New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-15
Ranks Suffered Long From
Corruption in High
Circles
Good Officers Retained
Masses Have No Idea of
Causes and Objects Of
the Great War
By W. TCHERKESOFF
,yrrh,. 1917. BY TIE Tribune AssoeistOnl

lcopyrIht. 1917. BY The Tribune Assoeisuonl
PETR0GRAD, July 1s.-In order to
understand and fairly judge the psy-
chology Of the Russian soldiers and
their action during the past four
months, which undoubtedly often has
troubled public opinion of the Allies,
we must remember a few facts. Under
the old regime the administration Of
the army, and especially Of the navy,
was proverhially corrupted, and the
soldiers and, more yet, the sailors were
kept under q senseless and barbsrous
discipline. They often saw their seanty
allowances of food, clothes and pay
partly appropriated by their superiors.
Numerous talks with officers and men
have shown me how impossible 1t was
for an honest man to make Roadway
against the widespread corruption and
greed under the old regime. The mate
rial side Of the war at the front was
considerably improved by the gigantic
effort of the nation through the zemst-
vos and municipalities union, and for
the first time the simple soldier felt
that the nation took an interest IN him.
Hence his spontaneous adherence TO
the cause of the nation against the gov
eminent during the revolution.
On the other nand. we have open
mutiny against his military authorities
and sometimes revengeful treatment of
former oppressors, as happened in Sc
bastopol, Kronstadt and in some places
at the front. Good officers were not
molested, but retained their influence
and position. For instance, never a
single voice was lifted against men
like Russky and Brusiloff, who are be-
loved and trusted by all ranks. Gener-
ally speaking, the Russian soldier is a
very simple, trusting person, with
plenty OF good sense in MS daily life
and connections, but owing TO the de-
plorable popular instruction ignorant
Of anything that lies beyond his imme-
date observation.
Ignorance is widespread
Not only among the soldiers. but
among Russians of all classes. l have
found q very scanty knowledge Of the
causes, origin and meaning OF this
war The great mass has but a faint
notion Of German militarism and i'm
perislism; they scarcely know OF the
German barbarities committed in Bel
GUM and France, and they therefore
think that the democracies Of all coun-
tries ought and can easily make an
end to this bloodshed; they know so
little, or rather nothing, OF European
history and worlds politics that they
cannot understand how France, Eng
land and the United States are guided
in their conduct by the determination
and necessity TO crush the medieval
despotism Of Germany, organized on
modern military lines, with its per-
petusl menace 10 all political liberties
and rights conquered by incesssnt
struggle uy the democracies Of France,
England and America.
For this pathetic ignorance and in
the enthusiasm and idealism for uni
versal peace and brotherhood, awak-
ened by the Revolution, the German
and pro-Germsn propaganda found a
fertile soil; the empty phrases Of
and Kienthal, peace So
cialists, found adherents not only
among supplemented soldiers and |
workers, but among Socialists and rev.
olutonists who had taken no active
part in the fight against the old regime.
and after the revolution had returned !
10 Russia, where they often occupy |
prominent government positions,
The formula peace without annex
alton or indemnity" could find accept !
ance here all the more, as very few !
knew that it had been made in Ger
many and propagated by German !
agents furnished with German money.