Evening star., 1922-09-10
Sees Hope for a Democratic
Russia i'm Not Distant Future

bursed by the state. The govern
ment must be SO ordained. they
thought, that it shall take care
only of public order and the ad-
ministration OF justice. All public
works and transportation systems,
even though in the hands OF the
government before the war. should
be put into the hands of private
companies. and all Industrial es-
tablishments also should be given
over to private companies. To
check the greed of these private
companies, cooperative societies
should be encouraged, thus pre-
venting monopoly. Then foreign
loan should be negotiated for the
purpose OF establishing national
bank and the present currency
should be retired and the gold
standard returned to.
How is any government when
might be established going to pay
for all this?" ! asked. The answer
was that Russia would have 10
pay with raw materials. such as
oil and lumber for a while. but in
few years transportation ana
industry would he re-esta bllshed
and the expectation of industrial
products would begin. They de-
clared that the time necessary 10
accomplish these things would be
from Ave to ten years after a nrm
government was established ana
that Russia would start the sooner
IL other nations would follow
America in announcing to IT that
1t must begin to work out its own
salvation with fear and trembling
before 1t can hope to gain any
sympathy from the men who
dominate the financial situation OF
the world.
Russian refugees. I was old, were
not 80 divided into warning po-
litical factions as to initiate seri-
ously against the formation of a
new government. ] was assured
that a painstaking effort had been
made to ascertain whether there
was a stubbornness of view, and
that an absence of it had been
noted that all refugees were agreed
that the government must be dem
ocratic. with the particular form
OF democracy not important just
so 1t he one that guaranteed life.
liberty and the pursuit of happi-
ness. the retention of the soil by
the peasants who now hold and
cultivate it. individual initiative
and the sacredness Of religion.
private property and individual
home life. These things being
guaranteed. the form in which the
government would be worked out
was immaterial, seemed to be the
idea.
Commenting on the integrity Of
what is known as the Russian
empire, they said that aside from
the monarchists and bolsheviki,
there was no thought OF any at
tempt to reinccrporate Poland and
Finland with Russia: nor was
there any idea of restoring to the
new government by compulsion
Georgia. Lithuania. Litvia or any
other state carved out Of the old
empire. but there was hope that
the new government and these
states would form federal union.
modelled after the American re-
public.
1t may be that these dreamers
Of a new Russia are banking too
much upon the Russian peasant.
AS long as the peasant is as lazy
and slothful as he has been in the
past. as long as he is content with
his glass of vodka and his piece
Of black bread. as long as he re-
mains in ignorance and supersti-
ton, democracy in Russia may be
A hope. but in my opinion, II is
hope which kept to the ear is
broken to the heart. You cannot
make a democracy without educa-
ton and organized self-control.
However laudable are these pres
ent efforts. they are likely to fail.
To wave wand over people and
change their characteristics, which
have been implanted by centuries
of ignorance. is apt 10 do little
more than to disclose the fine
heart and noble impulse of the
man who waves the wand. The
hopes ] write about may come TO
pass when some strong man IS
found who will run the govern
ment in the interests of the people.
The voice of such a man has not
vet been heard. God may raise up
a man. The bolsheviki government
is wobbling, and somewhere. sure
ly, there is either a Napoleon or
a Washington for Russia. May
heaven give to this kind-hearted
people. so long the friends OF
America. a Washington.
,Copyrfpht. 1922 by Thomas r. Marshall.l