New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-26
Kerensky Directs Destiny
OF Russia With Iron Hand
Premier Now Virtual Dictator, Probably Will BE the
Republics First President-Cabinet
Sodly Behind Him
Bv JAMES O'DONNELL BENNETT

STOCKHOLM, Aug. Z5'-hleHahuer
Kerensky, Premier Of Russia's coalition
Cabinet is the most remarkable poll
tician in the world to-day.
Prime Minister, Minister Of War and
Minister of Marine, he is what one
would term a Dictator President"
Leader of the Trudoviki, or peasant
labor party and, together with Tcher-
nof and Gotz, leader Of the Socialist
Revolutionists, he is monarch Of all he
surveys.
Kerensky is lawyer. He comes
from Saratov, the great Volga Episco-
pal city Of Southeast Russia. He IS
thirty-six years old, has poor health,
but enormous energy. He is fiery
orator. His honesty is undoubted. He
is a genuine humanitarian. He is the
idol of the Russian peasant party,
which he represented in the Duma.
He was exiled for his share in the rev.
olution of 1905. He is an idealist, but
astute and capable of vigorous meas
ures.
Kerensky's vivid presentation to the
Duma of labor troubles and wholesale
executions in the Lena goldfelds first
won him prominence in Russia.
When the present revolution came
into power he signed the order for
the arrest of the Car and Czarina.
Against his colleagues wishes he de-
cided, as War Minister, that Grand
Duke Nicholas Nicholaievitch should
not be commander in chief Of the Rus
sian armies.
When the Provisional Government
was first established he was the
only Socialist in the Cabinet.
In the early August crisis the cry
was:
Gear or Kerensky." And by forcing
the situation through, by offering his
resignation, which was not accepted,
he won all, and now is stronger than
ever.
'No Edges" on Kerensky
Kerensky will not break with any
one as long as the situation admits OF
adjustment. Sometimes It IS
said of him "There are no edges on
him."
The Premier now has some Of the
strongest politicians in the republlc
standing by him. They are the Social
Democratic leader, young Tseretell,
formerly Minister of Posts and Iele-
graphs; the veteran Socialist Revolu-
ZIONIST leader, Tchernoff, now Minister
of Agriculture; the radical Democrat
leader. Nekrassof, formerly Minister
of Communication, who represents the
Prime Minister while he is absent.
As to the future. Kerensky probably
will be the first President of the Rus
sian Republic.
Lebedef, assistant to Acting Min
lister of Marine Kerensky, is a journal
list and social patriot. He has lieu
tenants rank, but that is merely noml'
nal. He made himself most known as
Journalist. He was the military eX-
pert on the newspaper "Volia Narioda'
and demanded the July Russian ofen-
sive.
Lebedeff has been en- the French and
Macedonian fronts in this war as
correspondent. His political activities
are said not to have been free Of mon
archist tendencies. He is as irrepres-
sible as Winston Churchill. The young
American spirit animates him.
Nekrassoff, the Prime Minister'S rep
iesentative when he is absent, is leader,
with Efremof, of the Radical Demo-
Gratis. He formerly was prominent IN
the left wing of the Cadets. Faclaliy
he is good type of the Russian. He is
a we'll known engineer, but did not dis
tinguish himself as first revolutionary
Railway Minister. But who could? In
deed. the Society of Russian Railway
Engineers demanded his prosecution for
mismanaging the railways, which are
the great standing menace IN Russia
even more than the army disorganiza-
ton, and promise to remain so unless
America can set them right.
Nekrassof began to be known IN the
Cars time when, at the third Dumas
opening, after everybody had risen ana