The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-06-08

woman's regiments that were after
wards organized. Once when we
were encamped back Of the lines on
the Dvinsk front KerenslSy visited
the staff headquarters. about two
miles distant. The women expected
him to inspect their battalion, but
he did not come. Botchkareva saw
him at headquarters ana he prom
ised her that the women should be
sent to the trenches very soon. They
were 80 delighted with the promise
that they soon forgot their deep
disappointment at not seeing him.
Kerensky was an idol Of Russia at
that time.
We had been In camp a week and
a good deal Of the time 1t had rained
torrents and the women could not
drill. They had had only q few
weeks training and were not, &C
cording to any OF the rules, fit for
fighting. But they thought they
were and they chafed continually at
their forced inacton. We had left
Petrograd ON a July day, and all
the way down, two days and nights,
the women sang and were exuber-
antly happy in the belief that they
were going directly into the battle
line. Their disgust at being de-
trained in a rest camp back OF the
trenches was extreme.
Women Led Attacks.
I have told in my book on the Rus
sian revolution how I came to go
with the women in their troop train,
and how / camped with them until
they were sent forward to the line.
It Is not necessary to repeat that
here, nor to tell again Of how the
women led men into battle and won
an engagement. They never had an
other chance to fight, but they
proved that they could fight as
bravely as men. They did their bit
for their distracted country and 1t
is not the fault Of those who died
that they died in vain. It is not the
fault of those who survived that
they could not save Russia by rally
ing the rapidly disintegratfng army
Botchkareva told me yesterday
women soldiers again. She Is con-
WINGED that woman are. with few
exceptions, unfit for warfare. Some
Of her soldiers turned on her, and
she has turned bitterly on some Of
them. She cannot speak with mod
GRAFTON of them, and that is unfor-
tunate for her cause. She wants to
help Russia, and especially she
wants to help q few faithful women
followers who have been tncapact-
tated by the terrible events Of war
and revolution. She can do 1t bet
ter by voicing love than hate.
Cannot Lead Russians.
But That is precisely where the
quality Of Maria Botchhareva has
to be reckoned with. She has that
kind of a Russian mind that
confuses facts, often irrelevant facts,
with truth. She has q way Of say
ing, when her conversation borders
on indiacretion and she is checked:
''But I must not lie. I must tell the
truth"
I hope that the American public
will make allowance for this habit Of
mind should Iieut--Col. Botchkareva
make extreme statements about
some Of her late companions. After
all, q women's regiment was MT
meant to be permanent. It was a
symbolic thing. 1t rose out Of a
desperate situation. and 1t diBap-
peared when the situation became
more than desperate, when II be-
came hopeless. One OF the reasons
why It was not the great success
Botchkareva hoped it would be, per-
haps the principal reason. is not that
women cannot organize for a great
idea. It was because the Russian
people have not yet learned to or
ganize. Botchkareva's dream failed,
and the Russian revolution failed,
because Of that fact She could not
lead her women. Nobody has yet
succeeded in leading Russia.