The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-02-23
Col. Duras, Back from Pet
rOgrad, Thinks Invasion
Will Aid Allies Cause
LOOKS FOR RISING
OF REAL DICTATOR
Trotzky Badly Fooled by the Germans
and Break Between Him and Lenine
Is Expected-Allies Should Synpa-
thize with Russian People.
thiZe with Russian

NEW YORK, Feb. 23.-The invasion
of Russia by the Kaiser's troops is
going to be one of the best things that
have happened to the allied cause i'll
Russia since the revolution, according
to Colonel Victor II. DuraS, formerly
American vice consul in Petrograd,
who has Just returned from there. 1t
i Colonel Dura s belief that the adj
vance Of the Teuton forces into Rus
STA after every effort has been made by
the Russian government to obtain a
inst peace will rouse the fighting spirit
Of the Slavic people, and result in the
rebirth of new Russian nation, ami
mated by d zeal similar to that which
broke Napoleon and drove the grand
army in disorganized flight from Mos
COW.
The former vice consul was en-
lhatic in his assertion that there was
hope for Russia, in spite OF the reports
OF universal disorder and chaos which
have come from the stricken nation.
He said that anarchy there was now at
its lowest ebb, and that it was almost
certain that from now on things would
improve from an allied point of view.
Colonel Duras prophesied a break be
tween Trotzky and Lcnine, which
would result in some strong leader be-
coming dictator He said that it was
the belief of the diplomatic corps i'll
/ PetrogFad that the Kaiser would seek
10 establish n dynasty with Nicholas
| Nicholaiyiteh as ruler, SO that Germany
might make a permanent peace with
Russia. Germany, Colonel Duras de
clared, would never consent to a peace
with the Bolsheviki
There has been a worldwide lack
Of comprehension Of the situation in
Russia, said Colonel Duras in an in
teryicw Yesterday Governments
and men have come and gone with
Kaleidoscope rapidity until the pop
ular attitude has come to be expressed
i'll the words your guess is as good as
mine Is to what is going to haPpcn in
Russia. 1t is the universal mistake Ia
overlook the real rulers of Russia, the
common people, the peasants. The
peasants are in the army; they are till
ing the soil: they have come i'll thou
sands 10 Petrograd and the large cities
where they listen opea-minded 10 what
ever 4 akillful orator chooses to tell
them
lit is this open mindadness, th's
simplicity Of the true democrat, aul
there is no more real democrat than
your Russian peasant, that has caUset,
things to go topsy furry in Russia.
| The Russian people believe whichever
they are told, if it is told plausiblv
| After the overthrow of the car and The
| setting aside of the provisional govern
ment when Kerenskv came into power
/ II looked as if things were going well
| for the allies. Then came Trotzkv and
| Lcuino.
| Now, understand first of all, il i.
| an error to think for Il minute that
| Trotzky and Lenine are German agents
| They are not. They are the most rad
zeal of the radicals. and it was the
oratory Of Trotzly that persuaded the
crowds to give them a chance. 6oth
men are far more radical in their views
than any Of the peasants.
Well, Trotzky began to preach that
the German people wanted peace. lie
| declared that the workers in Austria
and Germany were being forced t.
fight Russians against their viii, and
| he urged the Russians not to kill them
Teuton brethren. Against such words
! rs these Kerenskv s warnings went
unhecded. and Kerensky found himself
sapplanted by Trotzkv, Lcnine. and
! Bolshcyism.
AS soon rs possible Trotzky bcgar
| 10 try out his theories OH the Kaiser
At Brcst-Litovsk he found that he had
| been deceived, and that he had unwit
tingly deceived his followers. His pla,
of campaign up to that time, rs We
saw il in Petrograd, had been simple
lie had intended to permeate Germany