Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1921-01-20


lieve the end is not far off, declared
Count 1lya Tolstoy in concluding his
lecture, "The Truth About Russia,
in the Stanford Assembly Hall or
the campus this morning. Russia
will be great republican government
based on the principles of democracy,
a government of the people, for the
people and by the people," he said.
The assembly hall was crowded and
people were standing along the walls.
Count Tolstoy speaks with only a
slight accent and his audience follow
ed him closely, greeting his grimly
humorous presentation of the situation
in Russia with quick laughter and
his telling points with applause.
Some enthusiasts broke into hand
clapping over recitals of accomplish
ments of the Bolsheviki in Russia.
which he himself obviously does not
regard in a favorable light.
''The Bolsheviki now understand
declared. ''There is now no commun-
ism in Russia. They have accomplish
ed the first part of their program and
destroyed capitalism, as they planned.
But instead of building up communism
on the wreck, according to their pro-
gram, they have established a new
"They know Bolshevism is a fail
ure in Russia, but believe that when
Bolshevism is spread all over the
world they can win-that their only
hope is in that. They are spending
their last money and printing their
last paper in sending olt Bolshevist
propaganda. 1t is clever propaganda,
too, and they are flooding India and
Japan and other countries with pam
phlets. They have schools of pro-
paganda in Moscow, too, for stu
dents from these countries. One of
them has 600 students from India
who will soon return to spread the
propaganda in their own country.
No Support From Peasants.
"But Bolshevism has no support
from the peasants of Russia, who CON
stitute 85 per cent of the population.
They were never interested in politics,
but were always interested in the land.
In 1917 they took the land an divided
it among themselves. The Bolshevists
who are composed of the industrial
workers and the soldiers in the cities,
needed wheat, but the peasants refus-
ed to accept the worthless paper
money. Then the Bolshevists attempt
ed to confiscate the wheat-to nation
alize all products. The peasant hid
his wheat. Now the Bolshevists have
law compelling the peasants to give
up all their surplus wheat. The re-
suit is that the peasants are raising
no surplus. So that the land is now
idle, and Russia, once the worlds
granary, is starving herself.
'How, then, do the Bolshevists
persist? They are the only class
that is organized With the same
army. police, prisons and in many
cases the same people as those en-
ployed by the old-time ear they hold
the power, but Bolshevism is unable
to spread outside the cities. The
peasants in their village form practi-
cally a separate government, govern
ing themselves through their own
local systems, not caring about Boil
shevism, living their own lives, isolat-
ed from the cities and from the world
Fault Lies in Methods Only.
''The crime of Bolshevism," Tolstoy
exclaimed, "lies in its methods. Its
purposes were those of all socialistic
enterprises, the more equitable dis
tribution of wealth and opportunity.
But the Bolshevists cannot enforce
communism and they have given
power to the lowest elements, the city
industrial workers and the soldiers,
ignorant men, with nothing to lose.
HSN nave Nub NO"h winning iiCNiA =
until they have destroyed production
and raised wages and printed money
until they have made money worthless.
All classes are suffering, factories are
closed, men are leaving the cities and
returning to the primitive living con-
ditions of century ago, famine is
over all the cities and the death rate
is tremendous-112 to a thousand ii
Moscow.
Tributes Great Father"
"What would my great father, Lee
Tolstoy, say, if he were in the world
today? | have often asked myself
that question. He was called the con,
science of the world, and I never fail.
ed to get the right answer from him
He was real Christian, who lived by
the literal word of Christ. He op
posed violence, and the situation IL
Russia now confirms his idea DE-
not use violence against Russia. Feet
and clothe the people, Every man fee
and clothed is opposed to Bolshevism.