Middletown transcript., 1917-11-17
Kerensky and His Government
Overthrow by MaximaIists
Led by Lenine.
O-GERMANS RULE IN RUSSIA
Immediate Peace First on Their Pro-
qram-Retreat Of Italians Con-
tinues-British Take Highly
Important Passchendaele
Ridge-America's War
Mission to Paris.
BY EDWARD w. PIckARD.

Kerensky and the provisional gov
ernment Of Russia have fallen; the
Maximalists led by Nikolai Lenine,
pro-German agitator, are in the sad
die; the premier has fled and five or
more Of the members of his cabinet
are under arrest; immediate peace
with the central powers will be Of
fered by the extreme radicals in con-
troll. Such is the dispiriting news that
comes from the Slav republic, so
called. Chaos exists there and long
continued reign Of anarchy is the pros
pect.
The only hopeful feature of the
situation is that, as Ambassador Bakh-
meteff says, the revolt is a revolt of
the few against the many. The Max
imalists control Petrograd and prob
ably the fortress of Kronstadt, but
: they have all Russia to reckon with,
and especially the COssacks, who have
no sympathy with the plan to make
separate peace with the central pow
ers. M. Bakhmeteff feels sure that
the majority of the Russians who fol-
lowed Kerensky are with the provi-
sional goysTnment heart and soul, un-
derstand that Russia's freedom can be
assured only by the defeat Of Germany
by the allies, and will fight to the end.
The spirit prevailing in Petrograd, he
asserts, is not representative of the
Russian spirit as whole.
Loyal Women Fight the Rebels.
OF all the armed forces in and about
the capital it appears that the wom-
ans! battalion alone remained loyal to
the government. 1t was stationed at
the winter palace and when that build
ing was attacked by the cruiser Au-
ro'a and the guns of the fortress Of
st. Peter and st. Paul, it fought as
bravely as possible until overwhelmed
and compelled to surrender. The bat
tie lasted four hours and was spec
tacular. The rebels broughx up ar
mored cars to aid in overcoming the
resistance of the heroic women. There
was no chance to call other loyal troops
to Petrograd, for the leaders of the
workmens and soldiers delegates had
seized the posts and telegraphs.
The rebel congress was convened
Wednesday night, the officers elected
including Lenine and Leon Trotzky.
Several proclamations were issued,
one of them stating tie program of
the new authority to be:
"First-The offer of an immediate
democratic peace.
"Second-The immediate handing
over Of large proprietorial lands to
the peasants.
"Third-The transmission of all au-
thority to the council of soldiers and
workmen's delegates.
"Fourth-The honest convocation of
a constitutional assembly"
1t is believed in London that Keren-
sky will re-establish the provisional
gcxernment in Moscow and that the
Soviet will not be strong enough to
hold out long against him. For the
present, however, the pro-Germans
have the upper hand.
Italians Retreat to the Livenza.
AS had been expected, Count Ca
dorna did not attempt to make long
stand on the Tagliamento river line
against the on-sweeping Arstro-Ger-
man armies, but fell back last week
to the LivenZa, twelve to eighteen
miles west. The enemy followed close
~, and the prospect was that the Ital-
ians would speedily be forced back to
the Piave, where their main armies
already were being established. Ca