29 AUGUST 1925, Page 20

RUSSIA IN DIVISION. By Stephen Graham. (Macmillan. 7s. 6d.) Tins

is in reality a book of essays about Russia, picturesque and informing essays, many of which have already appeared in the Times. Mr. Stephen Graham's conclusions and hopes are summed up in the last two chapters—and are of deep interest. Employing the terminology of war, he declares that the external front of Bolshevism is in Paris and London, or in the Border States ; but the internal front is the village at home. A setback has been experienced in London and Paris, and internal efforts have been redoubled without success. Along such railways as are now working Soviet influence is felt. Five miles from a railway station the traveller finds himself once more in Old Russia. The War sufferings which turned the Russian soldier into a revolutionary agent are almost forgotten, and the land-hunger he had for so long experienced is satiated. He has realized that he cannot eat the earth—however large or small a bit of it he possesses. The schools have officially been taken away from the Church, and a few hundred Communist teachers distributed among tens of thousands of villages. " These young altruists have had very little success." " It was found this summer that in almost every case inspected the Com- munist teacher had been forced to do some sort of manual labour in exchange for food, and that when there was a priest the village children were being taught by him." Famine in the towns has become the 'great danger. The peasants can feed themselves, and do not wish to do more. Nevertheless, Mr. Graham thinks the signs are -good. " The sense of the

market is in favour of a restored Russia." As to the " Moscow Junta " of unbelievers " their just reward is death," and he hopes to see them get justice " in a full court," their " sentence read " with " proper dignity." It will then be possible to hope for " some sort of United States of Russia," including self-ruling Estonia, Georgia, and the rest, a great sane economic country, with a strong central authority.