Says Labor's Leaders Want Aims Restated

SAYS LABOR'S LEADERS
WANT AIMS RESTATED

Diplomat Sees New Enthusiasm
for War in Russia if This
Were Done.
By HERBERT BAILEY.
Copyright, 1917, by The New York Times Company.

Special Cable to the new york times.

PETROGRAD, May 19.—The necessity that the Allies should recognize the Russian revolution has created an entirely new diplomatic situation in Russia. This was impressed on me today by one of Russia's leading diplomats. Speaking of the attitude of the Russian proletariat toward the war, he said:“The Russian proletariat regard the war as a war of the old regime. To them to fight on with increased vigor means to wage a new war, and only their sense of profound duty toward the Allies urges them to continue the struggle. They desire no separate peace, but if their enthusiasm is to be aroused there must be something which, to their minds, is well worth fighting for. At present they see nothing.“Questions like economic enslavement to Germany and the future security of Europe against Prussian aggression are too far removed from their immediate existence to impress them. Purely Russian territory is not invaded, and so long as the Germans are content to maintain a pacific attitude on the Russian front the fear that Germany will re-establish autocracy in Russia will not be taken seriously.“To recreate enthusiasm for the war against Germany it is essential that the proletariat should know why it is absolutely necessary to fight to a finish. They should receive clear and definite proof that the Allies have no imperialistic or—what Russians consider the same—nationalistic aims.”It is now obvious that to satisfy the latter condition it is necessary that the Allies should revise their war objects, as stated in their reply to President Wilson. My informant, although not intimating what the Allies should do, agreed with this view. He pointed out that much depends on public opinion in the allied countries, and he quite understood that they must be guided by general and not purely Russian considerations of policy.
The views expressed in the above statement are indorsed by observant politicians of all classes and by foreign diplomats, and are worthy of serious attention.