The Otago Witness. (WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1918.) THE WEEK.

Otago Witness, Issue 3337, 27 February 1918, Page 35

The Otago Witness.

(WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1918.) THE WEEK.

WITH WHICH IS IKOCBPOHATHD HI »ouTH»a» mkboum.

"Hunquata allud natura, allud aapieetla dixit,*' —J UTBKAL. "Good nature and good «en»o must ever join.”— Pops. There is little use in attempting to forecast the future of the war or the probability of peace pending the solution of the problem of Russia, the mightiest and the most perplexing problem of the day and the hour. Ever since the outbreak of hostilities in August, 1914, Russia has remained the uncertain, because the unknown, factor in the situation, and that uncertainty and lack of essential knowledge was never more profound than at the present time. Early in the war there were optimists who sincerely believed that the Russian army would be in Berlin before Christmas, 1914; but it was not long ere the Russian host, well nigh munitionless and baring their breasts to the fierce onslaught of the foe, was borne back before the triumphant’ inarch of the Austro-German forces. Reinforced, reorganised, newly equipped, and well furnished with munitions, it was again confidently anticipated that Russia would do her part in girdling Germany in an iron grip that would force her to her knees in submission to the Allies. Then came the dramatic revolution, since which chaos has succeeded chaos. All attempts at establishing a settled government would seem to have failed ; and, if the cable messages are to be believed, Russia to-day, driv.en to choose between anarchy and the heel of the conqueror, is perforce accepting the latter shameful alternative. It is well, however, to ponder the “if” in the situation and to remember that the men who know Russia and the Russians best still retain their faith in her ability to ultimately emerge from the present welter of civil war as the foremost champion in the world of democracy and liberty. Several important considerations go far to magnify the relative importance of the “if” in the Russian situation, foremost amongst which is the undeniable fact that the real strength of the Russian people lies in. the provinces, whereas most of the news manufactured for world consumption and disseminated by the cables emanates from the cities. Another peculiarity of the Russian mind—not altogether confined to Russia, however—is that the people who talk the most and who consequently get reported, in the newspapers are not the people who do things. The men of action are working silently and without clamour, and.the fruit of their work will presently be seen. Thus there' is an inner Russia as well as an outer Russia, and it is the latter rather than the former which makes ?ts influence felt upon the European consciousness. One key to the Russian problem is supplied by Dr Charles ' Sarolea when he writes; “In no other country have geographical conditions left a more indelible imprint. Nowhere else have men felt more deeply the all-pervading influence of physical surroundings, of climate, of race. There are some countries, like England, where man has conquered Nature, where Nature has become the benevolent and ministering servant of man. There are other countries, like Russia, where it is Nature . that , always threatens to enslave man. In few other countries have men been compelled to submit to that physical despotism with a more passive resignation, the resignation of a Tolstoy, which is so representative of the race. And in s no other country has Nature given more cruelly and more emphatically the lie to the noble dreams of idealists. Idealists may dream their dreams', proclaim their systems, and claim their reforms. But the great economic, climatic forces in Russia continue to follow their immovable course, heedless of systems and reforms. The political destiny of Russia seems to have been written, not in the books of philasophy, but in the stern and sibylline book of Nature; it has followed the bend of rivers and the curves of isothermic lines; and one guesses its mystery and one catches its meaning more surely and more easily by listening to the murmurs of forests and steppes than, by listening to the most plausible theories of revolutionists.”

The Problem o( Russia.

An aid to a right understanding of the catastrophe, or rather the series of catastrophes, which have overtaken Russia is to be found in the philosophy of “The Worse, the Better,” which had largely become cui’rent among the-Russian people in the early days of the war. That is to say, in the opinion of the mor» thoughtful, conditions in Russia had become so bad that they had to become , worse before ever there was a chance of betterment. In an instructive little book, “Glimpses of Inner Russia,” the actual position of things, as it existed before thewar, is thus vividly portrayed : “A none too numerous and lialf-ruined landed aristocracy, a good many of whom are spending the remnants of their patrimonies abroad, while the others are positively dispossessed, and kept out of office and influence by the well-consolidated and none too scrupulous higher bureaucracy, who make deals with the foreign capitalists for all , the chief natural resources of the country, and thus despoil the Russian people of their natural, inheritance. Then the lower section—the small officialdom —* who hold our capacity to breathe, think, and speak in thpir grasping clutches, like a monster octopus drawing life-substanco out of us. Then the hundred-and-over millions of our moojiks, our only promising national element, who are kept in hunger, bigotry, and ignorance, Tha whole country inert, as if asleep—immovable in a trance full of horrible nightmares.” The conclusion at which tha

