Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-08-03
want soviets OF Q csnstituti0nal o.
constituent assembly,


constituent assembly,"
~
That u the Russian situation today.
That issue Is similar In many ways
20 the issue OF states rights and =
strong federal government which
faced the thirteen colonies. Russia
may decide within . short period OF
months which II II 70 be. or whether
there 10 to be . compromise. Al any
rate the issue 10 clear-cut now and
the whole world. watching with inter-
est the contest between the two fac
tions. will have to accept the outcome.
whether It IN one or the other or .
compromise. In this respect It II
quite evident that the great turning
point In the Russian revolution 10
visible today and that from now on
the civil fight will not be between
individuals. not even between Lenin
and Koichak. except a. leaders, but
between ideas OF government.
The Russian problem" was not 20
clear to the outside world last No
vember when I nrst met and talked
with Admiral Kolchak. Many Rus
SLAMS and foreigners In Omsk did not
see It. Leaving Omsk after the coup
d'etat visited the Cxechs at the army
headquarters in Ekaterinburg and
Cheliabinsk. In the latter city Gen.
Syrovy. who commanded tho Cxecho-
slovais ON the railway line to Ufa
and Samara. who had lost one eye
already fighting the red army. said
In the course Of an interview that the
appointment Of Kolchak had KILLED
the spirit" Of his army. Tho vice
president Of the Czech national coun.
Gil gave mo Q copy Of resolutions OF
that body denouncing the overthrow
Of the directory.
Seeking an interview with Admiral
Kolchalk. I trekked across the. snow
covered plain which separates the two
"towns" Of omsk from the American
consulate to Admiral Koichalrs ONCE.
passed the armed guards at the door
by showing my credentials and
assembled the wide marble stairs to
the second floor. where was met by
one Of bis secretaries.
From the antechamber, where
waited about half an. hour. was
ushered into the admiral's once. being
met by q man with such = serious
face and such determined look that
my flrst thought was. Does he ever
smile?" But all the while talked to
him never saw his countenance
change. Nor did it change much
when he spoke. He was persistently
serious. Although he could speak
English as well as any other Russian.
he preferred to speak his native
tongue. and in Russian he answered
every question quickly. pointedly and
exactly. even when questioned about
his attitude toward q monarchy, a
military dictatorship or the anti
Jewish agitation. The admiral de-
clared he was not q monarchist In the
sense that he wished Russia to DO
ruled a. It was before the revolution.
Besides. he added. the issue was not
one for him to decide. His task was
to unite all Russians upon a platform
In favor Of . constituent assembly.
with the understanding that whatever
form Of government such an assembly
voted for would be established in
Russia.
my government" he declared. "is
only bridge between the present and
the future" He did not want the
supreme power In Russia for himself.
He was not ambitious personally.
Nor was he a miiitarist. The admiral
was emphatic in making this point
clear.
4 Il 4
One Of the most dihicult questions
In Russia Is that of the attitude OF
any government toward the Jews One
hears very little about this outside
Of Russia because Of the dificulty Of
discussing 1t. but In Siberia and Rus
STA 1t Is an Issue which ranks In
prominence to that of prohibition or
woman suffrage in the United States.
Kolchak was charged with being
anti-Jewish. Many Of his chief sup
porters. even official representatives
in Japan. were men who were avowed-
ly anti-Semitic. Ny colleague. rep
resenting another newspaper, who
was himself q Jew. asked Kolchak
the pointed question whether he sided
with those Of his supporters who
were actively campaigning against
the Jew. Kolchak was emphatic
again in his statement that he did not
share the antagonism of Omsk "mili-
tarists' and that Russia was too big
q nation to prosecute any citizen,
rich or poor, Jew or Gentle.
Kolchak impresses every one as
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