Evening star., 1916-06-11
RUSSIANS -ScORN
SEPARATE PEACE
New Spirit Dominating Great
Nation Makes Action
Impossible.
BY HERBERT COREY.
Copyright, 19l6.)

OGSn
by the two men in Paris most able to
Judge Russian conditions and willing
to speak of them frankly. The one Is
in close touch with the inner circles of
the Russian government. He has dined
with the car and with the grand duke
and with scores Of the unknown others
who direct the policy Of the empire. In
all things, believe. he reflects their
point of view. He seems to know little
or nothing Of that Russia which is In
constant ferment.
The other is an avowed revolutionist.
He Is one of the few men who ever
succeeded in escaping from the fortress
of Peter and Paul. A sentence of twelve
years in Siberia now awaits his serv-
fng. Three times he escaped from
prison in Russia, twice after having
ical offenses. He was mixed up in at
least one bomb plot. He is in constant
touch with the Russian revolutionary
movement.
Russia would tear the czar from his
throne II he attempted to make peace"
he would yield II he dared"
IT know the czar WELL" said the other
man. HE has staked his life and his
dynasty on the " winning of this war.
Except for this difference of opinion
the twain agree fairly well on the Rus
sian situation. Russia was loosely.
carelessly disorganized at the begin
ming of the war. Nepotism reigned su-
preme. The fetch that an aristocrat
is a man born to command a democrat
still held sway in Russia. The army
lacked everything. 1t even lacked
men. Last summer there was no time
when there were more than a million
hn 10 q
trary to the opinion held by the world.
"In August the situation at Petro-
grad had become very serious. The
pro-German party was gaining In
that q separate peace would be signed"
Revolutionist and man Of the court
agree in this, Just as they agree that
separate peace is now impossible
The man who has talked with the czar
believes that to the czar is largely due
Russia's present certainty of contin-
ued resistance to Germany.
Long Retreat Suspected.
"The long retreat of the grand duke
had made a profound impression on
Russia" said he. THE Russians feared
they were being betrayed into the
hands of their enemy. One heard
everywhere that the retreat was an
instrument of the pro-German party.
The time will come. one heard.
when they will say: We have done
our best. We can do no more. We
must submit.
In order to end this threatening stu
alton the czar acted. He assumed COM
mand of the army. He went to the
great headquarters himself and took
the czarevitch with him. That fact
made q great impression on Russia. In
effect the czar staked his life and his
dynasty on winning the, war.
ut put an end to the peace talk"
said the man Of the court "One does
not hear 1t new in Russia. We are re-
war which must be victorious. Russia
will fight on. Unless you know Russia
as l do you cannot conceive of the depth
Of feeling the Russian manifests toward
Holy Russia 1t is more than patri-
otism 1t il a religion"
Says Ruler Was Forced to Act.
such lofty motives to the czar. He in
sists that Russia's ruler was forced to
go to the great headquarters because
Of the fear that a revolution might
break out because of the popular dis
gust with the talk of a separate peace.
He would make the czar a passive in
strument in the hands of stronger men.
Oddly enough, though the men disagree
on the car, they are quite alike in
their estimate Of the grand duke.
"A great man and an absolutely hon
est man." both say. He is not much
Of general and he Is an autocrat to
his fngertips. But he is devoted to
Russia. and he has done Russia tre-
mendous service by his fight against
dishonesty in high places. He has
hanged many thieves
Gen. Alexieff. is the present command
er-in-c chief of the Russian army. The
to the top by sheer force and merit.
One would think the revolutionist
would approve Of such a man. ..
"Nitchevo," said he. Nothing much"
The other man knows Alexfeff we'll
He has lived at the great headquar-
ters and dined at Alexieff.s table.
He is just a peasant" said he. but
him to dine at his table every night.
but after suffering through e. few din
ners in an agony of embarrassment
Alexieff mutinied.
~ have my work to do he told the
czar bluntly. This worries me-
Began as Private Soldier.
So the car good -naturedly let him
Off Alexieff began his army career
as a private soldier. He became cor
poral because he was the best man in
his company. BY and by he became a
captain. He was made colonel because
his company was the best in his regi-
ment, and he became the general of a
division because his regiment had
shown itself the best.
"Alexieff does not care who a man
is." said his admirer. "All he asks is
what he Is. When he takes over a new
command 1t Is his custom to give the
officers on his staff individual orders
TO do a particularly difficult thing. The
officers who are successful are thanked
by a nod, and given more work to do.
Sometimes an officer reports:
- i have failed
Take the train for Petrograd, is
Alsxefr'S Alex I reply, ~, .YGu pars may be needed
He means the very next train. too.
and it is always taken. For a time
after he ascended to the high com
mand generals returned to Petrograd
by the trainload. Nowadays. according
to the man of the court, the Russian
army ID being officered by men Of abil-
-ity rather than by men of birth. 1t has
passed through precisely the process
that the English army has. in first find-
ing out that charming gentleman
and that a thorough roughneck may
be the best possible officer; and that
ii is desirable to lead armies by good
officers rather than by cultured gentle
men.
Russia Just Awakening.
"Officers of peasant blood are every
WHERE" said this man. THE Russian
a-h&tn~ ;rxo