The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-05-11
RUSSIAN MISSION
 EXPECTS 10 SAIL
 WITHIN FEW DAYS
Root Chairman, Other Members Russell, Duncan, Betron
 and Crane.

Washington, May II The com mission which the United States will send to assist the Democratic Provis- { ional government of Russia probably will be announced today by the Presi- , dent. The five members of it so far selected are:
 Elihu Root, Republican, of New York, Chairman.
 Charles Edward Russell, So- cialist leader and writer, of New k York. James Duncan, Vice President | of the American Federation of l Labor, of Massachusetts 1 Charles R. Crane, manufac- 1 turer, Democrat, of Chicago. l Samuel R. Bertron, banker, of | New York. 1 It is not improbable that the sixth member of the commission will be 1 an officer of the United States army. l No time has been set for the de- : parture of the Commission, but it is :, probable that it will be organized 1 within the next three or four days 1 and leave immediately for Petrograd l to begin the work for which it is. 1 created-that of assisting the provis- l ional government of Russia to "get on ! it's feet,
 In making his selections for the i Commission the President has been
 largely guided by the necessities of the perilous situation existing in Rus
 sia, where the new Democratic gov-
 ernment is encountering difficulties. The President already has conferred
 with MT. Root regarding the obliga-
 tions of the United States to Russian I Democracy. and the chairman of the 1 ~ 1lA 4F 1 the task confronting him and his as-
 sociates. MT. Root will have the rank of Ambassador on special mis- | sion.
 1 The selections of MT. Russell and 1 MT. Duncan was inspired by a desire 1 on the part of the President to send l men identified with the Labor and Socialist movements which are exer | cising potential influence in the des- tinies of the nev Russian venture. l MT. Crane. who is already at the Rus sian capital, is a. manufacturer of 1 great experience and is familiar with | Russian conditions. MT. Bertron is | banker and broker at No. 40 Wall | Street.
 To supplement the work of the
 Commission and to render assistance l of an important technical character,
 
 II to serve Sussia several men experi- Il enced in the organization and man
 agement of railways and industrial enterprises. Tie railway men chos- en are: John F. Stephens, consulting engi- neer, who will have the rank of Min
 ister and who will be chairman of the railway experts; John c. Greiner of
 the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad;
 Henry Miller, former President of the I Wabash system; N. L. Darling of the l Northern Pacific, and George Gibbs
 of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Stanley I Washburn, a journalist, also will be attached to the technical commits I sion.
 The Commission will represent the
 United States at an important con
 ference of the Entente nations to be held at Petrograd astsoon as it's mem
 bers arrive at the Russian Capital.
 This conference has been arranged
 by M. Kerensky, Russian Minister of
 Justice, and spokesman in the Proyis- ional government for the council of
 workmen's and Soldiers delegates
 The conference will also be attend
 ed by representatives of Great Bri-
 tain, France and Italy. The chief
 work confronting it will be to prevent
 Russia from making separate peace Il with the Central Empires T The Petrograd conference will be ] the second international event of the
 kind since the beginning of the Eu- ropean war at which the UniteT States
 has been represented. This country had a representative at the recent i Paris conference, and it is now as- stunned that 1t will officially take part in all the councils of the Allies until ? the was is concluded. ', State Department officials, outward
 ly at least, are very hopeful that Rus sian affairs will be strengthened out
 satisfactorily.
 l The brief ca,bled reports from Am . bassalaor Francis made public justifies
 this feeling of optimism
 Ambassador Francis reports that everything is quiet in the Russian
 capital. He has reported no disturb
 ance since the big demonstrations of last week, following which the Coun- lcil of Workmep's and Soldiers Dep uties issued a warning that any per son guilty of violence during the suc- lceeding two days would be classed as l a traitor to the revolution. Press reports from Petrograd, how ever indicate that the strong men of the Provisional government feel that
  that there is real danger of anarchy and civil war unless a coalition gov
 ernment is formed through the patch ing up of the quarrel between the Duma government and the Working men and Soldiers. } Entente officials and military men continue to regard the Russian situa- } tion with apprehension. Little real improvement is seen. The recent vote of confidence in the Provisional gov ernment by the Council of workmen' s ' and Soldiers Deputies was by a mar 7 row margin, and only when the gov : ernment had agreed to do the bidding of the council.
 Order has been maintained since in Petrograd because the council has so 5 decreed. German intrigue Is running 5 rampant in Petrograd and elsewhere : throughout Russia Along the eastern front until the past 48 hours not a l shot has been fred on most sectors for z month or more. Meanwhile, Ger } man and Russian and Austrian and Russian troops have been fraternizing, which naturally has tendency to r break down. the fighting edge of the
 Russians.
 Today's press reports speak of firing