Life — March 29, 1917 — page 20: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

MARCH 29, 1917. “While there is Life there’s Hope" us VOL. 69 1796 Published by LIFE PUBLISHING COMPANY J. A. Mirenent, Pres't 17 West Thirty English Off is a serious matter to be a week behind in remarks with history — making fast. Will the reader please notice that at this writing nothing much has happened, except that the Czar has got the blue envelope, the rmans on the western front have gone back to the rear of Bapaume and Peronne, the U-boats have sunk overnight three American ships, and the President has called the railroad strike off because of the imminence of a state of war. What Russia wants is to get rid of Germanized misgovernment. Bismarck once said that the top and bottom of Russia were all right, but the bureau- cracy was the devil. Czars have been good and bad, but the great mischief of recent times has been the reaction- ary ofice-holding crowds, who found their profit in power, and upheld the Czar hecause they could use him. Tt is no news that Nicholas is a k brother, but when the war started he was for beating Germany, and prob- ably sincere in that desire. But Russia had to be reofganized to carry on the war. The reorganization gave power to some men who were fit to use it, and proportionately dislocated the un- fit. That frightened the bureaucrats, who saw in a reorganized Russia a bad outlook for themselves, They were Germanized anyway, many by blood, and the rest by association and policy, and added to their German-made poli- tics, immense rascalities and brutish- ness of their own. Their hope came to be for a German victory, or at least A. Mitttr, Sec'y and Treas. st Street, New York s, Rolls House, Breams Bldgs., London, E. C. the retirement of Russia from the war, and in their labors to realize that hope they captured the Czar and used his power to defeat the war-policy of Russia. The revolution that came to a head on the fifteenth of March had been go- ing on for months. Its culmination seems to have been remarkably peace. The Czar is out; his legatee waiting to hear what is the will of the Russian people as to their government. Meanwhile Milukoff is the leader, the government is the Duma and its min- isters, with a republic or a constitu- tional monarchy in prospect when there is time for these details. What further explosions are to come in Russia is not yet clear. How the army will take these changes, and how much hob the bureaucrats and reaction- aries may still avail to raise, is not yet disclosed. But one of the great jobs the Great War was expected to do is far on the w towards accomplish- Russia has reached out and grasped self-government, and there is good hope that she will be able to hold on to it. At any rate German influence in Russia and German hopes generally have had a hard blow. The Rus people believe in this war and want to win and this new government in Russia is the government of the Rus- sian people and the expression of the national desire, and its first purpose will be to carry on the war. It is no government of anarchists. One reads that the Grand Duke Nicholas is to command the army. That long-legged Romanoff is much respected in this country, both as a man and a soldier. To our minds, imperfectly informed, ment. ian to be sure, he represents the good that is at the top in Russia. He is an able soldier, and out to beat the Germans. I{ the new government can enlist his sery- ices and he is a sound enough reformer and patriot to be trusted, he may come to be the Russian military Washington. And Russia will need a Washington, She is used to a good deal of govern- ment, and doubtless needs firm admin- istration of her affairs if she is to come through without huge disorders But the war is a great vent for her, and in many ways—the vodka prohibi- tion for one—she is in far better trim for change than after her war with aa Japan. fe 'HE Kaiser has now seen what may happen, and all the Germans have doubtless noticed what may be done, when a country becomes dissatisfied with its leading. One hears that the agents of the Ger- man Secret Service in surveyed Milwaukee, Newport and other places, and are still looking around to see whereabouts a high-born German exile could best expect to be happy. There was significance in von Hollweg’s admission in the Reichstag that these are dangerous times for folks who can’t see what is coming to them, Brother Charles of Austria doubt ss also has his thoughts! The “c. ract of thrones,” anticipated by an Eng lishman who was quoted in the papers. has begun, and the redemption valuc of crowns in hock is visibly sinking Brother Ralph Adams Cram reminds us that Jerusalem is about to fall again into Christian hands after being for nearly seven hundred years Turks. He says we are all to ring our church-bells when it happens, and that we will be no better than infidels if we don't And Bagdad, held by British troops, is invited by proclamation to enjoy again the liberties of which Turkish- German domination had deprived it! Truly, events are moving fast in these obstreperous days, America have spoil of comichooks.com