New-York tribune. [volume], April 24, 1919, Page 10, Image 10

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-^eto^orKSTributte
First to Last?the Trath: Ncws?Edltortala
?Advertisemcnts
Member of tho Aiultt llureait of Cirru'.atlont
THI RSDAY. APRIL 21, 1919
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:\e<t
Still Gnawing
Tho unwearied persistence of thoso
whose interest or prcjudico or "cussed
ness" leads them to the German side is
a marvol. Refuted and exposcd, chased
again aml again to their holes, their
noses, like thoso of othev rodents, peer
out at the rirst opportunity. Ancient
fables are repeated or new versions in
vented.
Now the Sukhomlinoff-Yanushkevitch
story, hearing on Russia's action in re
pl.v to Austria-Hungary's mobilization,
is in cireulation. It is insinuated that,
after all, Germany was warranted in
declaring war. Sazonoff, Russia's For?
eign Minister, is presented as a plotting
devil, resolved to precipitate tho con
fiict. It is said he lied to the Czar and
to tlie German Ambassador, saying Rus?
sia had not mobilized against Germany
when she had.
After tho Russian revolution Suk
homlinoff, the Russian War Minister, j
was tried for corruption and convicted.
One Yanushkevitch was chief of staff.
Testifying in his own behalf, Sukhomli
noff said that the Czar on thc morning
of July 29, 1914, signed the dccrcc for
general mobilization and gave it to
Yanushkevitch to get the counter signa
turcs of the three ministers required by
m law : that at 3 p. m. Yanushke?
vitch met the German military attache,
? th the rescripl in his pocket, al
h not yet validated, told him no
general mobilization order had heen
issucd; that tlie same evening the Czar
received a telegram from the Kaiser
s Russia to "remain a spectator in
the Austrian-Serbian War''; that there
upon the Czar countermanded mobiliza
I on, but that instead of obeying Suk
homlinoff ordered on to go
ahead. Sazonoff, il is charged, was a
party to these deceits.
Sukomlinoff, manifestly a pour wit
was on trial for his life for guilty
commerce with Germany. He thus had
a strong motive for falsehood. He knew
ow strong was German influence in
Petrograd and was aware he was plac
ing Germany under obligation by mak
the precise "confession" he did. The
German people nnd neutrals had become
increduloua of the Russian myth and
were doubting whether Russia had delib
erately provoked the war,
v' '" the bare word ol a ? icigecj
accepted again t tlie p . tive
lemands of reputable person i and many
eontradictory circums tanci \ pacinst
? " ll. X. Brailsford, hugging Sukhom*
Imoft, exclaima thal ."., onotf and his
military colleajruoa lied to the Czar, to
Germany nnd to tha AUles,
Paw-nK over the crodibilitv of Suk
''"n,!l,",,v' fonsider some of tho known
'??'??umatan ? . which contrmliel him or
" hl I'ovelation oi little signi
' -Wi l""1 I nl u onolT miraucd
"" ""' vital iisuo a 'nuruliulv tttralght
?'""1 opon course From tho begtnninK of
lAhc ,'"'1' A? soon .-. . hc knew of the
-"??'??f* forty^ight hour ultimatum of
?'?!>? 24 he declared that Russia would
pcrmit Sorbia to be crushed
> r<> the Britiah Ambassador on Julv
after saying thc action of Austria
Hunuaiy was both "provocative and
immoral," hc made his famous s
riy hope of maintaining
"f;"'" ?:?? m Great Britain joining Ru*
ia and France m a common declaration.
But Russia would fight rather than aban
"'"" her Slav sister, and Germany might
fight two powers while she might not
fight three.
When Great Britain declined to join
in an expression of solidarity and
I ht forward conference proposals,
ia signed a blank check in favor of
Sir Edward Grey, saying she would
heartily support any and all mediating
proposals, but if they came to nothing
she would fight for Serbia. The situa?
tion thus spoke for itself, and Russian
mobilization orders were directed against
Austria-Hungary, never against Ger
Ruafia, of coarse, preferred a
opponent to two. Germany
claimed mobilizatjon was directed
against her, but this was her own in
8, and ln all the exchanges Rus
?ia denied its validity. I'oland''! fron
tiers faced Austria-Hungary as well as
any, and mobilization in I'oland
w$9 not neetfaarily directed agamst
Germany.
The iwue between Buasia was not
OVet mobilization, but over whether Rus
nwid abandon BerbU The fcele
between the Kaiser and the Car
"^??'?' ?aid it was to the intere I 0f
alJ twereJgni to pemlt the punlihment
of Serbia. His second telcgram, bcsidcs
asking Russia to be merely a spectator
of Austria-Hungary's attack, intimated
that if Russia moved to Serbia's aid
Germany would attack Russia. The
third telcgram was to the same effect,
declaring that "if Russia mobilizes
against Austria-Hungary" there would
be a general war.
