The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 1923. RUSSIA’S EVOLUTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 July 1923, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 1923. RUSSIA’S EVOLUTION.

During the period that has elap sed between the overthrow of Imperialism in Russia and the creation of a new constitution that has just been inaugurated, much has happened in that unfortunate country. The transition from stern autocratic rule to a dictatorship with the semblance of a government by means of Soviets could have only one result—chaos. The vastness of the country and its population made orderly rule almost an impossibility without a backing of force that could not be less than formidable in view of the nature of the great upheaval that has taken place there. Apparently the leading authorities who have been endeavoring to rule have become convinced that it was time to enter upon a new stage of evolution, and have hit upon the plan of creating a United States of Russia. Naturally the first thought of outsiders would be that it was intended .to follow in the footsteps of America, but the outline of the new constitution at once dispels that idea, and conveys the impression that in reality there is no change, except in name. The object in view appears to lie merely what is known as a consolidating measure. Instead of having a number of independent Soviets with no community of action except the recognition of the head authority, there is to be a federal executive to act as the supreme power while two houses are to be set up, one for the representatives of the peo-1 pie in each Soviet State, and the j other for nominees of the executive’s committee in each republic. This pretentious scheme, of course, provides for Lenin being president, he and his Ministers having already been elected by the Assembly representing all the republics. There is a certain grim humor pervading this farce that is in keeping with Soviet ae-I tivities, and it is blatantly manifested by the composition of the flag of this new republic, and particularly by the motto it bears: “Workers of the World,’ unite.” It is a matter for conjecture whether this motto will prove attractive to the other workers of the world, the I.W.W. If it does then it is up to them to become citizens of the latest republic and rally round its flag, for that is where they should belong. No one, however, shoitld for a moment entertain, the idea that this Russian republic of united states is any more united than it was before, or that it will convince the world that'a stable Government has at last been formed in Russia. It is a mere changing of coats as a means of proclaiming that Russia is now entitled to be treated as a nation which has a recognised form of government, but inasmuch as that form is a manifest camouflage, and has not been created by the will of the people, but by those who will still dictate as before, there is no reason why it should be accepted. The hammer and the sickle on the flag may well be interpreted to mean that the forces of destruction will continue to hold sway, although the implied meaning is doubtless that the hammer represents construction, while the sickle stands for produce. What really matters is that there is not the slightest evidence of the Russian authorities having changed either their policy or their methods, and until that change is demonstrated there can be no more confidence placed in the United Republic than in the Soviet and its rulers.