The Daily News. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1917. RUSSIA BETWEEN THE MILLSTONES.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 September 1917, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1917. RUSSIA BETWEEN THE MILLSTONES.

It ha 3 been with increasing consternation and dismay that the recent news from Russia has been received. The canker of disaffection and disruption that first made its appearance when the Council of Workers .and Soldiers set to work to dictate to the Provisional Government, has grown and spread to such. an extent that it has brought Russia to a state of impotence, and bids fair to place the country and its people under the iron heels of the ruthless Huns. Although this collapse of Russia's great power is sorely, felt throughout the Empire, and has aroused bitter and even angry feelings towards our Ally, it Is more in sorrow than in anger that the present piight of Russia should be viewed. The primary cause of this national disaster cannot with justice be attributed to the people of to-day. We have to remember that they have at a bound emerged from ages of repression into the dazzling light of freedom, with tho result that their vision is faulty, their sense of perspective wanting, and their conception of subservience to law and order totally lacking. In getting rid of autocracy they have fallen into the common error of raising up tbe vicious principle of mob law, under the erroneous impression that freedom means unlimited license. The dethronement of an autocrat may be the accident of a moment, but the substitution of a sane, democratic rule must be evolved by years of patient and laborious education. All tho world was struck with amazement at the easy way in which the revolution was accomplished, but the struggle was still to come, and the Russians are going the right way to work to make that struggle a process of purification by fire and sword. The truth is that while tho people were prepared to strike for liberty when the opportunity came, they were totally unfitted and unprepared to build up a new democratic constitution. It is often asserted that ignorance is no excuse for wrong-doing, but in Russia's case ignorance—with its twin brother fanaticism—is at the root of the present evil, and until that blot is removed there can be no stable Government. If the present mischief is examined it will be seen that it is founded on the theory that freedom has been taken to mean "each man for himSnlf," and the idea of self-sacrifice is fnreign to the principle of Socialism. German agents have seen to it that this ftjpect should be thoroughly grasped by tlio easily deluded ignorant Russian peasants, and it is in consequence of the failuro to regard unity and sacrifice •I the cardinal principle whereon Russia's destiny must depend, that disaster Iws overtaken the Russian armies and flashed to the ground the hopes of the Allies for a speedy termination of the War. Russia is now in the toils. Riga ll»s fallen and the enemy is preparing Co march oa Petrograd—that enemy which Russia had at her mercy and in tlmo could, if she would, have effectively crufjied. How serious her position is cim be gleaned from the fact that the Russian line of Dvinsk to tile Vilna sector is turned and cut off from its sup-, plies, and that the retreating Russian right is falling bade on Petrograd, many

of its divisions being disaffected. What will happen time will show. The position, moreover, is aggravated 'by the) high handed treatment that has been meted out to the Cossacks in depriving (hem of their ancient military privileges. These Cossacks have proved not only most loyal to the new Government but have been a pillar of strength to the army. If the report that General Kaledin, one of the brave-1 and most loyal of all the Russian officers, lias been arbitrarily reduced to the ranks, then there is little hope for the future of Russia, but the rumor seems incredible, and it is sincerely to be hoped that it is merely a canard that has been bruited abroad to increase the present chaotic state of affairs. It is painful to receive (lay after day cable messages containing allusions to the voluntary retirement of masses of troops, and yet the proposed institution of the dentil penalty for such treason is blocked by the extremists. The latest news states that the international section of the Soldiers' and Workers' Council is stronger than the'patriotic, and while that state of affairs lasts it will be useless to expect that Russia can reassert herself and stand four square to her enemies without and within. The most that can be said i 3 that the position is not hopeless. Apparently Petrograd is safe for this year and much nitty happen meanwhile. There is Ho need to indulge in undue pessimism, but we cannot ignore or alter the fact that the effect of the long period of iron rule cannot bo Eliminated except by a welding together of the people, and the presence of a common danger of the greatest magnitude may have a sobering effect upon tho extremist., and give patiotisin a chance to revivify and strengthen the will of the people so that they ivill oncclmore assert their full strength against the enemy and thereby pave the way to a peace that wili enable Russia to work out its great destiny on sound lines.