That the Czar fully agreed with
Sazonoff is shown hy a mass of docu
mentary evidence, particularly his telc?
gram of July liT, two days before Rus?
sian mobilization, to the Crown Prince
of Serbia. Counselling Serhia to yield
to the utmost degree possiblc, he con
cluded by solemnly saying "Russia will
in no case disinterest herself in the fate
of Serbia."
Russia's policy and Germany's policy
were equally plain. Russia, said the
Czar, "could not desert her brethren in
Sei-bia." Germany said she must desert
them or suffer attack. The subsequent
talk about mobilization was an after
thought, and Germany could not keep
this excusc always in mind. So it hap
pened that tho ultimatum to Russin
asked, it will bc reeallod, not merely an
almndonment of mobilization ngainst
Germany, but against Austria-Hungary
?a well. Thus Germany harkod back
to the demand that Russia stand aside.
The conclusion is further enforcod
by th<< linal ell'ort Sazonoff made I'or
peace. On July .".() he submitted to the
German Ambassador a formula which if
it had been agreed to. would have
averted the war. If Austria-Hungary
would stay her march Russia would stop
her military preparations. Sazonoff in
structed the Russian Ambassador to get
an immediate answer. The German
Foreign Minister replied that "he con
sidered it impossible for Austria to ac
cept"?on return without consultation
with Vienna. Germany was resolved to
attack unless Russia would "disinterest"
herself in Serbia, and attack she did.
The Czar was not overstrong in in
tellect, and possibly at times he was
mixed up hy the whirl of events. He
may have given contradictory instruc?
tions. but in the main lie acted intelli- '
gently and sincerely. In his first tele- |
gram to the Kaiser lie wrote: "An
ignominious war has been declared
against a wcak country, and in Russia
the indignation, which I fully share, is
tremendous." He exhorted the Kaiser to
restrain his ally.
The Kaiser's reply justified an attack
on Serbia, and the issue was thus joined, j
and all else is collateral. The Kaiser
had appeared once again in shining
armor and Russia was forced to choose !
between throwing Serbia overboard or
fighting. Germany saw in Russian mobili?
zation, not a threat against her. but a
purpose to protect Serbia.
The Russian policy was tiie same as
that followed by this country when we !
told the third Xapoleon that he must j
withdraw his soldiers from Mexico, and |
when we told Great Britain that a re -
fusal to arbitrate the Venezuelan boun
dary would lead us to defend VTenezuela.
Why the attempts to obscure the war'a
beginnings is obvious [f Sazonoff was
to blame, was pursuing imperialistic |
designs or planning to attack Germany,
the moral foundation of the Allies is
destroyed. Germany is presented as a
defender, and should receive an in
demnity rather than pay one. The
record is voluminous, lhe details are
tedious, and repeated assertion of the
false, it is hoped, will perhaps lead many
to accept it as truth. So the German
propagandi i expand every half truth
to throw suspieion on Rusi ia or france
'"' Italj or i ireal Britain, Vnd the Bol
shevista, of course, blackguard the old
Russia,
The persons i ngaged in thia special
pleading for Germany know what they
are doing. They are endea\ oring to
aave Germany from tho consequenco of
crime as formerly they labored to make
her erimo auccoasful. While about this
nefarioua buainesa the con iplrntora dl
[TUi 0(1 theinsehe:. in Ihe e.ai'ments of
pacifl im uud protend nol to soo Uud
l!"' outlook for peace will be po,o if
hl:lT>l'l;ii] . , (tll l'e mdllced to \\ rite |,-\t.
book ; which teach lhal Rusaiu wn i uboul
<" attack and that Germany merely
anlieipated the blow.
The Great DivicJe
There was a widespread Bwearing ofT
among baseball fans two ycars ago. The
decline and fall had been long, in com?
ing, the final collapse was due to the war.
The box score from Cantigny made the
old five-star baseball exg-a as pointless
as a grape-juicc cocktail. Of neocssity,
the eclipse became completc. The dismal
prophets began to predict a leaguelesa
<-ra and talked darkly of old times being
gone, never to return-to the Polo
Grounds at any rate.
Yet, yesterday, amid the eherry blos?
soms, some 30,000 Rip Van Winklea
awakened from their long slumber and
found themselvea oddly enough at the
Polo Grounds. By specia] arrangement
i thc Weathcr W'aa pcrfeet; and. as if to
carry out the illusion that all was cxact
ly as of old, that there had been no
h.atus the Red Sox wallowed the Yankees,
By blinking one's eyes rapidly ono might
fancy that nothing had changed what?
ever. We can imagine an aged fan rub
bing hia eyes and muttering: "Thank
heavens it was only a nightmare!"
