The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-08-30
MENACE OF IRON ROD
OPPOSED BY SOCIALISTS

Moscow. August 29.-Dark clouds
are lowering again over Russia. Every
speaker at the extraordinary confer
ence here points with uncompromis-
ing frankness TO the dangers that
threaten from without and within.
Remedies galore are suggested. How
ever. at the close of the third sitting
" the great con gress there still seemed
no other way out Of the tangle. than
the "Korniloff way" that of the iron
rod or the Cossack rawhide to whip
thc old discipline back into the body
and soul Of a mobilize army. But
that way is opposed with bitter stub
borness ny the workmen's and soldiers
delegates. stiIi numerically the most
powerful body in Russia. The masses
continue TO pin their hopes upon
kerensky who, though threatening
blood and iron. is constitutionaily in
capable OF actually applying tho In
struments Of the defunct czartsrn.
A chasm yswns between these two
sides. With every new meeting Of
the conference II grows wider Trou-
BILE has sprung up between Kerensky
and KorniloT. The latter. backed BY
the constitutional democrats, is deter
mined to go through" with his pro
gram. He reiterated this iron resolve
today.
Al the same time there was flung
into the great assem- lage a threa,
which. II carried out. would bring on
disaster that would plunge Russia in
60 the ABYSS along the edge of which
tho country has been ekidd.ng for Eve
months. The great brotherhood Of
eaffw aymen. through IT'S head. N. orek-
bon. issued an ultfrnntum that n the
growing counter-rsvo Iutionary move
ment Is not put down forthwith. a
sountry-wide strike wifi be declared
They ccntured up the vision of Rus
sia's erensportati9n SYSTEM already
hopsiesxly cr1rnhd being paraiyxed
completely. = ykion of the armies at
the 'front.' and the people IN the cities
starving NOT because there 10 no food
but becnnse there is no way to bring
It to them.
How menacfng the disorgantxatton
at the transportation Arstem already
n was told today by NJ Frolor one Of
tho leading railway representatives.
flaming prompt Improvement. he said.
November viii see the complete
breakdown OF the syrtem. He pic
tured the possibility Of an Infatuated.
starving army moving upon the cities
to butcher their starving civilian
Nrekhren.
Aieuieff Tells Story.
Sh4vSfs OF awe went through tho
huge assembly in the opera house
when former -ChteR Al
exieH described the distntegration
that has already gnawed its way
through the ranks OF Russia's fighting
millions. Awe-stricken. the delegates
heard the general describe how for
ty-eight officers and two soldiers were
the only ones out Of a regiment to
obey the order to attack. how the re-
mainder. sulien and immovab!a
watched them dash into the volcano
Of the enemy's FIRE. which cut tho
handful Of attackers into fragments.
General Alexieff told how the ITO
plan army orders of the socialist re-
eime have undermined discipline and
camps. officers and soldiers.
The only heartening factor at tho
third sitting Of the conference was a
series Of loyalty pledges. Represer-
tatives of Russia's Jews OF the Ukra-
inians, Let's and Mussulmen all de-
clared solemnly that for them there
y but one love. that of Russia: but one
aim, that OF saving Russia's freedom
ANOTHER RUSSIAN
DIVISION RUNS AWAY
London, Aug 2a.--An entire Russian
division--20. 900 men-turned its bfok
to the Teuton lines Yesterday In the
region OF Focsani, on the Rumanian
front. and fed :. This second
large-scale desertion to be admitted
in official Petrograd dispatches result
ed In the forces of Field Marshal Won
Mackensen thrusting forward on
wide front and pushing ahead north
eastward in a twenty-hve-hour ad-
vance which Is not yet checked.
Berlin. describes this advance as a
estormfng operation In which village
was captured and altogether 1900 pris-
oners were taken"
AUSTRIANs MAKING
LAST DESPERATE STAND
Rome, Aug. 29.-The Austrians are