What is Bolshevism?

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16163, 18 March 1918, Page 6

What is Bolshevism?

"What is Bolshevism? Dr. Harold Wiilian:s quutes a pro.r.inent Russian as declaring that it is a new religion, and comparing it as a mass movement with early Christianity. Dr. Williams himself finds in it "an almost religious "quality." Another Russian regards Bolshevism as ' an unwholesome product " of decomposition," the revolution, in his opinion, being merely the breakdown of tho enfeebled and antiquated State organisation. The view taksn of Bolsheviks by the mercantile and commer- ! cial classr-s is seen in the cablo from another English Petrogrnd correspondent who says that the business mon of Moscow welcome the Germans as saving them from the Bn'slieviks. The politician would sco the Bolsheviks as extremists in every sense. of the word— i pacifists who would murder their brothers if the latter stood in the way of their idea of poaco, anti-militarists who would plunge a nation into civil war for the sake of their crerd, or massacre, under every circumstance of brutality, naval and military officers, and Ministers cf the Stat<» who disagreed with them: anti-Imperialists, who, in their frenzy against Imperialism, have placed their country at tho mercy of a ruler whose

Imperialistic sway is more oppressive than tluit of any other monarch of the day. Furlher than this, the Bolsheviks aro implacable etiomirs of what they term the bourgeoisie, a chiss which apparently includes all who do not actually 'work with their hands, and embraces, of course, all employers, both State, municipal, and private. It is merely incidental to this sentiment that Bolshevism ignores all contracts ahd tfeatics, and repudiates all debts, that honour and good faith havo ceased to he, with its votaries, anything inoro than empty words. Tho only connexion between religion and a political croed •which has divorced the ClltlfCh from tho State, has caused the violent death of thousands, alld condemned millions of others to misery and starvation, is that it has attracted to itself the support of a number of the emotional aiid fanatic sects that swarm in Russia. Many of it 3 followers are no doubt decent, law-abiding people, hopeless visionaries, filled with a conviction that thoy have found a short cut to an earthly paradise, but with n'o original intention of reaching their destination over the bodies of those who disagree with them, by the light of burning cities. Tho majority, however, are siinply ah excited mob, loosed from all restraint, owning no ruler, no law, and no authority, and as are all mobs under similar conditions, brutal and lawlessj absbliitely regardless of human life, and with none of the fine scruples that pt'ovent more civilised communities front robbing and murdering right and left.

Sooner or later Russia will emerge from her madness, but iho path of convalescence -will be long and tedious. The most hopeful of tho opponents of Bolshevism regard the present condition as inevitable. Russia in order to live had to die. according to 3>r. Williams; had to fall apart in order to come together again; and the present agony is but a stop in the process towards the creation of a new arid sine country which, in the belief of some, will bo a centre of calm order whilo "Western nations are passing through throes similar to those which are now rending Russia apart. Meanwhile, Germany, who knows exactly what slid wants and is ftilly alive to every chance that presents itself of furthering her ptitpose, marches on, whilo the Bolsheviks shriek against a treaty which they were powerless to refuse. So far as "Unitod Russia" was anything but a name, Bolshevism has destroyed it. And with nations, as with everything else, it is more easy to destroy than to re-create.