There will be bigger times yet, unless
all the prophets fail. Sunday bail is
around the corner and imagination sete
no ,'imit to the grandcur or the pageant
in Btore for lhe faithful. The great. ro
vival haa begun at. |ca t. one toppled I
1 ?"'?? ha been pul back upon hi throne,
and who know but. that in the light of
uuch a reatoration eten the first oi! July ]
; may be passed with emotions if not bor
dering upon resignation at least escaping
; disaster.
Burleson
The beauty about Burleson is that his
j record is so bad that not even the mosc
' impudent partisan can make an cxeuse
for him.
He has shown to what heights domi
| neering inefficiency may mount. The
| colossal hash he has made of the postal
service and the dfence which he has
given to every person who mails a letter
or answers a telephone call or pena a
telegraphic message is a warning to the
public of what it may expect when it
permits arrogant ignorance to be in
charge of public business. Burleson has
been a service wrecker and a tax eater,
marring everything he touehed. As'a
side activity he has been a tricky spoils
man, and the measure of his opinion of
| tho American people is shown by his re
sponsibility for the order of the Admin
istration commanding the return of a
Democratic (!ongrc . .
Tyrannical, foolii h, of di ordcrly mind.
Burleson is most sinistor. That he has
remained ar. long as he has is proof of
tho great desirc to support the Adminis
tration and to avoid criticism,
A Living American Art
Ev< ry i-o ofti n a member of our Amer?
ican intclligent: ia lifts hi. voice lo bc-<
ail the artistic shortcomings of his coun?
try. This and that are horridly i bnox
ious, tasle is restricted to the Very few.
and the inlluence of democracy upon art
is necessarily and hopeles^ly evil.
The criticisms are usually accurate as
far as they go and the reader assimilat.es
much gloom in consequence. The gloom
may be tempered by some irritation and
a blind sense of-disagreement. But when
such wise and exclusive souls speak who
is any one to contradict? Therefore it
is refreshingly delightful to find a set of
facts brazenly and undebatably contra
dicting these croakers for us, as happen-,
to-day on a certain American stage in
our own city. We mean the play of "The
Jest," as rare and beautiful a work of
art in every American contribution to its
production as our city or any city could
hope to see; and, for the contradiction of
our dismal critics, turning away a good
slice of demos ai every performance.
We do not argue that ihe excellent art,
of the show is its only attraction. The
play itself is melodrama and there is
much drawing power in the cast. But
the fact beyond avoidance is that we
have here a production in a frankly com?
mercial and successful theatre utilizing
the last word in scenery and lighting
and the sum of stage presentation and
achieving in these fields an artistic suc?
cess of the first rank. The theatre is
not a pocket show or a fad. Every night
over a thousand supposedly inartictie
Americans are giving up real money to
see more beauty and craftsmanship than
most of our : eli conscious little maga
zines, foi- instance, contain in a year.
This result did nol arrivc in a day.
Everj one oi our little theatres, Easv
and West, deserves its share cf credit.
A dozen American designers of scenery
have built. up the substantial art tha*
made such a production conceivable. Our
exotic introductions tn the ni w ai
the theatre, the work ot' Rinehardt and
Bakst, especially lhe Russian ballet,
trained the public's eyes Im a sense we
were .-low to advance, the exotics re?
mained exoties, most scenery wenl on
painting itself much a- before. Vei lhe
lea\ t ii v. as working, ai ii working
'.v toward genuinely .\:]\ov\o.u, expn
sion This year saw a series of produc
tions m the new spu it. At the Bourgeoi
gallei ies this month thi re >-, a beautiful
and interesting oxhibition i f these de
.-igiis, representing a dozen men, sum
marizing in trlking fashion ihe progrc
of tho new scenery.
The art n( Mr. Robert Kdmot d lm i
111 "Tho .'e t" ,!, serve tho lendership
lhat has been Reoordod it, I'
!" mako a foti h ,, / n,,. ,., w ., ,,
thoOVies and hs.e ad m pui: ui! ,1 ?
Pbiy, uetoi ., public, Iii m- . .1,.,,,. ?.
:,|!'' '" ulili/.c every now m< un of i cenio
production, of light, of vibrating coli 1.
of simplicity, of ? ymboli m, to sei ve the
one end of making tho play live. The
spirit ia exactly lhat of .M. Jacquea
Copeuu, as it hnppcna. Thero is no rule.
The solidest materials stand side by sido
with the llimsiest. For one play severity
ia the word, for another delicacy. M, j
Copcau is an actor and Jiis production- I
are born of that spirit of the artisan !
which must. lie behind all great art. Mr.
