The Elk Mountain pilot., 1917-09-20


mlnistration, though 1t doubtless will
be remedied with the willing assist
ance of the American railway execu
tives. The demand for cars already is
tremendous, for the moving of materi-
ais and supplies for the army training
camps and for a dozen other purposes.
and 1t will be increased Immediately
as the men OF the National Guard and
of the national army begin moving to
their allotted places.
Russia's Collapse In Gaiicia.
The collapse Of Russia's offensive
in Galicla, due to insubordination In
stigated by German agents. developed
into general retreat, and the retreat
into a virtual rout. Abandoning vast
military stores and burning villages,
the mutinous Slavs flew everywhere
before the easy advance of the Teu-
tons, except on the Roumanian front,
where for the time at least, they stood
firm. Farther north, indeed all the
way to the Baltic, the Russians gave
ground.
Premier Kerensky, armed with dicta-
torial powers. declared he would apply
a policy Of blood and iron to stop the
mutiny and treason, and General Korn-
lion ordered his loyal troops to shoot
down any who deserted or refused to
obey orders. but this was Intellectual to
retrieve the disaster. Stanislau. Halicz
and other important cities were evac-
uated. and from the wooded Carpathi-
ans to the region of Tarnopol the
country was full of long columns of
fleeing Russians on which the Teu-
ton field guns played with merciless
slaughter.
One story from Petrograd told how
loyal troops In Korniloff's army blew
to pieces an entire mutinous division
with Its own guns.
On the demand OF the military COM
manders ut the front, the provisional
government has again put in force cap
ital punishment for treason, which was
abolished at the time OF the revolu-
ton.
However, this second great Russian
slump. serious though 1t be. is not IA
tai. Kerensky and his colleagues are
determined to rid their country Of the
NtI ukChlS
Russian aids. Lenine, the chief of the
latter. is already under arrest, and 1t
is believed he will be either executed
as an agent OF the German general
staff or at least Isolated as insane.
Russians and their friends still believe
their new republic will emerge tri-
umphant from the chaotic conditions
that now hold 1t almost helpless.
The Guard of Death" the battalion
of Russian women raised by Vera
Butchkarefr, was In action on Tuesday
for the first time. at KrevO. The wom-
en- fought well. gaining the respect Of
the male soldiers.
No Military Success for Germany.
Germany has scored no real mill
tary success of moment for a long
time. The Galician affair Is not a sue
cess of arms, and though the kaiser
decorated some of his commanders
there. they gained no glory by the pur-
suit Of mutinous and disOrganized
troops. Rather should Wilhelm have
bestowed his decorations upon the
spies who stirred up the insubordina-
ton.
In the Champagne region the crown
prince hurled his troops against the
French lines with the utmost reck-
lessness oil week long, but the only re-
suit was tremendous losses for the
Germans. for the poilus were indomita-
BILE and If now and then their line
was bent, they counter-attacked so fu-
riously that the Teuton could not hold
his small gains more than an hour or
so. In some places. especially on the
California plateau. the French ad-
vanced their lines considerably and re-
pulsed all attempts to drive them from
the new positions.
Germany's hullabaloo over peace
terms and internal reforms has SIM
mered down to discontented discus
sion of Chancellor Michaelis' inten-
tions and policies, based on his speech
to the reichstag, which is universally
admitted to have been ambiguous and
even secretive. AS has been said be
fore. the political upheavai. there
doesn't bring appreciably nearer the
end of the war. Many of the opposi-
ton leaders and newspapers more
than hint that the U-boat campaign is
really failure in that 1t Is not starv-
ing England, and they realize that its
continuance is reducing daily the num-
Der Of friends Germany will have after
peace is concluded. But the militar-
lists Of Prussia can't let go Of that
weapon, and the masses Of the Ger