Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-03-11

country, overflowing the cities. over
crowding all the railroads and doing
nothing, returned TO the front. Let
advance all together. The time FOR
speeches has passed. We want action
or we will leave here"
Comrade orlov was boisterously &C.
claimed Indeed, he said what we All
so keenly felt. It wasn't just 10 the
boys I'm the trenches to allow nun
dreds OF thousands OF their comrades
to holiday in the rear without inter
ruption. Rodzianko agreed with us
He would do his best to alter TINS IN
equality. he promised. But, priNateIy:
in reply to tho insistent questions OF
the officers why the golden oppor.
tunity for an offensive was being
wasted lie confessed that the pro-
visional government and the Dums
were powerless.
"It is the Soviet, kerensky and us
other leading spirits. that have the
saw in such matters" he said. 'They
are shaping the policy OF the country.
I have urged on them not TO delay
but to order n general attack imne-
diately."
Chairman Orlov then presented me
TO Rodzianko with a little speech IN
which he recounted my record since
the beginning of the war. The presl'
dent of the Duma was greatly sur
prised and moved. :.
II want to bow before this woman.
he said, shaking my hand warmly. He
then inquired as to my feeling about
conditions at the front. l poured my
bitter heart out.
"r can't stand this new order OF
things. The soldiers don't fight the
Germans any more. My object in
Joining the army was to defend the
country. Now il is impossible to do
so. There is nothing left for me. there
fore but TO leave"
But where are you going from
here" he asked.
"T don't know. | suppose will go
home. My father is old and my mother
is sick, and they almost have to go
begging for bread"
Rodzianko patted me on the shoul-
der.
Wont YOU come 10 me in Petro-
grad. hcrotchtkP little heroinel ]
will see what can do for YOU
I ioyously accepted the invitation
and told the boys of my leaving soon.
I was provided with new outfit and
100 rubles by tho commander. The
word went out that Yashka was 10
OF whose lives | had saved in battle,
presented me with a testimonial
A thousand signatures! They were
all the names of dear fellows who were
attached to me by ties of fire and
blood. There was a record, on that
long scroll, of every battle which @
had fought and OF every episode of
life-saving and self.sacriflce in which
7 had participated. 1t made my heart
thump with joy and my eyes MI with
tears, while deep in my soul something
ached and yearned.
1t was May. but there was autumn
~ breast There was autumn also
n the heart of Mother Russia. The
sun glowed dazzlirGly. The fields and
the forests rioted in al! the glories of
spring. There was peace In the
trenches, calm in No Mans Land My
country was still eXhilarating in the
festival of the newly born freedom. 1t
was scarcely two months old, this
child of generations Of pain and suf-
ferins. It came / ITO being with the
first warm wind. and how deep were
the forces that it aroused in us, how
infinite the promises 1t carried MY
people still entertained the marvellous
Illusions of those first days. 1t was
spring, the beginning of eternal spring
to them.
But my heart pined. All joy was
dead in 1t. | heard the autumn wind!
bowling. felt instinctively an i'm
mense tragedy developing. and my
soul went out to Mother Russia.
The entire regiment was formed IL
line so that | could bid them farewell