Jones paints much of his scenery him?
self; it grows in the atmosphere of the
play; it is never beauty for its own sake,
but always beauty toward lhe one end;
it is an integral part of that most ex
traordinarily complex of all works of
art, an acted play.
How far will the new art go? Jt. js one
of the excellencies of democracy for
artistic purposes that it forms taste rap
idly. The American people havo been
relatively unsensitive to the visihle arts.
The writlen and apoken word haa had
far more power than any color or line.
George Ado has boen as great as our |
suburban architecturo has been awful.
The turn has come all along the line
from homes to ofTlcc buildings. And wo :
BUapect that the theatre ja destined to
count most o.f all. It j3 0Ur most popu?
lar art. It, can train eyes to beauty b\
the thousand. It, is already doing 80. '
Punishment Should Begin at Home
(from The Toyrlai Capita!)
Another Topokn woman, we uee by tho
" ' : " Prints- >'?? l?i, "pincheel" for whlp
ping her husband in public, Thero ia, in
Topckn, no criticism of thi womnn who'o,
::' ''?'<'? ln r ; 1 band, bul tho
fccMn? '? ?? ??? the punluhmentBhould be ad
raini iti r< d ln pi Ivuto.
The Conning Tower
By Our Own Next Gcnt
I know a barbcr who's raum as thc grave,
Who never once urges a sham
Poo upon me when all that I want is a shave;
Nor fondles my face with hia clam
My and cigarette fingers and swings a cold
towel
While he whistlcs a gay madrigal,?
He s.ure is some barbcr, I'll make my
avowal
And thc name of that barbcr ia
AL.
Nothing iu tho various textbooka on Eng
' lish that helped make the days of our
adolescenco boresomo wns so close to actu
I ality as "The Writing of English," by Manly
and Rickert, presumably a textbook for col
I lego freshmen. It is the only textbook on
English we over saw that doesn't patroni/.e
? journalism. We do object, however, to the
habit textbooka have of reprinting a story,
a good story and rcprinted as an exnmplc
of good condensntion, or nnrration, or cohor
t'lice, without crediting tho newspnper tho
s tory Is liftod from.
"Jlavo you not had tho experienco," saks
Prof, Manly, in the chnpter "Rending Aloud,"
"at somo timo when .vour mind wna perplexed
or troublcd, of suddonly becoming uwnro that
you did not know n word that you had been
rending? Vour oyo hiul been following word
nfter word, but your nnml hnd been busy
with Ita own problems." Yes. "In rending
aloud," continues Prof, Mnnly, nssurcd of the
nffirmntion to his rhctorica! question, "such
ib traction is impossiblo, espccinlly, when
you nro rending to some one else." Tush,
Prof., nnd a pair of pishes! Field it from
one who has read many volumea oloud, u
is possible to read whole chapters read them
accoptably, too, so that the readee thinks you
nre as interested as >dio is without knowing
what the stuff is about; in fact. to read aloud
and think of something utterly apart from
the book. . . . We read "The Three Black
Pennys" aloud; and then had to go back
and read much of it to ourself.
Prof. Manly, we trust, is safely out of tho
army. "Avoid same altogether as a pro
noun," he says. It once was our joyous duty
to read much of the corrcspondence that
passcrl through Capt. Manly's hands; and tho
pronominal sames, in army correspondencc,
.'. ay about two to the letter.
They are Koing to keep the German dole
gates in a cage at Versailles, and it is thought
that Premier Orlando's trip to Rome from
Paris was made for tho purpose of buying
a supply of raw meat.
tieorgln Efflclcncy
[From tho Rome (Ga.) Trlbunc-Heraldl
' : '?? I'i'-I- - Apply to Roino Laundry.
"And what," said Miss Corinna Under- :
smith. thc bea.utiful typist, as she ordered her
luncheon of a lettuce sandwich and a glass
? of ice cream soda, "is so wonderful in tho
story ol* the L'-lll comin- back on a dict ol'
jelly, pickles, and potato ;s?"
If a U-boat rolls in lhe same way a de
stroyer does, we, if we were a member of the
crew, should have tracled our jelly and pickles
*'"'' '"' ! io ui' eclusion that thc cabin erants.
I he arl isti . I o 'onstrucl the pictures for
;:." clothing manufacturers are too obvioua
in their efforts to flatter the enlisted man,
v.ho doesn't wear a Sam Browne belt.
Tl ?? subjeel of names no longer fascinates
us. But Mr. T. W. Dye, funeral director in
Reedy, \V. Va., advertises "A Trial Will Con
?, incc Vou."
Aml a V loan poster in a ti. R. T. ear saj :
"Sure, Wc'll Finish the Job. . . . Space
donated by Fairchikl Sons, Inc, Funeral
Directoi "
Vd\ eniiiK s iii Armj Psychologj
??? :; ii nd ol mine, n Iso n pi ychologi t, on
?'? d.od b> ., guard what ho did in the
replied, "I am doing psychological
.'.....
