THE RUSSIAN EXPERIMENT Newspaper editorials are not always superficial, nor yet ephemeral. The following, from the New York Evening Post (August 16, 1921), deserves an enduring niche in social science: In a decree signed by Nikolai Lenin on August 9 and embodying a radical reorganization of the Soviet system of economic control, these are the compelling reasons cited for the abandonment of the pure Communist principle: First, the vast number of enterprises which the State attempted to direct without having adequate supplies of food and material. Second, the confusion of powers and handling of supplies, which resulted in "too much red tape, cross instructions, and irresponsibility." Third, the fact that with such methods of supply "and with the methods of remuneration of labor, those engaged in production were not and could not be interested in the work or in the improvement of the methods of production.” Fourth, the war and the extreme exhaustion of Russia. In this summary from Moscow we have a fairly sufficient reply to the regrets one still hears from well-meaning people in this country that Russia has not been "permitted" to work out the great "experiment" upon which she entered under Lenin's guidance in October, 1917. Lenin himself has now told us just what are the forces that have hampered the great experiment. The war, which is usually cited as the great reason for Bolshevist collapse, is only fourth and last in Lenin's diagnosis. All the other evils that have beset the Russian experiment were born out of that experiment. An unhappy looseness of language has made it possible for a great many people who ought to know better to speak with wistful sympathy of the Communist experiment. They have confused the laboratory with life. In science the investigator is permitted to create his own conditions and environment. If he needs a vacuum he is given a vacuum. If he wishes to neutralize the factor of gravitation he is permitted to do so. If he needs a soundless room he gets his soundless chamber. If he needs dark, light is eliminated. If he needs intense light the sun is magnified for him. The scientist is permitted to create the isolated state of nature necessary for his experiment. Social and political experiments cannot be conducted in a vacuum, but in life. The statesman would write himself down a fool who should expressly demand, for the success of his experiment, the elimination of human motives, passions, interests, customs, beliefs, habits, traditions, and even prejudices. Least of all can he demand exemption from the consequences of his own acts. That is what happened in Russia. If you use guns to establish a dictatorship of the proletariat you must expect those who are against a dictatorship of the proletariat to use guns against you; and you get civil war. If you abandon your allies at the climax of a life-and-death war you must not expect your former allies to love you. If you set out to eradicate the "bourgeoisie," then your industries will collapse for want of technical leadership. In the midst of the tragedy of Russia there is comedy, too, in the puzzlement of the Communist leaders. They merely set out to destroy a "capitalistic" world and they wonder why the "capitalistic" world does not regard their experiment with sympathy. Neither the war, nor the civil war, nor the much-belabored "blockade" will account for Lenin's confession of the failure of his experiment. The experiment has failed because Lenin could not secure the political and social and historic world vacuum which his fantasies called for. NOTICE TO CONTRIBUTORS TO THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY Every article in the American Journal of Sociology is to be preceded by a synopsis or abstract prepared by the author and submitted by him with the manuscript. The abstract is intended to serve as an aid to the reader by furnishing an index and a brief summary of the contents of the article. The abstract should, therefore, summarize the article completely and precisely. In order to enable a reader to tell at a glance what an article is about and to enable an efficient index of its subject-matter to be readily prepared, the abstract should contain a set of subtitles which together form a complete and precise index of the information contained in the article. This requires at least one and often several subtitles even for a short abstract. Each subtitle should describe the corresponding information so precisely that the chance of any investigator's being misled into thinking the article contains particular information when it does not, or vice versa, may be small. Thus "Mobility" is too broad a subtitle; "Mobility of City Populations" would better satisfy the rule, if this describes the discussion. General subtitles, such as "Objects" or "Results" or "Conclusions" should not be employed as they do not help to describe specifically the article. Complete sentences should be used except in the case of the subtitles. The abstract should be made as readable and interesting as the necessary brevity will permit. It should contain all the information that a non-technical reader would care to have in his notes. The length of the abstract should depend on the length of the article. The limit must never exceed 350 words and will rarely be so long. The usual variation is between 150 and 250 words. The abstract should be written in one paragraph, the subtitles being underlined to set in italic. NEWS AND NOTES Notes of interest to the readers of the Journal should be in the hands of the editor of "News and Notes" not later than the tenth of the month preceding publication. THE AMERICAN SOCIOLOGICAL SOCIETY President Edward C. Hayes announces that Professor Francis D. Tyson, of the University of Pittsburgh, is chairman of the joint committee on local arrangements for the annual meetings of the American Sociological Society and the American Economic Association at Pittsburgh, December 27, 28, and 29. Reservations for rooms at the Fort Pitt Hotel, the headquarters of the American Sociological Society may now be made. The rates are as follows: $2.50 per day for single room without bath; $3.00 per day for single room with bath; double rooms $2.00 per person per day additional. Requests for reservations may be addressed to Mr. C. C. Butler, Manager, Fort Pitt Hotel, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. THE CHINESE SOCIOLOGICAL SOCIETY Recently the Chinese Sociological Society has been organized at Peking. The purpose of the Society is to associate together the persons who are interested in the study of the principles of sociology and social problems, especially those problems relating to China. The aim and procedure of the Society is similar to the American Sociological Society and other scientific associations. The Society will publish scientific papers and monographs from time to time. A sociological journal is also contemplated. At present Dr. Yu Tinn Hugh, formerly of Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts, who is now lecturing at the Government University and the Teachers College at Peking, is the head of the Society. UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI Dr. Earle E. Eubank, Dean and Professor of Sociology of the Y.M.C.A. College, Chicago, resigned to accept the place of professor of sociology in this institution. Until this time, the courses in sociology have been offered in the department of political and social science. Sociology is now a separate department under the direction of Dr. Eubank. The university is making plans to develop cooperation with the social agencies of Cincinnati for the field work of students and for training social workers. Dr. Eubank is in Europe for the summer observing social conditions. THE SOCIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON On May II Professor Edward Westermarck gave an address to the recently reorganized Study Group on the Family on the subject "The Primitive Family." Members of this group have been invited to undertake research work in any of the following sections into which the study has been divided: the primitive family, early civilizations, the classical period, the medieval period, and the modern period. THE COUNTRY LIFE ASSOCIATION Professor Ernest R. Groves, as chairman of the Committee on the Teaching of Rural Sociology of the Country Life Association, desires to receive copies of recent rural surveys. Communications should be addressed to Professor Groves, Boston University, Boston, Mass. NATIONAL HEALTH COUNCIL A conference of a number of the leading national voluntary health agencies was held in Washington on December 10, 1920, at which meeting a National Health Council was created, a form of organization approved, and a constitution and by-laws adopted. The membership of the Council is at present composed of nine organizations, the officers recently elected being as follows: chairman, Dr. Livingston Farrand; vice-chairman, Dr. Lee K. Frankel; recording secretary, Dr. C. St. Clair Drake. The organization conference approved of the following list of activities, as indicating the legitimate field in which the Council might function: (1) a special information bureau, (2) a legislative bureau, (3) the co-ordination of health activities, (4) periodic joint conferences, (5) a statistical bureau, (6) the development of educational health material. The original members are as follows: American Public Health Association, American Red Cross, American Social Hygiene Association, Council of State and Provincial Health Authorities, Council on Health and Public Instruction of the American Medical Association, National |