e and all dealt in vague theories and deceptive analogies, paying
little heed to the ever-shifting necessities of time, place, and
peoples, and indeed to the only conditions under which any new maxims
could be fruitfully applied. And even such rules as they laid down were
restricted and modified in accordance with their own countries'
interests or their unavowed aims, without specific warrant or
explanation. No account was taken of the historical needs or aspirations
of the people for whom they were legislating, as though all nations were
of the same age, capable of the same degree of culture, and impressible
to identical motives. It never seemed to have crossed their minds that
races and peoples, like individuals, have a soul, or that what is meat
to one may be poison to another.

One of the most Ententophil and moderate press organs in France put the
matter forcibly and plainly as follows: "The governments of Washington
and of London are aware that we are immutably attached to the alliance
with them. But we owe them the truth. Far too often they make a bad
choice of the agents whose business it is to keep them informed, and
they affect too much disdain for friendly suggestions which emanate from
any other source. American agents, in particular, civil as well as
military, explore Europe much as their forebears 'prospected' the Far
West, and they look upon the most ancient nations of Europe as Iroquois,
Comanches, or Aztecs. They are astounded at not finding everything on
the old Continent as in New York or Chicago, and they set to work to
reform Europe according to the rules in force in Oklahoma or Colorado.
Now we venture respectfully to point out to them that methods differ
with countries. In the United States the Colonists were wont to set fire
to the forests in order to clear and fertilize the land. Certain
American agents recommend the employment in Europe of an analogous
procedure in political matters. They rejoice to behold the Russian and
Hungarian forests burst into flame. In Lenin, Trotzky, Bela Kuhn, they
appreciate useful pioneers of the new civilization. We crave their
permission to view these things from another side. In old Europe one
cannot set fire to the forests without at the same time burning villages
and cities."[261]

Before and during the armistice I was in almost constant touch with all
Russian parties within the country and without, and received detailed
accounts of the changing conditions of