The Washington herald., 1919-04-27

attack" vacillated many more
True, let us see first II an offensive
Is necessary" debated the remaining
companies.
Men Lose Heart.
The colonel. the company comman-
ders and some of the brave soldiers
tried to persuade the regiment to go
over the top. Meanwhile. day was
breaking. Time did not wait. The
other regiments OF the corps were also
vacillating. The men. raised to a
high pitch of courage by Kerensky's
oratory. lost heart when the advance
became imminent. My battalion was
kept in the trench by the pusillani-
nous conduct Of the men on both
flanks. 1t was an intolerable situation.
unthinkable. grotesque.
The sun crept out in the east. only
to cast its rays on the extraordinary
spectacle OF an entire corps debating
their commanders order to advance.
1t was 4. The debate still ragged. The
sun rose higher. The morning mist
had almost vanished. The artillery
fire was slackening. The debate con-
tinued. 1t was S. The Germans were
wondering what in the world those
Russians were going to do with their
offensive. All the spirit accumulated
in the battalion during the night was
waning, giving way to the physical
strain under which we labored. And
the soldiers were still discussing the
advisability of attacking,
Every second was precious. "If they
would only decide in the affirmative.
even now it might not be too late to
STRIKE" thought. But minutes rolled
into hours, and there was no sign of
a decision. 1t struck and then I.
The day was surely lost. Perhaps all
was lost. Ones blood boiled with in
dignation at the absurdity, the futility
of the procedure. The weakened
hypocrites! They feigned interest I'm
the prudence of starting an offensive
on general principles. as IL they hadn't
talked for weeks about 1t to their
hearts content. They were plain cow
ards, concealing their fear in bushels
of idle talk.
Men Continue to Debate.
Orders were given to the artillery to
continue the bombardment. All day
the cannon bombed while the men de-
bated. The shame, the humiliation of
It! These very men had given their
words of honor to attack! Now the
fear for the safety of their hides had
overwhelmed their minds and souls.
The hour of noon still found them in
the midst of the debate! There were
meetings and speeches in the imme-
diate rear. Nothing more stupid, more
empty of meaning could be imagined
than the arguments Of the men. They
were repeating in halting tones those
old. vague phrases that had been
proven false again and again, to the
complete satisfaction of their own
minds. And yet they fingered, drawn
by their faint souls towards doubt and
vacillation.
The day declined. The men had ar
rived at no final resolution. Then.
about seventy-five officers. led by
Lieut.. Col. Ivanov, came to me to ask
permission to enter the ranks of the
battalion for a joint advance. They
were followed by about 800 of the most
intelligent and gallant soldiers of
the regiment. Altogether. the battal-
IONS ranks had swollen to about 1000.
Ivanov as to a superior, but he de-
clined.
Every officer was provided with a
rife. The line was so arranged that
men and women alternated, a girl be-
ins fianked by two men. The officers,
now numbering about 100, were sta
toned at equal distances throughout
the line.
We decided to advance in order to
shame the men. having arrived at the
conclusion that they would not let US
perish in No Mans Land. We all felt