The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-09-14
RISE TO POWER
 BY K0RN|L0FF IS AMAZING STORY
Foremost Man In Russia To- day Was Born In
 Log Cabin

The first statement made by Gen. Laurus Georgievitch Korniloff upon assuming supreme command of the Russian army were characteristic of the man who suddenly has become the dominant figure of the Russian re- public. He said:
 eff Russia were to conclude the dis honorable peace to which traitors are driving her, she would become Ger man colony forever. There can be no choice between the evil of war and the evil of surrender"
 Gen. Korni1off has known war and he has known surrender. On all the battlefelds of Europe there probably is no man with a more interesting and romantic career. Although son of the people and born in a Siberian log cabin, Gen. Kornilof is the des- cendant of a line of fighters.
 The present Korniloff was a mem Der of 8 large family and was largely 8 "self made man. He is 46 years old. His father, although village clerk, was a man of small means. Much of the younger Korniloffs edu- cation had to be acquired at night, as he was at work in the forest most of the day. Even under this handicap he made the remarkably record of qualifying at 13 for the Siberian Cade Corps.
 This initial success was followed by his winning scholarship in the great Michailovsk Military School, where he distinguished himself in mathematics. He later passed through the General Staff College and was assigned to a ;x,
 For some time he served in Turke- stan as a pehniless officer of the Guards. All the time he was pursu- ing his studies. In the Russian war with Japan his great opportunity came. Through a succession of cap- able exploits he was prompted to be a Colonel. In the retreat from Muk- den he was sent in as a forlorn hope to save one of Kuropatkins' retreating armies. So successfully did he per form the task that the coveted George" the prized military, cross of Russia, was given him.
 His paterna1 grandfather was the famous Vice-Admira1 Vladimir Aaexan- dfovitch Korni1off, defender of the Black Sea port of Sebastopo1 in the Crimean war. The naval commander sank five warships in the mouth of the harbor and landed his forces. He it was who laid the foundation for the famous works that held out for more than a year against the English and French guns. Admiral Korniloff was naortally wounded on Malakof hill in 1854.
 After the war, he spent some years travelling Europe and Asia. He ac- quired a knowledge of not only every Yy.- <-4- 4<>ff AI,<~ most difficult dialects of Asia. As a linguist he still is considered without peer in the country noted the world over as being most proficient in mas tery of foreign tongues. For some time he served in the diplomatic ser vice, as attache to the legations at Picking and elsewhere.
 At the outbreak of the present war he was commander of a Siberian divi- sion which distinguished itself in the l first great drive through Galicia. In April, 1915, his forces being practi- cal1y without ammunition, he was ! compelled to fight another series of | desperate rear guard actions. Re- peatedly he led his soldiers to the charge and several times he was
 wounded. Finally he was captured and spent some months in prison.
 Escaping, he travelled for weeks, part
 of the time alone, guided by a map
 and a compass. Hundreds of miles
 he traversed on foot. Finally he re-
 gained the Russian lines.
 ] Always radical in his beliefs, when
 Nicholas was forced to abdicate Korn-
 iloff at once became a marked man. His recent rise to almost supreme power forms one of the chief series of events of the revolution. For the last few months his name has been on the tongue of the average Russian more l often than that of Kerensky. At present he is believed by many to
 combine, better than any other per- son, the qualities needed for a leader
 to bring the new Russia out of chaos.