New Britain herald., 1923-11-10
NEW SPIRIT AMONG
 RUSSIAN YOUNG MEN
American Customs Have Driited
 in Among Younger Generation

Moscow, Russia, Nov. 1o.--An 1S-
 year-old boy of the coming Russian
 generation boarded the Riga Moscow express at wayside station the other day, and drew the interested atten-
 tion of carload of foreign passen-
 gers. He was freckle-faced, smiling,
 energetic, bragging and full of na-
 tionalism, and he seemed to typify
 an important element, that in recent
 years, has come out of the crucible
 in which the present day leaders of
 Russia are mixing their international
 chemicals.
 Change this lads Russian blouse
 for suit of the"college clothes" ex-
 tensiyely advertised in America; his
 round-necked hair cut for the pre-
 vailing style across the sea, his soft
 peasant accent for slang-sprinkled
 United States. and he might have
 been an American boy boosting of his
 own home town. his own state, and the U. s. A. in general.
 The Russian youth was a railroad guard. The locomotive on his train,
 built by Russians ten years ago and repaired by Russians few weeks befor9 was better than any loco motive ever built abroad: it's drive wheels higher, and its speed surely greater His train was cleaner, his railway administration was better, his country's crops best, his country's fu- ture the rosiest.
 The determination of Peter the Great back in 1700 forced upon his people an acceptance of the idea that the accomplishments of western civilization were superior to their own. This thought lived a long time, for up to six years ago. before the re- cent revolution. Russians, particularly the educated young, were inclined to swallow without question the claims of foreign civilization to superiority. They were timid violets in the field of nationalism. shyly offering Russian art as an offset to the more practical of the Germans, English, Americans and French.
 In 1917 the Russian Soviet govern ment set out to establish spirit of throughout Russia and the world at large. and the Third International is still preaching the Utopia Of an international brother hood, attainable by a revolutionary proletarian dictatorship.
 This young railroad guard Is a product of the last revolution. Many h 1,t Russia today. Perhaps they have absorbed some inkling of from the Third In- ternational, but to more than one ob- server of Russia they seem to be rcd blooded. enthusiastic nationalists. and nothing else. The "Red Army" to them means the Russian army; tho "Red Fleet" means the Russian fleet, and the Rcd Air Service" means Russian aviation. This boy boasted of his homo town, of his state, Of his and of Russia fin comparison to England, Germany, France and the United States. Intornationalism was the last thing in his head. His thoughts were all of Russia. not as 2 leader in communism, but as a na- tional entity of which he could be proud. He was the exponent Of n personal nationalism, youthful and vigorous, produced by tho. happenings of the last six years that today is readily found by observers who look | below the surface in Russia.
 There would appear to be also of this ssnc nationalist spirit in the hearts and heads of the older communistic crusaders at tho l Eremlin. Now and then they play nationalist jokes on their interna- .iopalist selves. They play Russia's 1 1ahd in the international poker ,arfe: bet for such stakes as wran- i -cl Island. and cling tenaciously to [ Inc chips that may be used in some 1 uture jack pot involving land. or 1 ports or ships over which once flew . he flag Of Old Russia.
 Snch thoughts evidently arc in the 1 minds of Lenine, Trotzky and the ,ther leaders. They surely prevail with the young guard on tho Riga Moscow expressa who typifes a new pirit abroad in the land.