■writer arrives is strikingly applicable to the present position in Russia: ’‘Don t you see, then, that we are doomed to destruction if we are not awakened, and that any, even the most devastating calamity, would be a God-send to us, if only it caused that colossal semi-Asiatic body of ours to regain its senses and shako its mighty limbs. The awakening and the shaking are now proceeding in Russia upon a mighty scale, and it is only by regarding it as a calamity .which presently will bring blessing and benefit that its full significance can _ be grasped. The difficulty, of course, arises from an incurable habit of looking at Russia through British rather than ' through Russian or European eyes, and ’thereby getting a wrong perspective. It may, and probably will, happen that Russia, in working out her own salvation, may do and suffer things directly inimical to purely British interests, if the result of the action be judged by its immediate results; but it will be wiser to suspend judgment until the ultimate becomes clearer. The main import in the situation is not that the Bolsheviks have repudiated Russia’s national debts; not that the Red Guards and White Guards busily engaged in cutting one another’s throats; not that the Russian army is demoralised and the Russian' navy disorganised —all these and other similar happenings are largely on t l ~e surface. The main con-, sideration is- that the colossal semi-Asiatic body of Russia, hitherto inert and hardly conscious, is awakening to consciousness and shaking its mighty limbs. Only when ■ that consciousness has more fully dawned 1 and the huge bo< begins to move as a well-directed whole, can the course which Russia’ is destined to take be even dimly comprehended. The disorders reflected in the cablegrams of the past few weeks are but the spasmodic stretchings and plungings of a halbawakened giant. At the same time it is impossible to avoid reflecting upon the more immediate consequences oi Russia’s action, in so far as the progress of the war is concerned. It is obvious that for the time being Russian anarchy is likely to play directly into the hands of Germany. The Bolsheviks, having vainly appealed to the Allies for recognition and support, have now, by yielding to Germany’s conditions, placed them: jives completely at the mercy of a ruthless and unscrupulous invader, who will not hesitate to impose upon them the terms of a conqueror. Germany has now the opportunity to enact the role of the benevolent autocrat, commissioned by a Divine providence to rescue Russia from the state of anarchy into which she has fallen through daring to take up arms ' against the Kaiser. If, as seems extremely probable, the German flag will shortly ' wave from the towers of Petrograd, the Kaiser’s next step will likely be to release tbo Czar, the Czarina, and the entourage of the Russian Court from the durance vile into which they have been plunged by the revolutionary party; in gratitude for which release the Czar may be persuaded to become Germany’s ally. Order can then be restored in Russia by methods truly Prussian, and Russia, instead of being a menace to Germany, will be transformed into a new source of strength and supply. Should this rough forecast prove in any sense correct, the centre of interest in the war may once more bo’ shifted from the Western front. The Manchester Guardian, for instance, contends that the German advance in Russia must modify the offensive on the Western front, as it will absorb a large army, with long lines of com- . munication exposed to guerilla warfare j but there is no good evidence to show that Germany is invading Russia in any great force. It is probably true-that a considerable section of the Russian people will welcome Germany’s attempts to restox-e order and suppress anarchy, and that the invasion will take on a more or less peaceful character. The outstanding feature of the consideration is that the altered aspect of Russia may render Germany’s internal position less desperate and that the pro- ’ jected assault on the Western front may bo modified, delayed, or abandoned. The Allies have been making great preparations for a defensive ; German strategy may seek to defeat this by completely changing hexplans.

The Conclusions of Immediacy.

In succession to th© late Dr Bedford, Archdeacon Woodthorpe will for this year, take.charge of the classes in economics and she pass class in history at the Otago University. Arrangements for the, advanced class in history havo not yet been completed. The continued absence from hi 3 home of Mr A. J. Thompson, late clerk of the court at Queenstown, is oausing great anxiety to his friends. Some months ago Mr Thompson suffered a serious nervous breakdown, and for some time he has been subject to fits of deep depression, losing for the time all sense of locality. He left his home on Sunday to vieit a friend at St. Clair, and since then he has been completely lost. The police on Saturday received information that ho had been seen near the North'ern Cemetery, and a large sooxch party thoroughly explored the whole locality, but without result. There are rumours that a maa has been seen in the bush near Port Chalmers, in which direction search will be immediately made. In appearanco MiThompson is of medium stature, had very fair hair, wore a dark suit, a. brown overcoat, and a soft grey felt hat. His friends will bo very grateful for any information that may. lead to his discovery. An explanation of how a. girl named Eunice Hammer, who lives at Wakari, was shot in tho foot by a bullet from a pea-rifle on tho 14th inst. has bee-n solved* by the confession of the victim that she accidentally shot herself. Her original story was that she' was standing outside- her father's gate, and she felt a sudden pain in her foot, and found later that she had been shot, tho implication being tha she had resolved a strav bullet from someone shooting in the neighbourhood. Her later story. However, is that ehe felt the day very long, being a-lon© in