"Oh, ; thal so." replied tho appreeiativo
privato from South Carolina, "when are you
fellows going lo open your dark room?"
? ? ? ?
Oi o bird, nn being asked by a paychologlcal
e> nmi nor lo put on hi i blnnk "tho state in
ii'ah you wore born'?" put down "Nnke-d,"
penking, a- i hope tho now ipnpei i v |
? "I I1'1' V en my ,.| uiiauthoi'i.-eil iiiol
' 11 dlH'UI'lltions, which lhe .- .Iremeil I'mm ,
believe " n rare a . iu he prneUcally un
-hl'PC enli'.leil mell enlere.l mv olhee
:i' ?i" ainiy lionpitnl , tlnuntlng enmpnign
;' 'dge ribbons, On being nnkod, "\\ Imt'a me
i bhon for?" thoso wero ihe replw i;
1. "I dunno. A guy in \ew Vork givo ii
io me."
2. "Why, that's nn oversca bndgo, for Roin'
across."
:'?? "That, oh, that's for still bein' in tho
army!" H. A. L.
Oteen, \. <*.
'"all it Bolshevistic if you like, The Con?
ning Tower hereby goes to contrib control.
Ucretofore we arbitrarily have selected what
v.e considered the year'a be.st contribution,
and bestowed the prize upon its author. Hero
after the contribs shall decido which is the
prize-winning offering. Any contrib, success
ful or not. is entitled *o a vot<'.
Contribs whose stuff fails to nppear may,
if they like place t iie blnmo for its non
appearancc on tho Postma.ster General, As.
i i w. k , this column prints every contribution
it receivca,
"Bullitl i; scarcely more than a youth in
his early thirties," says a cable to The
Tribune. lle is scarcely moro than a child,
-lien, lor he is in hia twentica, and noarer his
early ihun his late.
''' ''? A ? '" The Tribune, ipenks of Shakc
ipcore'a pluy, "The Two Noblo Kinnmen." That
? - ...? work of tho poct I never henrrj of boforc
"'" K >'? A. let ,,, nl] know where it can be
seen? Mprning Telegraph.
."diakospeare ,, supposcd to have written it,
in collaboration with Fletcher.
"I havo lines starting down from tho
cornera of my mouth," writea Mrs. I). B.
?<> Dr. W. A. Evanij. "Some aay they are
causod by Inughing." "Vour only hope," ro
pliea "'" I'l'.vsician, "ia to keep laughing,
C .VII Keep il, up, yOU mny |,ri tha) |jnfl Qut ?
'? l:" nl i' that causoa linoa never botl i ,,.-.
It'H vico vertsu here, jr, p, \m
Germany To-day
Starving Amid Plenty
By Samuel Crowther
Special Correspondent of The Tribune, Just Returned From Germany
THK appafent shortage of food through
o il Germany is due to five factor?,
and only one of them is the actual de
ficiency of food and feed ing stufTs. How
great that deficiency is 1 do not, know and
cannot even estimate, and neither can any
one olse, for there is absolutely no means
whatsoevor of getting at the real figures.
The official figures are even more worthless
than those usually compiled by food admin
istratora and used as a basis for rations.
Whatever tho statistical shortage may bc,
tiie actual shortage is much less. Just as
the Germans are nol nearly so badly off in a
d and economic way aa they think
they are, so, also, they havo and all classes
are getting a greal deal more food than
they like to think they are. The Gorman la
so very sorry for himself that ho would
finish iho mosl splendid dinner with the
same air that n prisoner disposea of broad
and water.
ISetter Than England
The Allied propaganda haa heen to the
general effcel thal france, England and the
United State have food in plenty. The
spreading of thal information undoubtedly
helped to ahortcn tho war, but the (iermans
generally thought that the more signing of
the armistice would bring in food, and now
they bitterly contemplate themsclves as
being dclibcrately starved. Thero is not the
slightest idea that there ever was a food
shortage in England or America, or that
ration cards ever were used in those coun?
tries.. When T told Germans that the food
in the best German hotels was infinitely
better than the food in the best. English
hotels during January and February they
did not believe me, but such is the fact.
I have given the hotel side not at all as
illustrating the German food conditions, but
only to show that if the conditions were
really as had as the (iermans imagine them
to be whal a shocking thing it, would be to
permit the wealthy to live in almost pre
war plenty! One is not permitted for an
ins tant to take the hotel conditions as
charactcristic, for every waiter, every offi?
cial -in fact, everybody in Germany?talks
only of food and Bolshevism. At the be
ginning of my trip I was threatened with
one long examination of the food question,
for I met no one who did not attempt to talk
food, and I could get at no other facts until
I hit upojj ihe expedient of br&aking in upon
long discourses with the question: "How
does the present feeding of the people com
pare with the food given to the prisoners of
war? Yen cannot expect any better than
you gave."
