The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-02-05

pensonsl iueesii<stios Of exlstias
conditions and has rendefed = fsIert
that has high vaiae - news isle-
pen6e8i 81 hls sorneNhaf saFpfistlsR
baf Apparently vel foun8ea. eenela-
Sens as g the tread 81 Sea Is
repe
TIE New f.sHsps hefe aissiosesl =
stHl - tarsaos. there - raj sna
tremendously significant ktfu0xis
Coz fs0sr es.ag On. bet D.. Guest -
the ffsf observer % nete thst Ia
rope a. = wheie has passed several
nsllestoass Ia the course II tise nast
three yesFs. The NEST signiacsnt
fact bwoaghf eat Ia this survey -
hat tie EuFopean farmer has quiet
h. assumed : dominant position in
the political and economic scheme
% things. We are becoming sceas-
toned TO the agricultural bloc" In
our Congress. but Il - still new
thing. In Europe like phenoine-
non has appeared and In practically
every country on the Continent the
peasant is the new political master.
The explanation OF this extraordi-
nary change Is simply that with
the disruption of industry and
finance the producer of food has be-
come all important. He has learned
his lessons from radicals. trade
unionists and other noisy minorities
and has gone into politics. Recogni-
ton OF his power has been prompt
and he has become fully conscious
of it. Agriculture is by far the
greatest industry in Europe. So
long as government remained in the
hands of monarchs or small rul-
ing class the peasant was impotent.
The war changed all that. The PEN
dulum has swung in the other direc-
ton in many of the countries. at in
tervals, bringing into political power
the radical roletariat-mostly in
dustrial workers in cities. who have
little or no relation TO the mass OF
peasants.
The extreme example of this. OF
course, is found in Russia. where
the Communists seized power. Le-
nine has been able to maintain him
self only by coming to terms with
the peasants, who are not Commu-
nists and will never subscribe TO the
Marx economic program. The Rus
sian muzhik has wrecked the Com
munfst program in Russia and will
sooner or later dominate the ma
chinery of government through pos
tive action instead OF negatively, as
at present.
In other countries, such as Bull
garia, Czecho-Slovakia, Rnma MIA.
Austria. &C., this general situation
is duplicated. In Bulgaria there Is
a purely agricultural Government
called the Green Communism" In
Austria, Czecho-Slovskia and in most
OF the other countries the farmers
have the largest groups OF delegates
in the legislative assemblies. The
effect of this upon the course 81
events has been profound. The
peasant reformer differs from toe in-
dus;rial worker IN many respects
lie Is more conservative. lie moves
slower. lie believes la the private
ownership OF property and - pfi-
MARTY interested in the lard lie
has been the victim Of expia1ers
and bad government, bot he does not
seek thu remedy Ia nstioasiiEalien.
lie Is in a position % enforce he
wishes because ne controls THE iced
supply
During The worse periods - dis
tress IN Europe FOR the last Two -
three years the Continent has pre-
scented the spectacle 81 slaryire cities
with relatively prosperous country
sides. Vienna has been starved IN
large para By Austrian ana Hun
sarlan farmers who would not send
fcOd into the city because they were
in revolt against the Red Govern
ment there, or because the paper
money they were offered for their
produce was worthless. The struggle
for power described by DR.. Guest
is this struggle between the peasants
and the town workers, ,and so far
the peasants have come out ahead.
Here, it would seem, we have the
true explanation OF why Europe has
rot gone Bolshevist. The old order
has been destroyed and is incapable
OF returning to power. Political ex-
tremiStS have made every effort To
seize the reins of government with
the idea of putting their theories
into effect. Those theories came from