Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-09-25
,wILA HISTORY REPEAT.

II we can dismiss nom our minds
for the moment the terribly vital inter
est which America and all the other
nations fighting Germany feel IN the
progress of Russia's numerous expert
ments at SEN government, the situation
offers a most absorbing field for
thought.
The French revolution Of 1859 Pro
duced conditions considerably like
those which exist In Russia today.
That was the real birth Of socialism.
and the efforts to set the rule of the
individual above the rule OF the organ
lied authority created the chaos which
finally was met by Napoleons military
dictatorship.
Korniloff. who sought to be Russia's
Napoleon, failed for number OF rea-
sons, one among them. no doubt. being
his inability to control or appeal to
more than small proportion OF the
gigantic army of diversified Russia.
Another reason, perhaps. is that social
ism and anarchy. represented by the
various organizations which have
sprung up in Russia wefe too powerful
in their insidious influence on the PEG.
ple TO permit korniloff to obtain foot
hold. A third reason for his failure
certainly is found in the existence OF
the strong German influence and the
knowledge on the part OF the soldiers
that. should they follow him. they
would have to fight not only those OF
their fellows who remained true to
the Kerensky government, but the m
vading German army as well.
Korniloff's failure was !oreordained.
Kerensky's government ia threatened
now by the rising tide OF extremist
sentiment which threatens to over
whelm the leaders of the soldiers and
workmen's councils and plunge Russia
into a worse unorganized state than
could have existed had Korniloff and
Kerensky gone to war with each other.
In a series of interesting articles
from Stockholm. James ODcnneii Ben
nett OF the Chicago Tribune starr 10
disclosing many interesting facts
about the Russian crisis. nos the least
of them being contained In his clever
pen pictures OF Kerensky and OF Tser.
etelli. The latter. whose withdrawal
from the third cabinet helped greatly
to hasten the present crisis. is descrfb-
ed as more willy politician than the
president Of the new republic and. IN
deed, a stronger. wiser man
Tseretelli, recognized as the leader
OF the extremist group In the soldiers
and workmen's council, is one OF those
who resigned when the maximalists'
resolution for the most radical social
istic policy was adopted. This pro,
! gram, which harks back to the earliest
principles of socialism and anarchy
was too dangerous even for him. He
stands now. private citizen but still
a leader Of that apparently big group
of radicals who decline to assume re-
sponsibility for government although
they criticise Kerensky's efforts. They
refuse to trust or aid Kerensky, just
as the landed gentry refuses to. trust
him. but for exactly the opposite
reason.
Kerensky is beset on all sides by
critics and seems headed toward de-
feat But he will go down fighting il
he does fail in the end. He cannot be
said to lack courage. despite the weak.
ness which exhibits itself in his obvi.
Gus efforts to win favor from opposing
interests by conflicting promises.
! The Moscow conference which haa