The Washington herald., 1919-01-06
ALLIES BLAMED
FOR RUSS FATE
-kerensky, Former Dicta-
tor, Says Military Are
But Leaves in Wind.

allies are muddling the Russlan
problem. Speaking in broken
French and sometimes Iapsing Into
Russian. which a friend interpreted
the fiery statesman, whose mistor-
tunes have not broken his split,
shook his head gloomily when asked /
whether he thought allied troops
:, ought to be withdrawn from Russia.
\ Two months ago" he said,
, would have protested vigorously
against any such suggestion. l sald
send troops. l came here to beg the
allies to intervene. l thought they
were going to help democratic Russia
to continue the common fight against
Germany on Russian territory. That
was how | formulated the proposal to
the British government and to British
public opinion. That is how all demo-
cratic and liberal opinion in Russia.
as represented by the Union for the
Regeneration of Russia, understood
and accepted intervention. Now the
situation Is utterly changed. I neither
saw keep your troops nor recall them.
The responsibility is no longer mine.
Intervention ought TO have been
carried out in constant consultation
with those political parties which in
vlted Il, and the allies ought to have
in Russia's internal affairs. Now the
situation Is tragic. Russian democ-
racy has received stab in the back.
While Russian democracy was strug-
Cling for the common cause the allies
were in contact with none but the
. reactionaTy elements in Russia. The
air has been thick with plots all the
summer. No one knows anything.
There is no independent public opin-
ion on Russian questions"
What reactionary power could
there be left in Russia under the Boil
sheviks?' Mr.. Kerensky was asked.
Military Like Leaves.
The officers. It was they who
advised the allied coup against the
ArchangeI government. The allies
think the military are something.
and they are politically nothing. /
nothing They are like leaves on
the ground. A gust of wind comes"
"a swift dramatic sweep of the !
right ARMAND stirs them up to |
look like life. Il passes by. and
they are just dead leaves again. 1 !
understand them. I do not condemn !
them. They have suffered more than /
any class at the hands of the Boil !
sheviks. But politically they mean /
nothing. and they count for moth
inC."
The deep-set eyes took fire. The
voice grew more bitter.
For three years Russia bore the |
hrunt of the war. Now she is para
lived and they are parting hc- /
provinces between them. Has Rus |
sin had no share in the victory? |
America has had 5000 dead. Rus |
sia has had 100000. Russia has |
been out Of the war less than a |
year. America was in it effectively |
for two months. Italy declared was /
on Germany only in 1916. Rumania |
rot till the end of 1915. Great /
britain did not put conscription IN
force till 1916.
All that time Russia was fighting /
raaselessly. and that though she !
was isolated from har allies and cut |
usf far moro completely than Ger I
many herself from the supplies she |
- vitallv needed. Yet through all |
those years, when she could get not !
Ona-thOUsandth part of what France |
got there was no thought in the |
minds Of Russian democracy OF a /
separate peace. There was absolute !
confidence in the good faith. of the |
allies. Everyone was certain that. |
however Russia Jared in the war. |
the allies as a whole must be vic |
t0rious and the interests Of every |
allied com batant would find fair |
treatment at the peace table.
Mnde No Hun Truce.
And now" the remorseless indicL
nent continued, compare Russia and /
Runnania The BoIsheviks made the !
Brest-Litovsk treaty. but the mass Of |
democratic Russia repudiated it. They !
made no truce with the Germans |
They never stopped their resistance |
Rumania. on the otner hand, accepted |
the peace as a nation. Their war with !
Germany was over. And at the end |
the allies propose to Tar Bessarabia !
from Russia and give II to Rumania- !
Bessarabia that has only two districts |
where the Rumanians form a majority |
Of the people.
This is not politics. It is madness. !
The allies have forced Germany to re
oudiate the treaty OF Brest-Litovsk. |
r. is they who are realizing the princi- |
pies of Brest-Litovsk today. Russia
nay be compelled to submit for the
moment. but she will never acquiesce.
You are creating a new psychology in
Russia Eighty per cent Of Russia is
~ disposition pro-entente. They are
oeing turned into your enemies"
How far is there still a cohesive
Russia?"
AT the present moment" he de-
Jared. mot at all. 4 provisional
government was formed at Oufa to |
AIRY on the war against Germany |
The allies refused to recognize its rep
-ssentatives abroad. Its leading mem |
sers have been arrested and the rest |
are scattered. Meanwhile reactionary |
ntrigues. such as the attempted die |
.atorship of Koltchak in Siberia, are
IRVING the people straight to Boil |
Jhevism
You ask what should be done. This |
'hould be done. I urged it on the |
lilies months ago. There must be a |
rank official recognition OF all that |
Russia has done, of the services she |
'endered TO the allied cause through |
he first three years of war 1t must |
oe acknowledged that without Russia |
Tictory could never have been at |
aimed at all More than that. IL
Ihould be announced that pending the
.reation OF an all-RussIan govern
nent-a government vOicinE public
opinion as expressed through an as
5emhly based on representation OF all
Elements OF the people-not one ques-
ion shall be decided and not one
boundary line fixed on one-sided evil
ience. All internal questions and all
International relationships must be
Iettled by Russia herself"
Hopeful for Future.
NJ. Kerensky pessimist though he
AS AaT L.