Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-08-29
Military Dictatorship Looms
on Troubled Horizon of
New Republic.
RULE OF BLOOD AND IRON
is NECESSITY OF HOUR
Kerensky Plan of Good Will and
Persuasion Tried and
Found Wanting.
CIVIL WAR APPARENTLY LURKs
President Wilson's Message Only
Word That Elicits Applause
OF Entire Congress.

MOSCOW. August "a military
dictatorship looms on the troubled
horizon OF Russia. Kerensky. the
young lawyer. refuses TO break with
the Socialists 10 whom In former dayG
he preached Utopia, and who made
him. General Kornilon. who Knows
but one means to whip Russia back
into shapc-the Iron rod-has become
overnight the popular idol. not OF the
masses OF workers and disloyal sol
diers. but Of the vast multitude Of
Russians of all walks of life who ar.
convinced OF kornilcff's own statement
yesterday:
II 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 glarinEly at the
close Of the second sitting Of the en-
traordinary council here. And all
those who recognize this necessity look
upon kornilon to deliver Russia from
iis new chaos. But the omnous fac,
that overshadows all else is that the
mass of those who clamor for equal
ity and liberty now" is virtually as
strong and determined as the other
side which counsels with korniloif
victory and order trst"
OLD FEuD OF RIVALRY
IN FULL FLAME AGAIN
Eehind this equal strength and de-
termination of both sides turks civil
war. Incidentally, the old feud uf
rivalry between Moscow and petrorraL
il In full fame again
Ihese are the things that are seeth-
Ing beneath the surface of the hitherto
comparatively calm congress. They
may burst into fire at any moment
which is the reason they an here set
forth. lest the outside world be taken
una"ares again as it was last March.
SO far there has been only one mes
sage that ELECTED the whole hearted
Undivided applause of the entire con-
sress: President Wilson's message Of
8ood cheer. Americas generous prom
lse OF aid AS II was read by Premier
Eerensky to-day the whole assembl.pe
sprang 70 their feet. and for several
minutes there was pandemonium of
cheering.
On every other speech and issue the
congress has been divided. Beneath il
All there was noticeable estrange-
ment between General korniloff and
the members OF the present govern
ment. kornilot is the hero and idol
OF the cadets, the chief opponents Of
the government. He is the inner
sonation OF force: and force, to them.
is to-day the only thing that can bring
about order.
PAINTS GLOOMY PICTURE
OF MILITARY SITUATION
kornilof minced no words in his
speech. He painted a gloomy picture
OF the military situation, and of the
economic conditions which add to tn.
menace OF military debacle. But there
was nothing of despair in his words
The first necessity. he argued. was for
the country to know its dangers; the
second to avert them. He offered con-
crete remedies. To those who had be-
lieved he would be frightened by the
Socialist ulti.natum demanding the per-
manent abolition of the death penalty.
kornilof had rude jolt in store
The death penalty, he pointed out
was only ono OF the iron measures he
contemplated Introducing. Above all,
he said. the regime OF soldier commit
tees who meet in the trenches to de-
eide whether they shall obey or not
must end, por will the soldiers have
the prepoSterous privilege to appoint
their own leaders.
After frankly stating that "the mill
tary situation is bad" the commander
in chief cited statistics to show that
If present conditions continue the arnov
will get no supplies whatever by No
vember. Even now. he added. a short
age OF bread and biscuit bordering on
famine prevails among the armies.
Concluding. however, he said:
~ believe and predict the resurrec-
tion OF our army"