New-York tribune., 1921-06-05

history of the Russian revolu
tion that isn't a piece Of disguised
propaganda for some particular fac
tion or viewpoint. Isolating himself
from the slogans and catchwords OF
the various contending parties, he
gives magnifcently impartial inter.
probation of that great social upheava,
from the standpoint of an American
democrat.
The authors freedom from bias may
be ascribed in large measure to his
conception of the revolution as a prod.
uct Of irresistible social factors, rather
than of the good and bad deeds of in
dividual men. This conception, set
forth in the preface, is so important
for proper understanding of the work
that it may be quoted in full:
"As / now see it, most of the devel-
opments of the eight months between
the March revolution and the Novem-
| Der revolution were not caused By
leaders, but were inevitable, given the
background of experience of the Rus
sian common people. If the train bear
ing Lenine and eighteen other Bolshe-
Viks across Germany to Russia had
fallen through bridge on its way and
all had perished, events in Russia
would have taken much the same
course. The peasants would have seized
the estates and the soldiers would have
quit fighting. The robbed and op-
pressed masses-a hundred millions of
men and women--moved toward the
goal of their long unfulflled desire
like a flow Of molten lava that no hu-
man force can dam or turn aside.
at was a majestic and appalling So
cial phenomenon, as elem BAL almost
as an earthquake or tidal wave"
In the present volume Professor Ross
confines himself to a narrative of the
events from the downfall of the Gar
to the dispersion Of the Constituent
Assembly by the Bolsheviki. He has
reserved the story of the subsequent
development of the Soviet republic for
| another book.
The eight months from the over
throw Of the Gar to the fall of the
Kerensky government are crowded with
events. 1t is a period of fux and con-
fusion. Nothing is stable Ministries
resign and are reconstructed overnight.
One device after another is employed
in an effort to stem the growing power
of the Soviets. The political and
economic Reorganization of the ma
tional life proceeds with increasing
rapidity.
Professor Ross.sketches this troubled
period with mastery skill. Instead of
attempting to give a strictly chrono-
logical outline of events, which would
necessarily be confused and difficult to
follow, he devotes separate chapters to
the most salient and significant aspects
OF the revolution. Writing in vivid
popular style, he conveys to his
readers full appreciation of the sig
nitlcance of the great historical drama
which he unfolds.
The authors second chapter, entitled
The Background of the Toilinq
Masses" is as striking as Dickens's
| memorable picture of conditions un-
der the French old regime in A Tale
OF Two Cities. After reading this
chapter it is easy to understand whv
the Russian workers, peasants and SOL
dlers acted just as they did after the
downfall of the Gar
The Russian workman in pre-revolu-
tionary days was habitually spied on
and oppressed, maltreated by his fore
man, forced to work very long hours
tor very low wages. If he attempted
to strike or organize a peaceful dem
onstration he was likely to be shot bv
Cossacks or gendarmes. 1t is not sur-
Prlslng that he listened readily to the
heated oratory of the agitators Who as
sured him that the "capitalist" was
the source of all his troubles and that
all would be we'll if the factories were
only handed over to the charge of the
workers themselves.
The Russian peasant for generations
had seen himself compelled to toll for
mere pittance, while the best land
was held by the Gar, the Church and
the wealthy mobiles. 1t is not surpris
ing If he, too, was only too eager to
follow the advice of the revolutionists
who told him to take the land he had
coveted so long without paying any
one for it. In fact, if there had been
no professional revolutionists the
chances are that the peasants would
have seized the land anyway.
The Russian soldier had fought for
almost three years under the most
heart-breaking hardships. He had often
been forced to face the whitening fire
of German shells, with nothing but
stick for a weapon. He usually had
only the vaguest idea of what the wa
was about, for the Czarist government
was not anxious to Snraod a,I;uL.