The Washington herald., 1919-04-18
AND HERE IT CONTINUES.

And climbed over the top and made
my way to the listening-post where /
remained on duty for the full two
hours.
talked to the soldiers, appealing to
their sense of honor and arguing that
the revolution imposed greater respon-
sibilities upon the man in the ranks.
They agreed that the defense Of the
country was the most important task
confronting US. But didn't the revolu-
ton bring them also freedom. with
the Injunction to create their own con-
troll of the army. and the abolition of
discipline? The men were in a high
state of enthusiasm, but obedience
was contrary to their ideas of liberty.
Seeing that could not get my men
to perform their duties, I went to the
commander of the company and asked
to be released from the army and sent
home.
II see no good in sticking here and
doing nothing" said. 'Tf this is
war, then I want to be out OF It. 1
can't get my men to do anything"
Have you gone insane, Yashka?'
the commander asked. "Why. II you.
who are a peasant yourself. one OF
them, beloved by all the rank and file.
can't remain, then what should we Of
ficers do?- 1t is the obligation Of the
service that we stay to the last, till
the men awake. / am having my own
troubles, Yashka," he confided. in a
low voice II can't have my way.
either. So you see. we are all In the
same boat. We have got to stick 1t
out"
1t was abhorrent to my feelings.
but I remained. Little by little things
improved. The soldiers committees
began to function. but did not inter-
fere with the purely military phases
of our life. Those Of the officers who
mad been disliked by the men. or
who had records typical Of Tsaristic
officials. disappeared with the revolu-
tion. Even Col. Stubendorf. the COM
mander Of the regiment was gone, re-
tiring perhaps because Of his German
name. Our new commander was kud-
riavtzev, a popular officer.
Discipline was gradually re-estao-
nshed. It was not the old discipline.
Its basis was no longer dread of pun
ishment. 1t was a discipline founded
on the high sense of responsibility
that was soon instilled into the gray
mass of soldiery. True. there was no
fighting between us and the enemy.
There were even the beginnings OF
the determination plague that later
destroyed the mighty Russian army.
But the soldiers responded to the ap-
peals of the provisional government
and the soviet in the early weeks OF
the spring Of 1917. They were ready
to carry out unfiinchingly any order
from Petrograd.
Those were still the days Of inn
mense possibilities. The men wor-
shipped the distant figures in the rear
who had brought them the boon of
liberty and equality. We knew al
most nothing of the various parties
and factions. Peace was the sole
thought of the men. They were told
that peace could not come without
defeating or overthrowing the Kaiser.
We, therefore. all expected the word
for a general advance. Had that
word been given at that time nothing
In the world could have withstood our
pressure. Nothing. The revolution
had given birth to elemental forces in
our hearts that defied and ever will
defy description.
Then there began a pilgrimage of
speakers. There were delegates from
the army, there were members of the
duma, there were emissaries of the