A RUSSIAN OPTIMIST

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 59, 3 December 1917, Page 3

A RUSSIAN OPTIMIST

THE GRANDMOTHER OF THE REVOLUTION AN INTERESTING TALK

In the Winter Palace, directly over. Malchite Hall, in which the | >rov! * sional Cabinet used to daily debate Russia's affairs, is (or was till recently). lodged the "Grandmother or the Bussian Revolution," Catherine Breslikovskaya, who (says an Associated Press correspondent in the New iork "Evening Post"), of her life of seventyfour years, lias spent fifty years m prison or as an exile in convict settlements under police supervision, (she recently declared: "My chief food is optimism," and in the present difficult time in Russia the same sentiment buoys her up. , , "I am largely out of politics, she said. "Deny the stories that I play a role in Cabinet affairs. I wish I did. Things would be better. Nevertheless, prospects in Russia regarding internal politics and the war, are not as bad as- pessimists make them out to .)e. You may say that the Kornilott revolt was nothing tragic. He is not a clever man and was badly betrayed by coun-ter-revolutionaries who, at tlie Moscow conference, cheered him into a perilous adventure and then left him in the lurch.

Troubles Due to Ignorance. "There are still serious disorders, instability, and threats of worse conditions, hut those are normal phenomena due to one remedial cause —general ana political ignorance and the immaturity of our people. Our people have no knowledge of their country, its frontiers and history, or of political economy, ana the aim of the .rest of my life will be to help them towards maturity. All niy time now is being devoted to the education of the people and the Army, both ill civic duty regarding • Russia, and a patriotio attitude concerning the war, in which I demand a battle or victory. . "Our central organisation m retrograd, which is badly in need of money, publishes daily educational newspapers in every provincial capital, with the objcct of giving instruction on political and economio questions, so as to prepare tho people for tho Constituent Assembly. On one front we have 140 daily newspapers which preach the need' of discipline and solidarity with our Allies. We have circulated already on the front more than 6,000,000 pamphlets."

Fruits Already Apparent. Madamo Breshkovskaya gave other facts concerning the educational wojk of her organisation. Asked _ whether fruits of her'duties were visible, she answered: —"There are great fruits already. Wo received hundreds of letters from peasants and soldiers, indicating that they are showing more enlightened views towards the problem of the Government at home and of victory abroad. .The peasants, in particular, have made great progress, when they left their Siberian exile six months ago they had no conception of their political duties aB creators of a Constituent Assembly. To-day, as a result of the circulation of our literature, the peasants are taking a highly intelligent attitude, and are choosing excellent candidates, largely from the educated and politically trained classes."

Madame Breshkovskaya believes that the social revolutionaries, who make up the peasant party, will dominate the Assembly; but she is convinced that, though extremely democratic, they will not tolerate a hastily arranged peaco with Germany.

Army Awake to Cerman Designs. "The Army, the sentiments of which I know," she declared, "also stands for war. The spirit of ' the Army is firmer than ever. That is because the soldiers, who formerly believed that only the German Emperor was guilty, while tho German nation was innocent, now see that the German nation is solid for aggression, and, therefore, the punishment of Emperor /William is not sufficient—the nation itself must suffer the stings of defeat. "The wish of the mass of our soldiers is to compel the evacuation and the restoration of all land occupied by Germany and Austria, so that Russia will come out of the war without loss, and also will get guarantees which will prevent suffering in the future." "If that is so," Madamo Breshkovskaya was asked, "what is the reason for'the disorders and retreats?" "Theso failures," she replied, "do not disprove my claims that the mass of the army is patriotic. Unluckily, there are at the front large numbers of former police, gendarmes, and spies of the autocracy, backed by certain nobles, who dread Russia's success m the war, because that means the success of the revolution, and they fear the loss of their land without compenstation. I am convinced this fear is unreasonable. Tho State will compensate them, and the three or four milliards of fresh debt will connt for little as compared with the fifty milliards of debt which we already nave. But this dread helps the anti-war and revolutionary agitation. The fact remains that the Army wants victory, and of victorv I am sure." In conclusion, Madame Breslikovskaya said: _ _ "Don't be despairing about Russia. Althought I am an old woman, I am convinced that I shall see victory_ and int-emal regeneration. The impatience to witness these is the only ate sentiment left me in life.