Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-10
Continued From First page.)

ate people of Soviet officials, because
their proverbial patience has come to
an end, and the inevitable counter
action of the government which en-
forces its terror and executes people in
masses. All this proves that the Soviet
government is not liked by those people
whose interests 1t claims to represent.
and that sooner or later it will have to
abandon its place to a government that
win really represent the great Russian
nation. And then the Russian exiles,
full of experience and knowledge, will
have to devote the rest of their lives to
the building up of new Russia on the
ruins that have accumulated during
the Soviet rulership. But will the Rus
sian exileS be able to assume that i'm
portant task? Yes, they will, If the
civilized nations that gave them shelter
will also help them TO preserve their
nationality.
After 10 years of exile Russian emf
gres have regained their energy, have
acquired new faith in their mission
and a new hope to serve their country.
The hardshipS of the first years have
helped them to forge a character,
will. Work in foreign countries has
given them that experience which most
of them were lacking, and knowledge
of things and wisdom of life OF which
they were deprived before coming to
foreign lands. They are qualified now
for undertaking the hard job that
awaits them in their country.
Greatest i'm History.
In 1925 at the all-Russian congress
which assembled In Paris 1t was stated
that the number of Russian refugees
in Europe and America had reached
the imposing number of 5000, 900 men,
women and children, thus surprising
many of the existing and established
independent nations in Europe like Nor
way, Latvia, Esthonia, Lithuania and
others. History has never recorded
such an emigration before, and the
10000 French emigres more than a
century ago look like nothing in COM
parison with this nation in exile.
At one time the League of Nations
seemed to take an interest in the fate
OF these people. but soon dropped the
whole problem, being unable to solve it.
The only thing it has done was to
establish a special kind of passport,
known as the hansen certificate, with
which Russian is practically unable to
travel but which brings in n steady
income to the governments of European
countries where Russian emigres re-
side Thus Geneva has abandoned a
population of 100000, mostly composed
Of tntellectuals, to its fate, which is a
gradual standardization. 1t is really
q fact that now, 10 years after the emil
grafton was started. considerable num-
Der of Russian refugees adopt the ma
tienality of the country in which they
reside, thus. probably, increasing the
number of its intellectuals, but marking
0 less for future Russia.
Decentralization Is Forescen.
- 14or
60 save Russian refugees from denation-
alization that is occupying the minds
of Russian emigration leaders and be-
comes constant feature in the Rus
sian emigration press. It is obvious
that we do not want to cease to be Rus
slams and that we try to prevent our
children from becoming foreign to our
country, because we have a firm belief
that our knowledge, our experience. our
energy anG our work viii be necessary
one day to help Russia to rebuild on
her ruins. And it is quite certain, too,
that, unless something is done, this de-
naturalization starting with ourselves
will be complete in the next generation.
OF course, in America, where the popu-
tation is not Heterogeneous, this problem
Is not so acute. especially because Rus
sian emigreS are not as numerous in
this country as they are across the At
iantic Ocean. But even here know
young men who, after spending five
years in this country, have not only
changed their Russian name, but have
the extent that they can hardly speak
any Russian at all and the little they
are able to they speak with distinct
foreign accent. On the other hand the
problem of Standardization in the
United States is not so important from
the point of view of possible military
encounter when Russians would have to
light their countrymen, because pclit-
lcally and historically Russia and the
United States never had and never
eOuld have rivalry which might bring
hem to an armed conflict.
But it is not the same with European
nations. Many countries try now to
interest Russian refugees in their polit-
tcal point of view and thus to secure
their approval for future policy tax
ing into consideration the fact that
sooner CT later those Russians win re-
turn to their country. This Is done
particularly in Germany, where recent
~ a group of German nationalistic or
CARNATIONS, including the famous
"Stahlhelm," held a conference with
some leaders of the Russian colony in
Berlin and have tried to bring up a new
policy with regard to the Russian ref,l-
gees. Thus they advocated a closer
contact between German and Russian
patriotic organizations, putting the
blame on the republican government
for its too pronounced friendship with
the bolsheviks. though acknowledging
the fact of the "treacherouS peace of
Brest," concluded with the SovietS in
1918 by the imperial government, but
excusing 1t for military reasons From
this We can perceive a new tendency of
some groups of modern Germany to
ind an understanding with the Russian
emigres in order to secure their sup
port for future Russo German aIli-
ance.
Looks to New Alliance.
In France the political question Is of
very little account, because the majority
OF Russian refugees there have re-
manned faithful to the cause of the
allies and look forward to a new Franco
Russian alliance. The only thing the
French government did to encourage
naturalization is to bring it to a mini
mum of formality and to minimum of
cost. But there like in the majority of
European countries, remains a very Inn
portant barrier to naturalization, which
Is the compulsory military service, be-
cause very few Russians are eager to
tight for country that is theirs only
by choice, and sometimes a choice of
necessity.
M--SWM