Evening star., 1927-12-04
BY FRANK H. SIMONDS.

b1 FhANh II. SlMUNDS.
NARIS.-Just as Europe has OBJ.
u served three anniversaries of
war and revolution and has
i taken an accounting of peace
credits and war debts. with an
optimistic forecast, the calm of all Eu-
rope is broken by new challenges
from Moscow.
The allied nations celebrated the
ninth anniversary of the armistice.
Italy celebrated the fifth anniversary
of the march on Rome. Moscow cele-
brated the tenth anniversary of the
Bolshevist revolution.
OF the three anniversaries. Russia s
attracted most attention, and as If by
common consent Europe paused to re-
fleet upon the effect on the world of
tolshevism.
BOlshevism on Wane.
And after pausing it concluded that
bolshevism is dying, that the prom
ised world revolution has not come
off, with no present reason to fear that
it willard that, without unforeseen
developments. the 'red menace re.
mains now only as nuisance.
But the unforeseen" begins to
happen. Moscow warns Poland that
Russia will not stand by if Poland
tries to swallow Lithuania. Thus
Russia re-enters the European politi.
cal scene.
European commentators, analyzing
Russia today, agree that Red control
within Russia is too firmly established
for successful foreign challenge and
that the greatest challenge to boil
shevism is at home.
At home the real danger to the Dol
shevists proceeds today from the di
rection of the peasant. PerfOrce. and
with profound regret, the bolshevists
were compelled to bestow the land
upon the peasant. 1t was the single
course which saved the revolution al
the outset. Obtaining the land, the
peasants were united against any at
tempt to restore Czarist control.
Look for State Aid.
Once in possession of the land. too
the peasants inevitably looked to the
state to enable them to market their
produce, to enable them to exchange
what they raised for clothes, to sup
ply farm machinery, to provide roads
and railways and communications. Ir
a word, they looked to the state t.
furnish all those things which are the
ordinary circumstances of capi
talistic system.
And all of these things have beer
lacking. The balance between price
of farm products and manufactured
articles has been destroyed. The peas
ant not only has to pay fabulous
prices for what he can buy, but, ir
fact, he can buy little at any price
Literally, as figuratively, the Com
munist regime cannot deliver the
goods, and as a consequence the peas
ant will not produce the food.
There are 140,000,000 peasant:
against less than 100000 bo,shevists
Little by little the peasants are be
coming politically active. If only fol
economic reasons. The break between
the city and the country is becoming
accentuated, and it discloses it's con
sequences in the break within the
ranks Of the bolshevists. Trotsky ant
his followers are die-hard Communists
Stain and his supporters advocate
making those concessions to necessity
which alone can permit the machine
to work. Both are equally at wal
with capitalism, but Stain would make
| use Of capitalism to save the sinking
cause Of communism.
Britain Is Blamed.
I
In this situation one phenomenon
commands attention. In recent month!
every agency of Russian publicity ha.
been devoted to creating the convic
ton within Russia that the Western
nations. under British guidance, art
planning new war of aggression. The
masses are aroused, and their hatred
Of the foreigner Is stimulated.
No charge could be less warranted
No Western nation is today capable
of financing such a war.
/ Obviously the Russian strategy rep
resents despairing effort to fix do
mestic attention upon foreign dangers
to distract attention from a universal
national misery.
I have talked with many Germans
Poles and others in recent days
Among them there seems to be a gen
eral agreement that the Red regime is
facing severe crisis and that it will
be able to surmount it only If it can
obtain a loan abroad. Successful in
this direction, bolshevism may hold on
and the changes which will come will
arrive slowly and by evolution. Pend.
ing negotiation Of the loans it is patent
fhof tho Ia1cl,ox,fcfo ,,,,,Ot e,fnx,o off .,