The Washington herald., 1917-08-29
RUSSIA facing
ARMY DICTATOR
Kornilof Says Militia Must
Save Country if Revo-
luton Is Averted.

Moscow, Aug. ga military dicta-
torship looms on the troubled horizon
OF Russia. Kerensky, the young law
yer, refuses to break with the Social
lists to who, in former days, he
preached Utopia and who made him.
Gen. Korniloff, who knows but one
means to whip Russia back into shape
the iron rod-has become overnight
the popular idol, not of the masses OF
workers and disloyal soldiers, but of
the vast multitude OF Russians of all
walks of life. who are convinced of
Korniloff's own statement yesterday:
IF Russia wishes to be saved, the
army must be saved"
The Kerensky rule of good will and
persuasion has been tried and found
wanting. The necessity OF the hour is
regime of blood and iron," not
only in words, but in deeds. These
two facts stand out glaringly at the
close of the second sitting OF the ex-
traordinary council here.
Looked To As Leader.
And all those who recognize this
necessity look upon Kornilofr to de-
liver Russia from its new chaos. But
the ominous fact that overshadows all
clamor for equality and liberty now"
is virtually as strong and determined
as the other side which counsels with
korniloff victory and order first"
Behind this equal strength and de-
termination of both sides turks civil
war. incidentally, the old feud of
rivalry between Moscow and Petro-
grad is in full flames again.
These are the things that are seeth-
ing beneath the surface of the
hitherto comparatively calm con-
gress. They may burst into fire at
any moment, which is the reason
they are here set forth. lest the out
side world be taken unaware again
as it was last March.
Wilson's Message Cheers.
So far there has been only one
message that elected the whole
hearted individual applause Of the en-
tire congress: President Wilson's S
message of good cheer and America S
generous promise of aid. AS II was
read by Premier Kerensky today the
whole assemblage sprang to their
feet and for several minutes there
was q pandemonium of cheering.
On every other speech and issue
the congress has been divided. Be-
meath it all there was a noticeable
arrangement between Gen. Korniloff
and the members of the present gov
ernment. Korniloff is the hero and
idol of the cadets, the chief oppo-
nents of the government. He is the
impersonation of force; and force, to
them, is today the only thing that
can bring about order.
Korniloff minced no words In his
speech. He painted a gloomy pic
ture OF the military situation. and
of the economic conditions which
add to the menace of military de.
bacle. But there was nothing Of
despair in his words.
Predicts Final Success.
The first necessity, he argued, wa,
for the country to know its dan.
gers;- the second to avert them. He
offered concrete remedies. To those
who had believed he would bt
frightened by the Socialist uItimat.
um demanding the permanent aboli.
tion of the death penalty, kornilof
had a rude jolt in store.
The death penalty, he pointed out
was only one of the iron measures he
contemplated introducing. Above all
he said, the regime of soldier COM
mittees who meet in the trenches to
decide whether they shall obey or not,
must end, nor will the soldiers have
the preposterous privilege to appoint
their own leaders.