Deficiency and t car
I do not know how the rations do compare,
and it would be at present only of historic
interest, bul the question is most effective
? cutl;' '-' short disqulsitions upon "Le
and its tram of calories and
othi r food jargon. And, also, I think that
1 ' quite a few people to thinking.
A fresh supply of food will not of itself
settlc the food question in Germany, be?
cause the present shortage is due to these
causes:
'? A deficiency in food and feeding stuffs.
-. A perfection o\ governmcntal control
which has destroyed the relation between
supplj and demand and dislocated all the
former methods of distributiojii.
'?'?? A currency which has ceased tu ex
press value.-.
!? A failure of transportation,
Feeding Bolshevism
To the Kditor of The Ti ibune,
Sll': May 1 e ;pre< on behalf o>; the Yol
untarj v oclation ol tiie Russian Army
and Navy Offlcers in the Unitod States my
deep appreciatlon of the splendid editorial
publlshod ui your paper of Apnl |s, ipp.i,
untli r tho titlo "Feeding Hols he\ iam" '
The hiteralhed policy on | ne [\w .,,,
situntion i" a chain of fatal mlsunth i md
and historicnl erron fhe PrincrV
Island i pi opoi il Ion w m droppod berause
'".'? nl Ru ? ia ' .><:. I. ,i 1 ? , 1 h \\ itli m feehint
"r <'''!? iiullgnation When llerron w??
aubslltuted ul lhe Supreme Council b.\ a
llullitl Ihero wn ? a danger thal the . ri'mi
md gang of Bol ihoviki in Uussia would bo
' cd and deull with by the Allied
1 ' ? ? Heavy pressuro exercised by lhe
British Parliament Rtopped this proposi- I
tion. Due lo British public opinion Lloyd '
George was almost compellcd to denounce
the aiiarehistic tendencics o( Trotzky, com- '
paring the Bolshevist movement to "a I
volcano which is still in cruption." Tm- '
mediatcly after that. however, a sugges
tion has been made hy the Supreme Coun?
cil to feed Bolshevist. Russia because of
humanitarian motives. What dark forces
are guiding the Big Four in regard to
the Russian situation? How inhuman is
this humanitarian proposition to feed the j
very men who are plundering Russia, mur
dcring her best sons and crucifying her?
Feeding Bolshevist Russia means strength- I
ening the Bolshevist. cause not only in
Russia, but throughout the world. Mos- i
cow, under Trotzky, is the headquarters
of international anarchy, and therefore '
feeding Trotzky means strcngthenlng
anarchy throughout the world.
Morcovcr, the Allies again demand that
we loyal Russians cease hostilities against
the Bolsheviki- that wo compromise. They
will not get it. We will not cease hostili?
ties. Wc will kecp on fighting. [f they
won't, wo will stamp oul. Bolshevism; we
will not loleralo Bolshevism in Uussia. and
if Lloyd George says he would "rather
leave Uussia Bolshevik than see Great
Britain landed in bankruptcy" we Russians
have no right. to deliver our motherland
to a bunch of international anarchists for
the sako of any of tho Europoun countries.
However scliish and short-sighted the atti
tude taken by the Supreme Council may be,
wo will b" guided in our actlons by lhe
only motive which should guido lhe acttvi
1',,; ">' every loyal cili/.eTi, to whatever
COUIltrj ho may belong, and that is Ihe love
of his native country, tho pride of belong
ing to hia own people. Tho bluod of tho
III
5. A fear of starvation which leads to
senseless hoarding.
The government has acted upon the
theory that there is only food enough in the
country to last until May if the people live
upon the smnllest possible ration. They
have provided this ration, and it may be had
upon cards and at fixed prices. There is
nothing to be purchased in a grocery shop
or at a buteher'a without a coupon or at
other than a fixed price. The weekly ration
provides just about enough food for two
days, excepting bread, which ia suflicient.
