Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-05-30
Russia Of Service Still

q ENERAL PETA1N estimates the number
~ OF German troops now on the eastern
front at 100000 THIS, according TO the
New York Evening Post, is some 100000
less than the Jofre estimate of 1915 In
other words. the collapse of Russian mill
tary potency has enabled Hindenburg to re-
duce his armies on the Russian front by a
little more than 20 per cent
Inc Withdrawals, as a matter of fact
probably have been considerably larger for
the German commander, before the Anglo
french offensive burst on the Somme and
the Aisne, had expected TO make drive at
Rlga and Petrograd, and had massed troops
for this purpose. These reserves and some
elements Of the permanent eastern forces he
has been compelled to shift to the west.
The Russian debacle has enabled him to do
TINS with safety, and so to stem the assaults
OF 4aig and Petain but he has not dared to
leave the east wholly undefended
1t is not accurate. therefore, to speak of
Russia being "out Of the war" Whether
the German armies in Poland and the Baltic
provinces are fighting resting they at
least are being held. nation which keeps
nearly a million enemy troops from being
used in other theaters OF conflict can scarcely
be said TO be performing no military service
What the future holds for Russian arms IL
would be hazardous. if not futile. to predict
Surely the outlook is sufficiently gloomy.
The army is disorganized, assertions are
numerous. discipline, seemingly. has totally
disappeared In the munition factories dis
content and the extravagant and unreason-
able demands of the workmen have rendered
production nearly impossible, and threaten
soon to make il wholly impossible. The
transportation service, according TO the re-
port OF the American commission which has
just returned to this country, has broken
down. Hundreds of thousands of tons of
needed supplies are rotting and rusting on
the docks OF Archangel and Vladivostok
Peasants ire Selling the lands OF the great
landed proprietors. Utoli..r Socialists
ciamor for an impossible peace The coaE-
ton government. between the, upper and
neither mllstones Of autocracy and chaos
struggles TO hold itself and its country in
tact.
There is but one hope In all this-Keren-
SKY The regulations he issues for the con-
troll Of the army seem foolish enough. in
some of their aspects, but he knows his peo-
pie and knows what is necessary. If the
abolition Of form will bring the substance of
dlsciphne, there will be nobody on this side
the ocean to object. Napoleon's army was
very democratic institution also--at least
IN theory-and yet he made it into con-
quering host. Kerensky. il there is enough
blood and iron in his composition, NAV do
the same thing.
The case is not quite hopeless. The trans
formation may come, however unlikely il
no" appears We do not expect it, and it
would be criminal to cease our own war
preparations or to diminish them in antici-
patton Of so improbable happening, but a
strong man may do much. Al least il is
too early to talk or turning Japan and China
loose on Russia's possessions in Asia
Russia, with all the disasters which press
upon her, Is not yet valuees, TO the allied
cause. Let lis save from the wreckage all
which will help to win the war