The Washington herald., 1917-11-09
ITALIANS IN RETREAT
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

/ SONAAAf Ehoh EAo6 o<$1s
, ensky wrecks all chances of Russia s
participation in the allied Paris con-
| ference next week.
Tereschtenko. decried by the depu-
ties as a "pro-English Imperialist,"
had been named by Kereneky as Rus
sia's representative. The council
named Skobeleff. as the "true repre-
| sentative of free Russia" The allies
refused to admit him. There lies the
ground cause Of the new upheavaL
Rather than be shut out from that
conference, the Radicals. stung in
! their sorest spot: vanity. decided to
shut out all Russia. So they scored
a home run-for Berlin,
Skobeleff was to have urged peace
general peace"-at the Paris confer
ence. Kerensky refused to allow him
to go. The councils verdict In as
suming power was that he and his
government rose against the revo-
luton and the people"
Up to that moment the sinister
forces that play the Kaiser's game
had remained cautiously below the
surface. Now they shot with SER
pentine swiftness to the forefront
Nikolai Lenine, the Kaiser's "star
player" who had been hiding for
months while a price was on his head,
suddenly appeared openly, radiantly
grinning in his triumph. The mask
was of.
Our Enemies Accept.
To the plank Of the new govern
ment. Immediate democratic peace"
he suggested two additions, true SAM
pies of Leninite shrewdness and trick
cry:
"oner an armistice to the beIli-
gerents."
Settlement of the economic crisis"
Knowing full well that offers Of
peace and armistice could meet but
one fate at the hands of the entente
on the eve of a council at which war
to the finish is to be resolved upon as
never refOre, the radicals made them
so as TO be able to say: "The allies
refuse; our enemies accept"
But shrewdest of all is Lenine's pro-
posal of a settlement of the economic
crisis" 1t is nothing short OF an
economic agreement with Germany,
the first step toward the Russo-Teu-
tonic economic coalition that Berlin
and Lenine are planning.
OF Sveaborg. the sea fortress pro-
tecting the Finnish capital, Helsing-
fors, a powerful German fleet has ar
rived. Little or no resistance is look
ed for from the Firms. Helsingfors
taken. a German army could be
landed, and, with Finnish acquies-
cence or even support, march north
ward and take Petrograd by land.
With the utter confusion among Rus
sia's fighting forces. a simultaneous
| naval drive up the Gulf of Finland
| would be an easy matter. Marching
northward from Petrogred, the Ger
mans. under such a plan, would take
Archangel, and the isolation Of the
Muscovite realm from the West would
be complete.
An Open Game.
Subtly without mentioning this
menace. leaving the German land and
| sea forces to play their own role OF
| powerful club. Lenine is urging
armistice, peace and settlement of the
! economic crisis. Isolated from her
| allies he visualizes a suffering, starv-
| ing Russia gratefully accepting a
| German peace.
Hand in hand, with Ienine works
Leon Trotsky. who left America
where he, the exile, had found refuge
to return to Russia shortly after
| the March revolution. Trotsky,
| gifted with firebrand eloquence, has
| swung himself to the position of Pres
ident of the Executive Committee of
the Council of Soldiers and Work.
| mems delegates. 1t was he who an
| nounced the ''nonexistence of the
| kerensky government and of the dis
solution of the preliminary parlia-
\ ment.
The bloodshed and disorder that
| may result from this warning" are
| incalculable. Again the soldiers are
appointed accusers, judges and ex-
ecutioners Of their officers. At last
| accounts the Russians were still hold
ing some 100000 enemy troops on the
Eastern fropt