New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-10
Civil War May
Save Kerensky,
Is Belief Here
Washington Sees Hope in
Counter Blow, With
Allies Lending Aid
All Depends on Army
Premier Thought To Be
Laboring Desperately to
Keep Soldiers Allegiance
By c. w. Gilbert

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9.-The only
scrap of news that the State Depart
ment has received about Petrograd
since the overturn there was a dispatch
from Ambassador Morris, in Stockholm
containing the press reports OF the
detection of part of the Northern Rus-
sian army TO the Msximalists. And
that was described as coming from
German source.
Official dispatches from Petrograd
are eagerly awaited. The telegraph and
cable being in the hands of the reyolu-
tionists. it will not be until word ar
riyes from Ambassador Francis that
any unbiased account Of what has hap
pened will reach this country. State
dispatches are always two or three
days behind the news dispatches, prob
ably because they arei code, and the
Russians find them hard to transmit.
No one here doubts that the Boil
skeviki are working with the Germans
and intend TO offer the nation a sep
arate peace, if they have not done so al
ready. The question remains unan-
swered how the army will receive such
a proposal from the Bolshevik. On
that the only ray of information re-
ceived is Mr.. Morris's Stockholm dis
patch, and that is very slight ray.
Reports say that Kerensky fled from
Petrograd and went 10 the army.
The impression here is that he went
to fight out with the soldiers the issue
of going over TO the Petrograd revolt
ers or remaining loyal to his govern
ment and to the war.
Hopefulness over the Russian situa-
ton is expressed in official circles, but
it is of the forced variety. For exam
pie, Secretary Baker expressed his con-
fidence in somewhat the following lam
guage: THE Russian people will sure
ly find themselves, for history has
shown that a great people always
find themselves, and the Russian peo
pie are a great people" Asked how
long this process of discovering would
take, MIR. Baker said: 81 have no idea
He seemed to be expressing a truth OF
political philosophy of no military i'm
portance so far as this war is con-
cerned
Brought down to the immediate sit
uation, the most hopeful view expressed
is that there will be civil war in Rus
STA and that the Allies will be able to
support successfully conservative
party which will overthrow the Max
imalists.
But the value OF Russia to the cause
r d. NH in hn n
civil war would be slight, unless, ic-
deed, extreme good fortune prevails
and the present revolution is really
only an uprising of the Petrograd moo
and the rest Of Russia Is sound
II Kerensky succeeds in railying the
army to his support. this country and
the Allies. who are now understood to
be debating their course in regard to
Russia, Will probably support him, al
though faith in him is shaken and
stronger leader would be preferred. IL
somc military leader holds the army,
or the bulk of il, true to the war,
the Allies will support him.
In the meantime, our plans to aid
Russia in a material way go forward
without interruption. There is no OBJ
ject in checking the work until il is
definitely known that Russia means
TO quit. If Russia quits, the supplies
in this country and on the way across
the ocean can be Communicated for
other uses. If Russia remains stead
fast. they will go TO the government
that finally displaces the MaxImalists
and proceeds with the war.
In one direction this country has APP
parently been proceeding with caution.
There are two hundred railroad men
under the comand of George II. Emer-
son, of the Great Northern Railroad,
who have been waiting for more than
a month for orders to go TO Russia
to rebuild the Russian railroads.
Their departure has been mysteri-
ously held up. 1t is yital.y important
that Russia's railroads shall not be re-
built if there is to b. a separate peace.
AS conditions stand. Germany, with
Russia pacified, could not get provi-
sions out of Russia probably for year.
There are no railroads to transport
provisions. There are no railroads,
even, to feed the Russians.
Ultimately, the Germans, in case of
peace, would organize some kind Of
ira < c, but for a long time Russia
would be valueless as source of sup
plies.