
that has emanated from the chaotic
interior OF the former empire with a
view to finding evidence that that dis
integration Of the existing form Of gov
ernment 10 in process Of accomplish.
ment- And while we wait for what
is held to be the inevitable outcome
to an insane political venture, the
query has presented itself to US as to
what the collapse Of bolshevism would
portend, whether it would be followed
by absolute anarchy, serving only to
intensity the sufferings Of the Russian
people, or by the development Of such
governmental inStitutions as would
lead the masses from near demoraliza.
ton to that ultimate national cohesion
upon which modern happiness and
prsperity depend.
The question is not one readily an
swered. But there are certain favor
able factors which. weighed against
the unfavorable, give fair ground for
optimism. always assuming that boil
shevism IL eventually to be relegated
to that hell from which it sprang. The
Russian peasant has progressed ma.
terially in the bloody years which fol.
lowed the overthrow Of the empire.
Isolated from the cities where bolshe-
vism has held it's principal power. the
masses Of Russia have been forced, in
little, divided communities. to work
out their own destinies. AS q result
an appreciation Of the problems Incl
dent to efficient government, industry
and trade has been developing. Patient
under adversities which would have
broken less sturdy peoples. unenlisht-
ened, suspicious Of strangers, slow
yet withal sound, the individuals Of
which the masses are composed have
been driven to q consciousness Of the
basic needs Of any nation. With them
are thousands Of the better class Rus
SLAMS who, seeking asylum from the
bolshevist terror. have, through the
resulting intimacy with the peasant,
won their sympathy. understanding
and respect.
Upon these two factors, combined
with the influence Of the clergy and
the new spirit Of the former socialist
revolutionaries today generally aban-
doning their erstwhile socialist doc.
trines for principles Of q sounder char.
actsr. ana all taken in conjunction
with the general hatred Of the soviet
system. depends Russia 8 fairest chance
for an ultimate healthy reconstruction.
The world Is coming to recognize the
fact that that reconstruction must come
from within. that outside interference
would predestine any government
holding power BY virtue Of such inter.
ference to eventual failure. When
bolshevism shall have passed the evo-
tuition Of . stable Russian government
will largely depend upon the ability
Of the little, divided communities into
which the masses have assembled to
effect through the centripetal force Of
economic necessity. enduring cohesion.
1t may take years. for the process
must be worked out in the travail Of
experience. Yet 1t may be confidently
anticipated that until that cohesion
has been honestly effected no Russian
government will stand, and that when
it shall have been accomplished Rus
sia will march forward shoulder 70
shoulder with her sister nations q
Europe.
It is not to be expected that George