tho house, and took up her father's rifle and a ball cartridge, proceeding into the paddock to have a shot at the She rested the muzzlo of tho rifle on her left foot while putting tho cartridge in, and tiro rifle went off. Her reason for telling the first story was that she feared to let hor father know she had been using his rifle. In connection with an accident which bofel a lad named lan Poison, son of Mr R. Poison, of Lindis Crossing, who was taken to the Cromwell Hospital, an act of selfsacrifice was performed by Dr Shaw, who subsequently took the lad in his car and brought him to tho Dunedin Hospital for an operation and special treatment. Tho lad is now making good progress. Our Middlemarch correspondent writes that weather conditions have boon characterised by intense heat, but the line spell has meant tho completion of harvest in the majority of cases. During the week a failquantity of wheat has been thrashed ' out of the stook, the yield being from 14 to 30 bushels to tho acre. With the drier weather, blight has once again made its appearance among the swede turnip orops, and is spreading rapidly. Unfortunately, this is an annual occurrence, for which there appears to bo no satisfactory remedy. It is announced in tho Gazette that Captain Hall-Thompson has been authorised to take possession of or to cause all apparatus for wireless telegraphy on board auy merchant ship (being a foreign merchant ship or a British merchant ship not registered in New Zealand), while in the territorial waters of New Zealand, or any part of such apparatus, to be taken possession of in the name of his Majesty for his Majesty's service, and, subjeot thereto, for such ordinary services as to Captain Hall-Thompson may seem fit. Some little time ago the Buller Hospital Board advocated the nationalisation of the medical profession. In this connection the Minister of Publio Health (the Hon. G. W. Russell) has now written to the Wellington board as follows:—' 'I have to state that this question has received careful consideration, but it is thought undesirable to raise the large issues involved at a time when somany medical men are absent on war work. The question is really one for the electors of the dominion to deal with at the next general election, as nothing could be done without legislation." Singleton's centenarian, Mr William Ross, v was born outside Sydney Heads in the ship Red Rover, on June 2, 1816, and is, therefore, in his 102nd year (says the Sydney Sun). At seven years of age he was an orphan. His mother died when he was five years of age, and two years later his father went down in' a ship which foundered with all hands in tho Bay of Biscay. The father was the chief mate of the Red Rover. At the ago of 18 Mr Ross married a Miss Carter, aged 17, in West Maitland. There were eight daughters of the union, all of whom are living outside of New South Wales. His wife died 39 years' N ago. MrRoss has been working since he was 15 years of age, and can still do a fair day's work. Recently he was engaged grasscutting with a scythe and lawn-mower. In his earlier, life he was an accomplished horseman, and frequently rode buckjumpers. He is not a total abstainer, and is a smoker. He has never had a day's illness. A crop of accidents, in tho shape of broken limbs, has, however, come his way. The tragedy of this war in the harsh manner m which it deals with the lives of men was illustrated at the last meeting of the executive of the Taranaki War Relief Association (states the Taranaki Herald). A man had over-stated his ago in order to go to the South African war; he came back and in these later years under-stated his age to go to the present war. Now he has come back for the second time. His left forearm has'been shattered; his right elbow is in a like condition; and he has been shot in the chest and in the back. Thus handicapped in body, and weakened in mind, ho is wandering about from place to place in a more or less helpless condition, seeking vainly his ideal of a little home and a helpmeet. The association decided that it would bo best for tho man to be placed in one of the Government sanatomims, and steps will .bo taken to have this done. Recently an outbreak of malaria occurred on a hospital ship carrying 690 soldiers and others during tho voyage from England to Australia. The ship reached Sierra Leone during the height of the malaria season, and anchored 2000 yards from the shore. Subsequently 35 of the soldiers became infected with malaria. On the evening of the third day the vessel was in port a new position was taken up only 1130 yards from shore. Towards evening a fresh breeze sprang up from the land, and soon after nightfall mosquitoes were troubling the soldiers, tho pests evidently having been driven out by the wind and sought shelter on the vessel. Taking the date of the occurrence as the time of infection it was possible for the ship's doctor to calculate the incubation period with considerable accuracy. The first case arose 9£ days after leaving port, or 10 days after the arrival of the mosquitoes. The last case appeared on the twenty-second day. The shortest incubation period, therefore, was 9£ days and the longest 22£ days. Malaria parasites, were found in 33 out of the 35 cases. Two of ■ the patients died. It had been contended by Sir Patrick Manson, the tropical diseases expert, that from 1000 to 1500 yards was, under ordinary circumstances, a safe distance to anchor from a mosquito-in-fected shore, but the experience in this case showed that ships lying 1130 yards off arc not necessarily immune from infection. To Mr John M'Grouther, the recentlyarrived farmer on ''Laidlaw's" subdivision of Marairua estate, Tuturau, probably belongs the honour of being the first man to introduce Red Polled cattle into the district (says the Wyndham Farmer). His pedigreed stock of this breed includes a young bull and two two-year-old heifers, bred by Mr David Ferguson, Warrington (a son of tho late K. B. Ferguson, a noted breeder ■ of dairy cattle in his day), from a highclass sire and dam, also a beautiful cow bred by and purchased from the late Sir Georga M'Lean.