New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-07

Lately Petrograd began to get alarmed
abou. the state Of affairs in Kronstadt. Ru-
mors circulated that this important island
fortress guarding the sea approaches to the
capital was In the hands Of the most dan
gerous type Of ankfchsts, who had destroyed
the fortifcs.ions, were selling secrets TO Ger
many and were preparing to spread terror
and destruction all over Russia. knowing
there are people in .Petrograd who spread
rumors for sinister purposes, decided TO go
down to Kronstadt and investigate for myself.
After an hour and half's ride from the
mouth of the Neva across the blue waters OF
the gulf the steamer pulled up alongside
the quay of a long, fat island. | got cut and
walked along the little streets OF an old town.
Life was going on just as usual and saw
no outward signs of disorder. In large
house in one Of the main streets found
the headquarters of the Kronstadt Council
of Workers and Soldiers Delegates, which
controls the fortress.
With some little misgiving | passed by the
sentries and asked to see the president OF
the Council | was taken into a room, where
saw a young student with red badge on
his coat looking through some papers. This
was the president of the Council, elected by
the revolutionary soldiers and sailors and
workers OF Kronstsdt. His hair was long,
and his face bore that expression of mingled
sympathy and mystery which is SO often
seen in the Russian student.
well" he said, they seem to be very
frightened Of us in Petrograd. but we are
doing nothing more than putting our house
IN order, after the chaos and terror Of the
Cars regime"
| asked him II the Council recognized the
Provisional Government Of Russia, and he
replied: "Of course we do, II the rest Of Rus
STA does; but that does not prevent US from
having our own opinions as to what the gov
eminent ought to be- We would like to see
the whole of the government in the hands OF
the All-Russia Council of Workers and Sol
diers' Delegates"
In the Prisons
I was taken to see the prisons where the
agents of the Cars tyranny were sitting.
In the first prison | found about 100 gen.
darmes and secret police agents. The quar-
tiers we're very bad and many Of the cells
had no windows at all. Great hulking men
about dark and narrow corridors. Some of
them still had on the uniform Of their former
profession. 81 am afraid you must be very
uncomfortable here" said to one Of them.
Ugh" he grunted IF only they would let
US go to the front and fight or work and do
something"
In the next prison l found a number of
admirals, generals and naval and military
officers Of all ranks. They told me stories Of
how they had been arrested as soon as the
news of the events in Petrograd had become
known to the revoutionaries in Kronstadt.
They all complained that they had been kept
for three months without any trial or exami-
nation Of their cases. But the young sailor
who accompanied me chimed in: 81 sat IN
this very prison, not for three months but
for three years, for having been found
with Socialist pamphlet in my possession.
All that time never had a trial of any kind
whatever" ! pointed out to the sailor that
the prison accommodation was unfit for
human being. He answered: well, sat
here all that time because Of these gentlemen,
and I think that If they had known they were
going to sit here they would have made bet
ter prisons!" This attitude of the revolu-
tionary Kronstadt sailors, il not justltiabie,
is applicable. These officers are now being