The Washington times., 1922-08-13

stages. Had he been spared, hus-
sia might have become a modern
democracy within q short time.
UNITY Is DOUBTED.
Lenin's successors represent
the various factions which the die
tator kept in order and submission
to his will. 1t must be doubted
whether their unity VIII continue.
The fate OF revolutionary gov
ernments depends upon the army.
Caesar and Napoleon easily elm
mated their colleagues In the tri-
umvirate because they controlled
the army. Trotsky is the Rus
sian Caesar or Napoleon. He has
proved himself a capable organ
izer and stratesist.
While Lenin's successors are ap-
parentiy msderstes who are to
carry on q policy Of moderation.
Trotsky is supposed to be a fiery
fanatic. and he believes that he II
the reincarnation of Napoleon.
Unless he In promptly eliminated.
he may try TO play Napoleon's
part and embark upon a policy Of
ruthlessness and aggression.
A crisis has arisen among the
Bolshevists. The broad basis Of
their power is being undermined
and before long the force of events
may bring about their collapse.
Danger threatens them both from
above and from below.
The Bolshevists have come to
power by arming the proletariat
Of the towns. Only the towns
men are convinced communists.
Communism has little attraction
for the peasants. The Russian
towns have become depopuiated
through the decay of industry
and commerce. The Bolshevist
power La precariously maintained
by mercenary troops. A great.
but silent. revolt against Bolshe-
vism has begun In the country
and It is spreading apace.
For centuries the Russian
masses have lived In slavery.
Serfdom prevailed until recently.
In the villages land was held in
common. 1t was divided into
narrow strips, and In order to
ensure that none Of the peasants
should be In better position
than the others. these strips were
frequently exchanged among the
cultivators. Village communities
proved = as harmful in the past
as national communism has
proved in the present. The
Russian peasants raised the min
imum produce by means Of
wooden plows and other primi-
tive tools. The surplus which
was exported from Russia came
from the large estates which
were efficiently worked by hired
laborers under the capitalist
system.
WEARY OF HARDSHIP.
The Russian peasants. weary
Of their hard life. had sighed
for centuries for change.
Their great desire was for more
land. for unrestricted ownership.
The revolutionaries gained the
support Of the peasants by prom.
ising them the land.
Far from introducing individual
ownership among the peasants.
however, the Communists des,
troyed private property and ex.
plotted the peasants without
mercy. Fearing confiscation and
ill-treatment, the peasants cult
waited only the minimum. and
the result has been an unpre.
cedented famine throughout the
best agricultural districts Of the
country. -
As village communism had
proved a failure, the statesmen OF
Imperial Russia encouraged the
creation of freehold farms. It was
expected that II would take a cen,
tury or more to place Russia's
agriculture on q modern basis
During the decade preceding ths
war agricultural prices were very
satisfactory. The abler farmers
made money and bought a good
deal Of land.
The Bolshevists promised to
abolish Individual property and to
make all men happy and prosper.
Gus. However. they destroyed not
only the wealth Of the wealthy,
but the little property OF the poor,
est. Practically all the property
OF the small peasants. who form
the vast majority of the popula.
ton, consisted OF their cattle and
horses. The livestock Of the small
peasants has been killed for food or
died Of starvation, and many OF
them have asked their more fortu.
nate brethren, the large farmers,
for help.