The Washington times., 1917-12-07
KERENSKY'S SOFT
HEART BROUGHT
ON HIS DOWNFALL
ny WILLIAM C. SHEPHERD.
(UaIted Press STAFF COrresDOndent.)

UNITED Press staff CorresDOndent.)
STOCKHOLM CBy Mair, Oct. 25.-
KerenslCy whipped the Bolsheviki IN
the July uprising, but, instead OF
furnishing Lenins and Trotsky, he
permitted them their liberty. lie
later released every BolShsvi<i pris-
oner.
This gave the soldiers at the front
great courage to oppose the war.
There are some terrible secrets yet
to be told OF how the Russian SOL
diers killed their officers after they
saw that Kerensky had not dared to
punish the Bolsheviki. Every Rus
sian soldier who does not want to
fight IL q BolsheViki, not for reason
of socialism, but because the Boil
sheviki openly say they want the
war to end.
The only way to save these officers
was to restore capital punishment.
Kerensky could not bring himself to
agree to capital punishment True
enough, at one time, he promised not
to oppose capital punishment in the
front lines, but he never declared
himself In favor Of It.
Sought DIetatorshID.
Korniloff knew. as a soldier, that .
soldier, In warfare must have sure
death and disgrace behind him, II
he retreats, and only possible death
and honor before him, II he advances.
No fighting army can exist without
capital punishment. At the Moscow
conference Korniloff said that capi-
tai punishment must be restored
throughout the Russian army, both at
the front and at the rear.
Within a few days after making
this declaration Kornlloff was ad-
vancing on Petrograd, seeking the
dictatorship OF Russia Capital pun
ishment"-that was Kornilofrs war
cry. OF course the soldiers OF Rus
sia, almost to a man, were against
Korniloff. To them he meant the end
OF the soldiers self government; he
meant the end OF their trench meet |
ings and speechifyinE.
Kerensky met the KorniIof situa- |
tion with his same bravery-and lack |
Of decision. when Korniloff sent his |
demand that Kerensky turn over the |
TO him, Kerensky's |
friends fell away from him as II he |
were the plague. The winter palace
rooms in which he had his headquar-
tiers were deserted. Even the clerks
did not come to their work. The |
winter palace was like a place
doomed to destruction. Only Botch- |
korava, the white-haired old grand |
mother OF the revolution" who had |
moved into the winter palace to be
near Kerensky with her advice and |
her mothering, stood by him.
Feared BombInE Of Palace.
In those days It was feared that
the palace might be bombed at any
time. On the floor below Kerensky's |
quarters a IRE broke out that, for q |
time, threatened to destroy the left |
wing OF the palace. But still Ker-
ensky. who had every reason to fear
for his life, to fear OF being murdered |
in his rooms, stood pat and refused to
surrender to Rornilof.
Each day. as the Rorniloff troops |
came nearer to Petrograd, Rerensky |
grew holder and holder. He sent out |
dehes. by wireless; he issued state
ments to the press; he ordered Korni- |
Ions arrest. He sent out troops, In |
whom he could have had little conf
dence, to meet the KornIlofr forces.
and he sent out three miles OF freight
cars and locomotives to block the
railway near Tszarsky Selo. He
closed down the biggest newspapers
in Russia.
When the troops OF the Kerensky
and Kornilofr parties met. they fra
ternized: KOrniliff had lost and Ker-
ensky had won. Russia cheered for
him, as IL cheers for every victor, in
civil war. The Eronstadt sailors,
who had caused the bloody massacre
in July. and who had guarded Rsr.
ensky and the Winter Palace during
advance. seemed to wor.
ship him
KOrniIOn Arrested.
Rerensky had KOrniloff arrested.
And yet, though he had been willing |
to risk his own life in the venture,
he declined to take the life OF Korni- i
lon. Today it is clear that twice he
made this mistake of refusing to !,
punish traitors. He had permitted |
the bloodshedding radicals. LenIne
and Trotsky, to go free. And now no 4
permitted the would-bs blood-letting !;
KornilOff to escape punishment
In Petrograd. the LeninItes. whom
he had not punished, and the aristo-
cratic officers OF the HornilOff regime. 81
whom he also had not punished.
Joined hands and forced Kerensky to
his downfall.