I WAS in Russia at the beginning of the war and during the
first months of conflict, and I witnessed the superb enthusiasm with
which she rose to fight. Again I was in Russia last year, when, owing
to the general shortage of shells west and east, Germany was able
to turn her superiority to account by retaking Galicia and ravaging
Poland, and I saw the humiliation almost amounting to despair of Russia
then. And therefore returning once more to Russia in June, 1916, I
could form a fairly just idea of the spirit of Russia to-day.
Last autumn, returning from Russia, I was bound to say I found Russia
pessimistic, and though it is really bad form to be pessimistic,
personally I certainly felt so myself. But all has gone well in the
intervening period, and when I reached Russia this year I found her
remarkably cheerful. My impression is that the Russians have settled
down to a long war. It may last three or four years more, but they
do not intend to worry. After the period of depression they are
brightly optimistic again. Perhaps some are too optimistic and rely
on mysterious prophecies as to the war finishing by Christmas, or
think that the German people will revolt and give us an easy victory
against a divided kingdom. One thing may be observed: the great work of
French and English on the western front is now fully reported in the
Russian Press. There are on an average two or three columns about us
in the Russian newspaper. The Havas Agency is quoted, the _Times_, the
_Manchester Guardian_, the _Westminster Gazette_, and other papers,
very fully. It is possible for an Englishman in Russia to form a fair
idea of each day’s news, so the Russian also can grasp it. That is
a splendid improvement on last year when we got only those laconic
non-committal communiqués which our smart English journalists can cause
to blossom with occult significance for our English newspapers, but
which in very truth translated into Russian merely gave the impression
that we were doing nothing.
Russia feels us closer. The distance across is not so great. Day by day
every one feels that we are all working happily together for one end
and with one interest.
The visits of the journalists and the parliamentarians to the West
have also helped a great deal. The journalists wrote their impressions
very fully and expressed themselves with great enthusiasm. Their
contributions on the subject lingered on throughout the summer. And
now they are collecting their articles and re-issuing them in book
form. Nabokof’s “From Militant England” has already had considerable
success. Lectures have also been given. The members of the Duma and the
Senate came back imbued with our enthusiasm, Radical and Conservative
alike, and what they saw of our work was luminous in debate. On the
whole the Russians have become much more warm and friendly towards us.
They are obtaining a better understanding of our ideals, our character
and national determination.
After the defeats of last autumn there sprang up a sort of intellectual
sect, the _porazhentsi_, people who believe in defeat. These held that
Russia stood to gain more by being beaten than by winning--a conclusion
that the Russian soul is more ready to accept than we should be.
Brusilof’s victories seem, however, to have dissipated this doctrine
for the time being, and the _porazhentsi_ are little heard of this
autumn.
Allied to this, however, has been a more important movement in favour
of a self-dependent Russia. Why should Russia struggle out of German
commercial bondage merely to fall into British hands? Why cannot she
manufacture for herself, be enough unto herself in all departments?
This sentiment has been very widespread. Russia has obtained the
impression that the striving toward Russian friendship going on for
many years before the war has been primarily with the idea of capturing
Russian trade. Whereas as a matter of fact the impulse for friendship
came first of all from literary and artistic England, then from England
as a whole, and the business men were the camp-followers.
The question of Russia and trade needs very careful treatment in the
Press. The phrase “exploiting Russia after the war” is obnoxious and
almost devoid of real meaning. Many small merchants will be led to try
and _exploit_ Russia after the war and will simply burn their fingers.
All trade with Russia must be carefully arranged on broad principles
to benefit both countries equally as before the war. Russia is the
great producing country of the world and she needs a world market for
her products--that Britain can obtain for her and that will be for the
health of Russia and of the world. In return we shall send much to
Russia, but not haphazard, and not shoddy dump, I hope.
Russian trade of all kinds is in a bad way just now and it is a trying
time for Russian merchants--especially when they read frequently in
their newspapers “Britain’s Record Month of Trade,” and the like. I
think these joyful telegrams about our trade should be accompanied
by an explanatory note to the effect that the greater part of that
so-called trade is a matter of war materials and necessities. The
figures really represent our tremendous activity in the Allied cause.
War is a material waste, and every moment it is prolonged we lose
heavily _materially_. And in this material sense we lose more than
Russia loses. We have had more to lose. Our trade figures represent the
height of our temperature in the war-fever.
Russia is suffering internally through the fact that she has had only
two open ports of value--Archangel and Vladivostock--and she cannot
import the manufactures she needs. The railways and the ships are
needed for the transport of munitions and food for the Army. The Army
comes first, the war comes first, and everything else must give way.
The people in the background have a real share in the privations of
the war. Disorganisation amounts at times to dislocation, owing to
war needs. But the Russians bear things cheerily. All manner of new
economic phenomena appear, and the Russians try measure after measure
to remedy the troubles.
Practically every man of military age throughout the vast empire is
either fighting or training. Before the war many had used influence to
avoid military service, had obtained medical exemption on the slightest
grounds. But there has been a thorough revision, and large numbers have
been recovered. You see the new troops marching and drilling on the
open places of the large towns, in camps on the steppes, and as the
train takes you through the country you see boy-Cossacks prancing about
on their ponies and practising with their lances.
Russia is altogether in the war and for the war. She is doing her
utmost. And her spirit is good. It is well English people should feel
that to-day. And from us should go out to this great people, suffering
and struggling as we are, a great fellow-feeling of gratitude and
generous affection.
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