Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-03-24

Joined Rodzianko in his plea. "We
are rapidly nearing an abyss" | urged,
and it Will soon be too late. kornilov
Is an honorable man, I convinced my
self. Let him save the army now, so
that people shall not say afterward
that kerensky destroyed the country"
This will not happen!" he cried out
banging his fist on the table. II know
what J am doing"
you are destroying Russia" ex.
claimed Rodzianko, angered by Keren.
sky's arrogance. THE blood of the
country will be on your head"
kerensky turned red, then white as
corpse. His appearance frightened
me. l thought he would topple over
dead.
Get OUT he shrieked, beside HIM,
self, pointing toward the door. Get
out of here"
Rodzianko and I moved to the exit.
At the door Rodzianko stopped for a
moment, turned his head and flung a
few caustic words at the minister
kornilOv was waiting for us in the
anteroom. We drove to Rodzianko's
| home for luncheon. There, korn1lov
related TO us the substance of his con.
ference with kerensky. He had told
him that the soldiers were deserving
the front in droveS and that those who
remained were useless, as they visited
the German trenches every night and
came back drunk in the morning. The
determination had extended to the en-.
tire front. A whole Austrian regi-
ment, we'll provided with liquor, came
over TO our trenches at one point and
a debauch followed. kornilov repeated
the experience of my battalion from
official reports that reached him, and
declared that numerous inquiries from
officers were coming to him daily, seek
ing instructions. But what instruc-
tions could he give? He had to seek
instructions himself from kerensky.
At this point the minister asked him
what was to be done, and he replied
that capital punishment must be re
established. that the committees must
be abolished. that the commander-in-
chief must be given the full authority
to disband units and execute agitators
and rebels if the front was to be saved
from collapse and the country from
immense disaster.
kerensky replied that Kornilov's $
suggestions were impossible, that all
that could be done was for the officers
to submit the various complications
arising at the front TO the regimental
corps and army committees for solu-
I
committees had already, again and
again, been confronted with such
problems. had them investigated and
Confirmed, passed condemnatory reso-
lutions and obtained pledges from the
men that they would not repeat the
offenses, but. like weak children, the
soldiers would Immediately resume
drinking and fraternizing. Only rigid
discipline he insisted could make the
! Russian army a force to be reckoned
with.
Nevertheless, kerensky was obst!-
nate. He would not consent to put
Kornilov's program into action. A
deadlock was reached which aroused
Kornilov's temper. He blurted out:
you are rushing the country to de
struction. You know that the Allies
regard us already with contempt.
Should our front collapse they would
consider Russia a traitor. You are
under the delusion that the rank and
file still believe in you. But almost all
of them are Bolsheviki now. Another
while and you will find yourself over
thrown and your name will go down
in history as the destroyer of the coun
try. All your life you fought Czarism
Now you are even worse than the
Car was. Here you sit in the Winter
Palace, unwilling TO leave, too Jealous