1083

January 8, 1918.

A Plan for an "Educational Alliance" Between
Russia and the United States

The most promising neutral ground for cultivating
friendly relations with Russia, the importance of which the
President emphasizes in his latest message, would seem to be
an "intellectual alliance" along scientific and technical
lines. This could proceed simultaneously with the work of
spreading among the Russian people a better knowledge of our
political institutions, our political idealism, and of our
democratic principles in general. Russia is at present com-
mitted to a socialistic policy, and an offer of cooperation based
solely on the present political and economic situation in the
United States will have little appeal to the people at
large, many of whom have worked in our sweatshops and mines.

The present phase of Bolshevikism, which is very
closely related to the Sansculottism of the French Commune with
its contempt for any superiority either of blood, wealth, or
intellect, can not last very long in Russia. Watching the Rus-
siam Revolution from the outside, it impresses me by the rapidity
of its development. If I attempted to present its development by
means of a curve, I would say that the Bolsheviki is the apex of
the curve. I expect very soon a gradual decline to a level of
intellectual leadership and intensive, constructive activity in

41742