Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-06-24
ORGANIZE MASSES
ON RUSSIAN MODEL
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thing of mystery. Harsh in some of
his public doings. he is genuinely moved
almost to tears by the sufcrinEs of
women and children when their mem
folk are on strike, undcrpaid. or out
Of work, and in private he is a most
genial and kindly man. albeit always
on the surface the cynic. But every
where and at all times those who meet
him feel a immense force of character.
pent-up driving power.
When Russian soldiers on the French
front heard OF the revolution, officers
as we'll as men joined in tho cclcbra-
ton. and later aided in the election
of two plain soldiers to 30 to petrog.ad
as delegates TO the council.
The story of the countercnects Of
the Russian revolution among the
troops of their brigade. which hap
pcncd at that time TO be resting in
cantonments. throws interesting
light on the mentality of the Russian
soldier. When the news had spread
of the overthrow Of Czardom and the
men learned of the part which their
brothers-in-arms had played in Petro-
grad. they gathered together spontane-
ously TO discuss the situation.
RUSSIANS IN FRANCE PUZZLED
ny QUICK REVOLUTION
The movement was so general that
the military authorities made no op-
position. Moreover. the soldiers did
not give any touch Of indiscipline to
their proceedings. In the regiment
which was the first to hold "A meeting.
they even invited the colonel 10 ad-
dress them on the situation. They
asked him to explain what the red hag
meant that had been hoistcd in Rus
STA. and which most OF their comrades
had never seen. The colonel declared
that he did not know.
One soldier. Athanasius Chachin, had
been mixed up in the Socialist move
ment before the war. He stepped for
ward from the ranks and made a
speech in which he explained TO his
comrades the significance of the new
regime.
All the men went over TO the revo-
luton at once. and the officers, TOO, de-
spite a certain resistance on the part
of some of their superiors. followed
their example.
From this moment dates the Russian
revolution in the Champagne. Straight
away an organization OF noncommis-
stoned officers and men was created
which embraces the whole of the Rus
sian electives in France.
In the brigade which dispatched the
two delegates they met in the rest bill
lets. company by company. TO discuss
the political situation in Russia and
the war aims OF The allies Each COM
pany elected four delegates. and these
delegates together form the regimen
tai delegations. These two delegates
from the brigade TO the COMMITTEES
of Workmcn's and Soldiers Delegates
in Petrograd had been elected by the
direct suffrage of all the rank and file
of the brigade. and their mandates
were signed by all the company dele
gates.
a levy of penny per man paid
their travelling expenses. and regular
leave" was granted by the military
authorities.
In the confusion produced by the
first news of the revolution. certain
extreme elements thought that they
should just follow the example of
their brothers in Russia and dismiss
their officers There was in this no
outcome of any special propaganda,
for there was hardly any one to be
found among them who had had any
thing to do with the Revolutionary
movement before the war: it was
rather an instructive reaction of the
news upon simple and ill-nformed
minds. On the contrary. there hap
pened to be among them certain So
cialist propa gandists-the two dele
gates. for instance-and these men
held out against this movement and
pleaded for the maintenance of dis
cipline. These Socialists won the day