Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-05-13

Germans will be able to capture Petro-
grad. but. even If they should, the
moral erect would not be SO great as
is sometimes supposed for Petrograd
was the center of the Germanized au-
tocraey. 1t is a city built by Peter
the Great upon a swamp and for the
purpose of being closer to western
that is. German-inffuences Petrograd
is largely populated by Germans. and
us old name-St. Petersburg-cor-
responds much more closely to the
russians ideIY the capital than the
Moving the caSffai to MOSCOW the
real heart of the country, has been
considered by the new government and
IS very likely to occur. and the los
or Petrograd. on the frontier yo,,Id
have very little national signif,ca NC
~ IS true that several munition nIan,e
IN the neighborhood of Petrograd are
OF Importance, but their loss would
the only serious phase of the matter.
Ahothef cause for alarm among the
aihes has been the recent report OF
certain democratic measures adopted
by the Russian army. 1t has been re-
ported that the Russian soldiers are in
addressing their officers, no longer saw
ing Yes. sir" and NO, SIR but nIain
Yes and NO" This, it is asserted
VIII seriously endanger discipline.
without which no army can be effec-
tive. The report. however. is mis-
leading
Inc Russian soldiers never did say
YES SIR What they said was, II
OBEY Your high-born honor" and pre-
sumably the change made by the DEM
ocratic government is to drop the
hight born honor" and have the soI-
diers say simply, "I obey" which. in
cient.
The affirmative Yes" is not used I'm
question, and not in the English sense
OF concurrence to an order, and the
new form is much more democratic and
Just as emphatic as the old
The officers have also been given or
ders to address the soldiers in the sec
ond person plural, you" of common
intercourse. instead of the contemptu-
Gus thou" used heretofore. Also the
pense with their uniforms when not
on duty, privilege enjoyed by soldiers
of most other nations. and the granting
OF which does not seem to be danger
Gus to discipline.
The report that the soldiers no longer
salute the officers in all probability
refers to the soldiers in civilian clothes,
and in that case it does not appear
to be serious breach of discipline
The fact that matters of discipline have
been intrusted to a committee selected
by the soldiers. if correctly reported,
more danger of disorganiza-
ton than any of the other Innovations,
but it is the writer's belief confirmed
by men who have spent long time at
the front. that these committees will
act as a check on overzealous officers
without interfering with the morale of
the army.
The reports Of all these matters are
SO fragmentary that 1t is hard to form
a definite opinion of their probable in
fuence. but in the writer's opinion
there is no danger that the Russian
the contrary, the greater freedom and
greater recognition of the human
rights of the soldiers are likely to in
crease their enthusiasm and to render
them more effective in action. And the
soldiers are loyal to the new govern
nent. Through the period of terrible
privation during the last three years
hey have learned to look to the
zemstvo union, the union of local selfl
governing organizations, for help.
1t was the zemstvos that supplied
hem with shoes and with blankets: il
vas the Zemstvos that took care
If the sick when the government
machinery broke down: it was the
:emstvos again that rushed to their
assistance when ammunitions were de-
aged or misdirected, and the present
premier. Prince Lvov, was the head of
he zemstvo union and the organizer
II the wonderful self governing
machinery which has prevented total
of the Russian army during
is soul-racking campaign.
Nothing could be worse than TO fight
or traitorous and incompetent gov
rnment that was utterly indifferent
o the needs OF the soldiers and il
yould not be human nature if the Rus
ian army did not rally to the new
egime that IS loyal to the country.
onest and solicitous about the needs
f the army and the people.
Russia will stick by its allies in the
'riter's opinion, both because il recog-
ICES the necessity of crushing German
utecracy in order to render Russian
secure, and because the
rmy, honestly and CONSIDERABLY
-eated, will develop a new and greater
over of resistance than was possible
uring the old order of things.