The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-06
BY WILLIAM G. SHEPHERD.

Stockholm, Oct "a (by maiD -
Kerensky's strength has always rest
ed in his courage and his utter dis
regard for his life. From the very
first days of the revolution his life
has hung by cord.
The newspapers say your papa is
sick, but 1 don't believe it," said
little chap on the playground of
public school in Petrograd to Keren-
sky's 1O-year-old SON
He is too sick" said little Keren-
sky. jr., but 1 heard him tell mamma
that he must keep alive to help save
Russia
With one kidney removed by an
operation which, the doctors told him,
was a hundred to one chance against
success, kerensky has looked death
in the face, and that vision seems to
life that stood him in good stead in
the days when he was at the head
of the Russian government.
BolsheViki Uprising in July.
Kerensky's only fault is that he has
been willing to die but he has not
been willing to kill.
The July uprising of the Bolsheviki,
when some 500 men, women and chill
dren were killed in the streets of Pet
rograd during reign of terror that
lasted three days, was fine instance
of Kerensky's bravery.
for weeks, had been Bolsheviki. 1t
had demanded that all the power of
the government be turned over to the
council of Workmen and Soldiers
Time after time the delegates of the
machine gun Standardization had
some 1900 machine guns and twenty
armored cars, came to Kerensky and
threatened to go into the streets and
make an armed show of power if he
would not agree to surrendering the
70 he
diers. The working men from the
great factories, all of whom had arms
in their homes, as Kerensky well
knew, made similar threats. Keren-
sky, knowing that much of the army
was behind these men, refused.
Kerensky Stood Pat.
On July Is, the machine gun men
and the workingmen went to the
dancers palace, where Lenine and
Trotsky held forth and demanded the
right to go into the streets and dem
onstrate. All that day Lenine, who
was sick in bed, and Trotsky, pleaded
with the soldiers and workingmen
not to go into the streets. During
the day delegations passed back and
forth between the various barracks
Trotsky were afraid. I have had
first hand stories of the terrors that
existed in that palace that bloody day. /
They sent word to Kerensky asking
MIN TO tempOrlZe with the soldiers.
Kerensky stood pat. Unwilling to kill,
an adversary of the death sentence,
he was brave enough to risk death
himself and even brave enough to
permit killings in the streets of Pc
trograd.
At IL o'clock that night Lenine and
Trotsky lost control of the machine
gun men. "All right" they said to
them, march thru the streets and
run around with your armored cars if
you wish to, but don't shoot and re-
turn to your barracks at midnight
Men, Women and Children Slain.
Within fifteen minutes the sounds
of rifle shooting were filling the city
and men, women and children were
dying in the streets. Kerensky, dash !
ing down to the Nicholai station in an
automobile, got onto a special train !
and was beyond the outskirts of the
city when a band of men came to the
depot, seeking arrest him. For |
three days the terror reigned and then !
subsidized.
Kerensky came back as a hero and !
ordered the arrest of Lenine and !
Trotsky The former Escaped" that |
is no one even tried to find him Trot- |
sky was found and Jailed but Keren-
sky pardoled him. And thus laid the !
trap in which he was later caught and /
ruined.
(Note-The third article. published to- |
will tell Of the KorniEoff revolt, |
the second Kerensky crisis and how Ker-