The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-06-09
THROUGH
WITH ACTIVE LIFE
Crisis In. Russian Affairs
Which May Have! World
wide Effect
RADICAL ELEMENT
MAY CHANGE THINGS
Feared Lenine's Work Harmonizing Re
Iations With Foreign Nations May BE
Lost Hague Conference Probably
Useless-Perfunetory Affairs Only.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial Despatch TO The Reformer.) Il
Copyright 1922.
WASHINGTON, June 9.-Nikolai
Lenine, dictator Of Russia in its regime
of Bolsheyism can be considered as elimi-
mated
Positive adYices reaching this country
by cable reveal the development of a
crisis in Russian affairs which must in
evitably affect the whole of Europe
Brain Troublesome reports say a
paralytic stroke, others say cerebral
hreakdowls-is taking Lenine out of the
situation If not out of the world alto
gether Predictions vary as to whether
he viii live. Some reports indicate |
Lenine cannot last 10 days more
| Bur in any event the active career of
4 Nikolai Lenine is at an end Unfor-
/ tunately. this is bad news for the world
/ because while Leuine was far from be-
| loved by the statesmen of other conn
tries. il is a fact that he had made more
definite strides toward meeting the view
point Of European countries than any
other man in the Boshevist regime
May Lose An Progress.
| Fears are expressed in the same adj
vices which have reached here that the
elimination of Lenine will mean the loss
Of all progress made by Lenine toward
harmoniZing the Russian viewpoint with
that of other countries. No leader ap-
pears who IS ready to take up Lenine's
policy of slow but steady reconciliation
with the other powers of Europe.
Rather ii is feared that the leaders who
favor a policy of absolute communism
which means permanent isolation will
get the upper hand. Leon Tfotzky. min
ister of war. who together with Lenine
| helped to establish the present regime. is
more likely to force his views upon the
existing government. The minister Of
/ foreign affairs. George Tchitcherin, who
presented the Russian viewpoint at
Genoa and who knows what the view
point is of the allied aud associated
powers, may be an influence for the bet
| terment of Russias relations with the
outside world if Lenine is eliminated.
| But the greatest uncertainty surrounds
the situation. Lenine's death would
mean complications inside Russia which
will for a long time delay the formation
of definite policy outside Russia.
Lenine More Conservative.
OF the two elements in the Russian
regime. Ieninc represented a more com
| sentative tendency. a willingness to go
far toward recognizing the sanctity of
private property. The Communists have
been admittedly restraining LennS.
whose speeches flirting with the outside
/ world have been the subject of bitter con-
troyersy within Russia. Z
There is the possibility that Ienine
may try To hold on even III an enfeebled
condition, just as Woodrow Wilson did
in the last year of his administration
But with the elements in Russia clanor
ing for action it is more likely that
| serious illness will mean his immediate
elimination from the government.
| Opinion here seems well defined that
the Hague conference called as a sequel
| TO the Genoa meeting to investigate the
| Russian situation now will come to
naught The policy of France in lay
ing down certain principles in advance
| which permit of little fiexibility, and the
| tendency of Belgium to join France.
while the United States holds aloof from
The Hague meeting altogether will make
an investigation a purely perfunctory af
fair 1t is possible that between now
and the time of The Hague meeting n
change in personnel will be effected at
| Moscow and that a successor to Ienine
will be in power. This would alter the
whole face of things and give the allied
powers timely excuse fer pOstponine
| the whole conference until it can be de-
| termined. whether Russia will turn to-
ward the left of radicaliSm or the right
| of conservatism and whether a confer
| enee Of the allies can ward off the one
| and encourage the other.