THE SOBER WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 251, 1 April 1915, Page 3

THE SOBER WAR.

NEED OF A LASTING PEACE.

VIEWS OF RUSSIAN PRESS. The Russian newspaper issues of the Ist January (13 dayß later in Russia), deprived of much copy by the new regulations regarding the sale of liquor, have consequently devoted more space than usual to the long reviews of the. past year which are a regular New Year's feature of all Russian newspapers. \ summary of these reviews cannot fail to be of interest to English people (-says a Moscow correspondent of the Manciios--ter Guardian) for they show the difference in their attitude towards the win - . All shades of the Russian Press insist on a definite and lasting peace, or, in other words, that peace shall not be made until the enemy has been definitely crashed. "No matter how long it takes," says the Utro Rossie (the organ of a group of influential Moscow merchants), "no matter what sacrifices ;vo may have to make, Ave wish to fight this fight to the end. There will be no halfway house for us. Only half to finnih our task would mean preparing Europe for a fresh war in the near future."

Here it is only right to pay a tribute to the excellent service which the Russian Press has rendered in explaining the war to its readers. Since the beginning of hostilities its attitude has been one of firm determination and qui-'t dignity. It has been patient in the hour of defeat, modest in claiming victory. It has recognised, too, almost from tha first, that the struggle will be long, and that the chief mistake of the Russian people has been in imagining that the war would finish in two or three months. Knowing that dissension is the one thing that can wreck final success, it has loyally supported Russia's Allies. Wh:n the British Ambassador, in his speech on English New Year's Eve, wisely called attention to the small hut somewhat influnetial pro-German parly who have been covertly accusing England of using Russia as a catspaw to pull the chestnuts out ef the fire, the Russian Press welcomed the criticism with reassuring frankness. "With deep and heart-felt gladness," writes the Russkoe Sloyo 'a Moscow paper which follows public opinion, and has consequently the largest circulation in Russia), "we see that •the English are beginning' to understand and to appreciate the soul of the Russian people. -Hand in hand with the great British Empire, Russia is' waging this desperate struggle solely to save Christian civilisation from the savage onslaught of the modern super-Hum-. Germany alone threatens the existence of England and Russia. It would l.e unworthy of these great nations if they were to raise a quarrel over the question as to who is bearing the greater sacrifices or who will reap the greater profit at the end of the war. Each of the allied Powers must and will bear ;<ll sacrifices in proportion to her strength."

THE WAR AT SEA. As regards the war at sea, it is a little astonishing to find that, in the 18-page review of the Novoe Vremya, a jmp'T which has been particularly Anglophile since the war, there is no mention of the work of the British Navy. That this is not due to any intentional oversight is proved by the repeated tributes which from time to time the Novoe Vremya has paid to our fleet.' The Russkiya Viedomosti (a great Moscow Liberal paper, famed for the accuracy of itsnews), on the other hand, pays dwpraise to the achievements of our sailors: "It is true that in actual tonnage the British have lost slightly more than the Germans, but in terms of comparison the Germans have lost a larger and far better proportion of their fleet. This, however, is not the point. For the price of her losses England lias acquired much. Germnay's losses are pure loss, redeemed by no material gain." As one might expect, a considcrablo amount of space is properly devoted to the virtues of the Russian soldier, The England Tommy, too, has not bee n forgotten. At the beginning of hostilities the Russians themselves expected very little from England on land, but since the war the fighting qualities of the English soldier have made a great impression on the Russian mind. In England there is, perhaps, a tendency to expect almost too much from Russia. In just the same way Russia is anxiously awaiting the arrival of "Kitchener's millions," the growth of which is being watched in Russia with real admiration. Here is the summing-up of "the military critic of the Russkiya Viedomosti: "The results of the first five months of the war may be formulated as follows: The struggle between France and Germany and between Russia and' Germany, remains undecided. Austria has undoubtedly been vanquished by Russia, and finally, England has not yet brought her chief strength to bear." This last sentence seems to point to the conclusion that each of the Allies must sec to her own strength, and the results will look after themselves. /

TTIJ3 ECONOMIC SITUATION. From the economic point of view the position is not quite so satisfactory. The exchange question became very critical immediately after the declaration of war, and the price of the rouble fell considerably. For the first six months of 1914 the average exchange rate for £lO was !)o? roubles, by the end of JVcember it had risen to 117:( roub'es. Among the rich merchants there is a certain feeling that England and France might have done more to relieve the situation than they have actually done. Certainly, the question is one that deriiamls a speedy solution, for at the present moment Russia, whose .own exports have been almost stopped, is in the uncomfortable position of being unable to acquire the raw materials necessary for her industries. Russia, is fighting for economic liberty. One of her main interests in the war is to free herself from the ignominious position of being an "economic' 1 colony of Germany. By the regeneration of her old industries she hopes to recoup herself after the war for the heavy sacrifices which she has had to bear.

VODKA.

Xo notice of the internal life of Russia in 1914 would be complete without some mention of what is commonly called Russia's greatest victory. Not in vain have the Russians called this war "The Sober War." "From tile first day of the war." says the Vovoe Vremva, "the Russian has lieen leading a sober life . On the 18th July the sale of vodka was forbidden. And so. quite unexpectedly for all of us, we have carried out a reform of which hitherto even the most ardent had dared only to dream. Great Russia, whose whole history has been interwoven with drunkenness, first of all the nations of humanity lias passed from the Empire of Drink into the Empire of Light." It is impossible here, to give any account of the material benefits which this wise measure has already conferred on tile Russian people. Here it will suffice to say that many people, both in Russia and outside it will see in this sobering of 1 .W.OOD.Ono. souls the greatj est guarantee of the final victory of our 1 Allies.