The people are faced with starving on tho
ration or buying food outsido through what
is called the secret trade, or "Schleich
luuidel." If the people ato only tho ration
undoubtedly they would sturvo now instead
of in May, when they are otlicially SUpposed
to starvo, Hut. they do not eat only the
ration, :\>u\, in fnct, lnrgo numbors of tho
people would not bothcr to obtain their cou
pons were it not for the fact thnt bread
can be obtained only on coupons. Every
other article of food may be obtained
through the socret trade, and that trado
which is called seen i is to-day the biggest
trade in Germany; it is about as seen" aa
getting a drink in a New "i'ork saloon on
Sunday. If the producer sells to a recog
nized distributive agency hc can have only
the. Sixed price, and therefore ho does not
so sell. .Most of the food articles sold in
the open shops are from the government
stocks, and they are sufficiently uuattractive.
ill Buy llUcit Food
When it is, remembered that all of this
illicit trade is in i'ooda which the govern?
ment says do not exist the variance of
the government iigures. from tho facts may
be imagined. This outside purchase is not
conlined to the rich; everybody buys out?
side, and wages and unemployment allow
ances havo been forced high enough to per
mit every one so to buy. The usual pro
cedure of the workingman is to eat one meal
a day at the war kitchens and to get his
other meals out of the foods which his wife
buys on the outside. Every train in Ger?
many is crammed with people carrying
packs of food; they are the city dwelicrs
coming from foraging expeditions in thc
country. Of course, those people who ?re
ill or who cannot get out into the country
are in a bad way; they must live on the
rations, but their plight is not due so much
to food conditions as to the failure of dis?
tribution. Tlie burcaucrats are simply con
tfolled until (here is nothing to control. and
a arrests for food viplations were made at
least 95 per cent of tlie people would be
under arrest.
Finally comes the fear element. The
food controllers say that the country will
starve in May unless thc Allies send food.
Quite a number of people have no intention
of starving in .May. and they buy and hido
all the food that ihoy can lay their hands
on. I: is an unfortunate person who has
not some kind of reserve stock, and al?
though 1 do not believe that any very con*
siderable stocks exist or that the govern?
ment is hiding anything, or even that the
returning troops destroyed immense stocks,
as are the current rumors, yet the stocks
held by private persons must in the aggre
gate be very large indeed.
The country people are not suffering at
all, and their greatest complaint is the ab?
sence. of coffee, although tho cotfee substi
best sons of Russia wfiich has been shed i
morcilessly by ihe Bolsheviki will no- be j
c?nverted into ink of compromising |
treaties with them.
Hie fight must g0 on. The fight will go
on until the timo when the very memorv
o! Lenine-Trotzky's bloody regime will bo
elinuniited from the iiunds of the llu : 'a?
peoplo, Russia has uo other iasue than to
become fr.-r. Russia's froedom can be !
?chioyed only bj n complete nnd overwhflm*
ing victory of the rising iwtional spivit ever
tho ii.nl. forces ol' mtei nut loiin! uiu.rcby nud ,
? o ? "?'? brutality of tho prolotni ..:? d ,
ia: ovrthip,
1 'I'l I I'A'.W r BOUIS HRAS01
New *) oi k, Apnl i\) irjin,
Steffens in Wonderland
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: In your issuc of the 11th inst. is an
account of a most interesting interview
which Frederick Moore had with Lincoln
Steffens concerning his reeent mission to
Lenine and Trotzky. One statement made
by Mr. Steffens in this interview is par
ticularly noteworthy, because it shows the
character of the man and the quality of
the informaion which he was able to con?
voy to President Wilson.
Concerning Petrograd, which he describes
as now a semi-deserted city, he states,
"Streetcara were running there because of
water power which the Bolsheviki havo de
veloped." Any one who has been in Petro?
grad knows that it is located in a level and '
marshy country where there is not the I
slighteBt possibility of developing water
power. even if the Bolsheviki lmd the ma?
chinery and technical ability to install any
kind of hydro-electric plant. The only re- !
gion within hundreds of miles in which
there is any possibility of developing hy
dro-electric power is Finland, and Finland, j
of course, is no longer under Russian con- !
trol.
Those who have followed the socialistic
activities of Lincoln Steffens and his mis
representations of affaira in Mexico, as well
as in revolutionary Russia, will not be sur- '
prised at such statements as that above
mentioned. JEROME LANDFIELD.
New Vork, April 21, 1919.
The Lure of Bolshevism
(From The Columbia 8tat?)
ln Munich tho theatres have been Bocial
izod. If that means that you have tho lib
erty of speaking to the attractivo -oung
thing in tho noxt sent without tho fonnalitj
of an Introduction wo considor that quito I
un advance in BOclability. f
tutea make no worse a decoction tha? it
| commonly served in English country !!0?^j!
I under the name of coffee. The 'avetiM
I country person is just as hearty as ever aT
| though a little less bloated, on account af
the absence of real beer. The p00r in tha
; cities are in diflferent case, and they suf?
j in proportion to the si/.e-of the city and the
nature of the Burrounding country. Htm
burjj and Berlin aro in the worst condUhfc.
and there the poople do seem to be uneam.'
monly pale and emaciated, although how
much of this is due to undernourishmit
and how much to lack of beer it is imp0?.
sible to determine. The German tigure haa
changed for tho better, and eertainly ,<ome
of the chango must be due to the wafcn
beer which they are now forced to drink.
