The Washington herald., 1919-04-28
The Amazing Story of
Maria BOtchkarepa

| general with supreme authority.
therefore accepted his proposal.
| 1 was, however, troubled by the
thought of the errand / had under
taken and resolved to go to Rod
zianko. whom I considered my best
( friend. and make a clean breast or
it. When I told him of my CONVEX
sation with Kerensky he said
This is Kerensky's old game
suspecting everybody of being for
the old regime. l don't believe IL
of Kornilov. He is an honest.
Straightforward man. Still, IL you
seem to be in doubt about ii your
self, come, let's go over together
| to headquarters. Do no spying, but
tell Kornilov the truth to his face"
We took a train for general head
I quarters and were admitted to Kor-
nilov soon after our arrival. told
I him frankly of what had trans
/ pired between lKerensky and me a
couple of days before. Kornilov
grew red. He jumped up and be-
| gan to pace the room in a rage.
/ The scoundrel! The upstart!
| swear by the honor of an old SOL
dier that / do not want Tsarism re-
stored. / love the Russian moujik
as much as any man in the country.
We fought together and understand
one another. If were only given
authority. l would restore discipline
quickly by furnishing. IL necessary,
a few regiments. ! could organize
| an offensive in several weeks. beat
the Germans and have peace this
year yet He is driving the country
to perdition, the rascal"
Kornilovs words sank like dag
gers. There was no question that
the man spoke from the depth of his
I soul. His agitation was real be-
yo2d a doubt. He continued to walk
the room fiercely. talking of the
certain collapse of the front IL
measures were not taken without
delay.
The idiot! He can't see that his
days are numbered. Bolshevism is
spreading rapidly in the army. and
it will not be long before the tide
swamps him. Today he allows Len
, inc to carry on his propaganda in
the army without hindrance. To-
morrow Lenine will have his head,
and everything will be wrecked"
We left KorniIOv, and / had to
decide whether to report to Ken
ensky or not. / must confess to a
I feeling of shame when l though OF
how carried out the errand. I
therefore asked Rodzianko to tell
Kercnsky OF Kornilov's attitude to-
ward Tsarism and boarded a train
| for Moscow, where / had been in
vited to review the local Women's
Battalion. organized after the fash
ion of mine. There were many such
battalions formed all over Russia.
! When / arrived at the barracks
and was taken before the 800 girls
who had enlisted in the Moscow unit,
I nearly tainted at the sight of them.
They were nearly all rouged. wear
ing slippers and fancy stockings,
| loosely dressed and of very nom
chalant bearing. There were plenty
of soldiers around, and their rela-
tions with the girls were revolving.
| whats this. a house of shame?'
IL cried out in anguish. You are
a disgrace to the army! l would
have you disbanded at once. and
will do my best to see to 1t that
YOU are not sent to the front"
A storm of protest broke loose.
| "Aha. what is it, the old regime
or what?'' shouted some indignant
voices.
whats that? Discipline? How
dare she talk like this?" cried
others.
In a moment 1 was surrounded by
a mob Of indignant men who drew
nearer and nearer, threatening to
kill me. The officer who accom-
panied me apparently knew the tenn
per of the crowd and realized the
peril had provoked. He sent a
hurry call to Gen. Verkhovsky. COM
mander of the Moscow military dis
trict, and a very popular man with
all troops.
| Meanwhile my escort was doing
his best to calm the raging throng
which soon grew to about 1000.
Closer and closer the circle got to
me. and 1 was ready to say my last
prayers. One fellow tripped me by
! the foot, and fell. Another let the
heel of his boot down on my back.
One more minute and l would have
been lynched. But God was with
me. verkhovsky arrived not an in
slant too soon and dashed into the
crowd, which split to make way Tor
him. He addressed a few words to
the men. They had magic erect.
| was saved.
From Moscow I went to the front.
and when my girls saw me arrive
| there was RentTdl JuDiiot'c'' IN
Natchalnik has come back" they
sank and danced about. 1t was hard
life for them in my absence, out
unfortunately did not remain long.
In the evening of the day of my ar
rival a telegram came from Gen.
lKornilov. requesting my Immediate
nresence. I left without delay for
army headquarters, and there met
the commander in chief and Rod
zianko. The three of us went to
Petrograd to see Kerensky. 1t was
on the eve of the great Moscow as
sembly, which met on the 2Sth Of
July.
During this Journey Kornilov talk
ed of his childhood. He was born In
Mongolia. the son of Russian
father and Moncol mother. on
ditions of life some fifty years ago
in the Far East were such as to in
nure one to any hardships. This is
where Kornilov imbibed his con-
tempt for danger and spirit of ad-
venture. He was given a good edu-
cation by his father. who, be-
lieve. was a frontier trader of peas
ant stock. but rose to his high posi-
ton by sheer ability and dogged-
ness. He learned to speak a dozen
languages and dialects. more fron
mixing With all kinds of peaople