Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-25
Russia's Reaction


THE Russian provisional government and
| democracy are seriously threatened with
| disruption by an extreme element Of So
| cialists, anarchists and traitors under the
leadership of NJ. Lenine. Russian Socialist,
! who had spent most of his time in Switzer-
! land since the war commenced. and who was
| given passports through Germany to visit
Petrograd to spread sedtion after the revo-
| luton was born. 1t is through his followers,
the Lennites. that German propagandists
have been able to infect the Petrograd and
Kronstadt garrisons and manufacture mutiny
in the ranks Of the army on the Galician
front
This element found its opportunity to do
mischief when the moderate Socialists and
Liberal groups in the government disagreed
In policy. The first sign Of disagreement
was marked by the dismissal of that eminent
Liberal NJ Milyukoff, from the Cabinet, the
man who had done so much in the Duma to
create the new Russia. The breach between
the moderate Socialists and men Of Liberal
Conservative tempers was made complete last
week on the retirement OF M. Lvoff, the Pre-
mier, from Office and the appointment OF M.
kerensky in his place. The immediate
of this dismissal was NJ. Lvoff's mild
ness in handling the Leninites in Kerensky's
absence. But the difference is more funda-
mental The Russian government Is now In
the hands of the moderate Socialists. with
Kerensky, the one strong man. as dictator,
and in a life-and-death struggle with extreme
Socialists. anarchists, pacidsts and traitors,
with the liberal democratic elements help
lessly looking on. 1t is believed that 1t can
be saved only by the reunion Of the moderate
Socialists and M. Lvoff's party.
The moderate Socialists favor federated
republic on the general plan Of the United
States, the United States of Russia making
the Ukraine. Poland and Finland sovereign
commemorative within the Russian fedora
ton, Virginia is in the American fedora
ton. But some of M. Lvoff's party is not
willing to go that far at this time, believing
that the central authority at Petrograd
should be stronger than 1t was at Washington
in 1860
1t was the threatened Ukraine revolt ten
days ago that brought on a Cabinet crisis,
and when NJ. Lvoff retired a few days later,
the one man in the government who stood as
the symbol OF Russian unity disappeared.
The moment he laid down his task of holding
Russia together in the greatest crisis Of It's
national history, the forces of disntegration
became extremely active, and NJ Kerensky
now faces one OF the most difficult under
takings ever imposed upon statesman, the
control of giant antagonistic forces working
from both within and without his country
Russia's great danger is conferred at Petro-
grad and it is there that Kerensky must deal
n death blow. if his government is to survive.
But the feeling of the men in the ranks at
the front also presents grave problem, for
In the present crisis these troops are in need
of great soldier TO lead them, a soldier
with absolute power and undoubted prestige.
Kerensky Is unknown a soldier as yet
Russia should at once receive help from
the allies by new drive. II possible. on the
western front and restatement Of the al
lance and the purpose Of the war.