Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-10-10
WELDED TOGETHER
BY COMMON DANGER
Russian Army and Nation Stand
Side by Side Against
Germany.
BOTH DETERMINED TO WIN
There Has Been Wonderful
Change in Morale in
Recent Years.
BOTH DETERMINED TO WIN

Especial Gable to The Times Dispatch.l
LONDON. October 9.-My friend. the
Russian author. Ivan Shooka, writes me
from Petrograd:
You ask me whav the Russian peo-
pie and the Russian soldier think of
the war after our long retreat.
There is only one answer. Even
before the Gar took the supreme COM
manh the long series OF defeats had
evoked in Russia Universal unshake-
able determination to drive back the
enemy. Common danger welded army
and nation together.
The Russian soldier of to-day stands
on a much higher level than ten years
ago. In all regiments you find many
small traders. industrials, house owners
and men who have been trusted en-
ployees in public or private Offices, all
men who have their roots among the
PEOPLE, but who have advanced one step
higher on the social ladder, and who
stand above the peasant soldier.
The officers, too. are different. AS
in all the other armies in tiis war, the
majority of them are not professional
officers but officers of tho reserve who
until the war were engaged In peace
full work-in science, art, literature,
industry, commerce and agriculture.
The great majority of them are reserve
comets. that is. mon Of liberal educa-
cation who have served their military
term. but who have not taken up an
army career They have proved ex-
ccllent officers in this war.
RUSSIAN OFFICERS
ARE SIMPLY SPLENDID
IAN old colonel writes about them:
e MIR ,,jf
They are simply splendid. They per-
form their duties in mastery man
ner. as you might expect of intelligent
citizens OF the first class. It Is among
these men you find the greatest en-
thusiasm and the most stubborn de-
termination TO carry on the war until
final victory is ours
ITO show the feelings OF these peo-
pie 1 shall quote a few examples, men
who are personally known to me.
"A young lieutenant OF artillery. in
private life n famous tenor ut the I'm
perial Opera at Pctrograd had a
chance to be promoted to rank which
would relieve him of the necessity of
lying in the trenches, where ne might
easily lose his life. or. at any rate,
his voice. He refused.
81 cannot accept it, he said. L am
too fond OF my pals. My voice?
Nitchewo. ] have already an infiamma-
ton of the throat He stayed with his
battery and went through the dreadful
December campaign. Crossing a river
under heavy fire he helped to drag a
gun across by hand. Asked why he
sacrificed all he had formerly lived for.
he said:
"Germany is now the greatest dam
o
Europe from living n life of culture.
want to take active part in the de-
struction of Prussian militarism.'
"A cornet, in private life Siberian
merchant. and n very young man vet.
came along, walking with difficulty
Asked if he was wounded. he said: No,
got rheumatism in the trenches last
winter
You ought to try to get cured
"'Oh, no. Why? / am much better
now, but during the winter ] was a
wreck. 1 was in the trenches, unable
70 move, but I stuck to my post, and
intend to do so as long a l have drop
Of blood left in my body. have even
been in fight without legs. l was fl
command of company. The Germans
attacked us, and I saw that Il counter
attack was necessary. To send out my
men alone did not suit me, so / told
them to take hold of me under the
arms and we would 80 for them. We
did. and we boat them back before /
was aGgcd back to the trench in the
same way. We Sibcrians like to see
a thing through thoroughly. I i'm
aSinc we resemble the Canadians
little. We have started to fight. and
we intend to so on until we have
beaten all the conceit out of the Ger
mans
WOUNDED MAN CARES
NOTHING FOR DECORATION
"A cornet. ordinarily n lawyer, lead
ing his men into attack, was wounded
in the arm. which had to be amputated.
His colonel, visiting him In the hos
pital. said he was going TO get him a
decoration.
81 thank YOU very much. colonel.
but please don't do 1t. ! am not fight
ing for decoration was his answer
"A landed proprietor OF the old
nobility. leader of n gigantic CONNER
cial concern and man OF mature age,
was called to the colors with the re-
serves and sent out to fight the Turks.
He instantly disposed Of his business
interests. regardless of the enormous
loss. and was radiant as he put on his
uniform.
1T is all over with petty business
cares and annoyances. he said. / am
glad fate has given me chance to be-
come a hero If / have it in me. I
would gladly fall before the walls OF
Constantinople If l return. | Intend
to begin life all over again. for | Will
look upon my return as renaissance,
and the new man | shall then become
has no need of the old business
Such is the sentiment among RUS
sian officers. To give clear descrip-
ton of the feelings of our soldiers IS
far more difficult. AS far as II Is pos y
sible to form an opinion on the basis
of the little / have seen. / think that
the sentiments of the officers has i'm
bued the men with similar feelings.
The intermediate link has been the
ulilll. nla9Sca IN town and