The Stronger Fast
V ono proceeds further cast f]iP peop!e
are noticoably Btrongor looking, and anion*
the Sileaian coal ficlda both the people and
the children s.'om us hardy as rvrr J
judged rather from tho appoarance of thr
people and rspceially tho children in ?Mh
011 rather than on what was told me
conccrning the conditions, for tjle (aIe o{
scmi-starvation is cverywhcre the same ]n
Saxony there is little evidence of nialnu
trition, and thence on to the French occu
pied territory, starting across from Mann"
hcim, on the Rhine, the conditions grioV
ally improve. In the French territory the
people seem to be particularly well neur
ished, but when one strikes the American
sector around Coblenz conditions gi w bid
again, and continue bad until the greatwar
regions about Dusseldorf and Essen are
reached. In these sections the average color
is good and the children are more active
than in any part of Germany that I visifol.
To judge by appearances is thoroughly
unscientific and probably open to all kinds
of objections, but I was forced to the con?
clusion that the Germans were gettingmueb
more food than they thought they were. and
that the inconvenience and uncertainty of
upplies were bothering them more than
the supplies. Some people are getting too
much and some too little, but proper dis
tribution is an internal and not an extenul
aflfa ir.
Milk for Children
The worst feature is the absence of milk
for young children and for the sick-the
helpless are the ones who bear the brunt of
the misfortunes -and while the Germans
grow very sad about the plight of the help
h . it does not seem to occur to any one to
cut off the milk which is served with tbe
coffee in most of the hotels and well-to-dc
homes, and while the doctors lament that
coffee cannot be had for the cases thatotW
it in the hospitals, the waiter in the hotei
wdl ask you whether you want real
"Mocha" or "orsatz"
The food that is being to-day suppli?d tc
Germany (my investigations were made be?
fore any of this food had arrived) will an
doubtedly help to restore the stamina of the
people, for the mere presence'of more food
in the offing, so to speak, will loose many
private stocks, but the situation would be
considerably helped by more information ai
to the actual food state in other couatrita
in order to destro\ the impres; on thatGw
- is tho only hungry country. 'J'iic Ger?
man is totallj unconscious o;" i ,e havoi
that he has wrought in the world, and it
i be a kindly act to inform him of thi
facts and turn him for a moment ircm ?
tensive self-pity.
Praters and Seers
To the Editor of Tke Tribx
SIR: Pcrmit me to thank you for ti*
article on Raymond Rohins, by Stanley
1 to-.!, in your is nue of . iturday, Apri
If. I he vvriter had tiie pri\ I - of b?in?
ated with Rob . ? 0f ki>
miaaion in Ru sia
No on,< worked mon- trde l adth nw
compli . for tfer
cau e of the Allies and for the > ? cipkl*1
nound conatitutional roprosentativc &v*tt
monl than he, and it ia pi ??? th'
",; conci ption ? to which hi onwn:*
have given re c
There wore two vital differenccs hetwte1'
tho work of Robins and thal of tv any other
good people to whom equal opportunitfiM
offered.
i 1 i Robins, with a i lear, penetrating tniad,
tndied existing conditions, mingled wM
those in power, ro matter who they *?*?
and sought the easential character ?r,d the
sources of the spirit that animated the dom>
nant element- in a distracted country.
Others were content to sit at the per.pbery
?to criticise and condemn.
Robin's appreciationa of conditions V*
based on knowlcdge from within.
Those of too many of our friends. ??**"
times in prominent positions. are based ?"
tho impressions of the onlooker.
(2) Robins's estimate of individuals i? ?e*
comprehended by many, for the simple reaiea
that we are often too hasty and intcmpel***
to recognize the possibility that even he wh*
leads the forces of the devil may be sinW
and moved by ideals which to his limited ?'
perverted vision are yet of o\erwhel?>B5
cogericy.
In dcaling with an individual who is ir.eoB
prchensible and seemingly vicious, it is eee"
venient to know whether one is dcaling ?Jth
a lunatic, a fanatic or a knave.
"Mon fils," says Marco to Guido, in "MoPK*
Vanna," "chacun voit dans un ctre cequ'lfW
en lui-meme; et chacun le connait d'une faCa
diffcrente. ct jusqu'a ln hauteur de s;< prof*
conscience."
Robins, a man.of remarkable underataW
ing and iharacter, has testified that he **'
convinced that somo of those. who formed M
kcrnel of the Bolaheviatie movement >?
Russia were smcere fanatics, and for tw'
very reason far more difticult to deal wPJ
This world is more or less divided wn0*!
lhe praters and the seers.
The prater one cannot help hearinitr; *
a pity that SO few can recognite lhe >eer.
\V. S. TIlAYbl'v
Baltimore, April 'S2^ 1919.