New-York tribune., 1919-06-08

find he made this despairing note ir
his diary: "The war is dead in the
heart OF the Russian soldier"
The one thing living in that heart
was the revolution, and the one thing
toward which that heart turned for the
full success of the revolution was the
Soviet. Lenine and Trotzky put those
two facts together: The revolution
the Soviet. BY that combination they
opened the door to their triumph
Robins expresses it by saying that
the Bolsheviks won Russia with five
words. They said: "All power to the
Soviet" 1t was a formula, a slogan
that had nothing to do directly with
land or with industry or with war and
peace. 1t had to do simply and entirely
with what sort of government Russia
should have. Lenine and Trotzky real
istically perceived that the Soviet, at
that time, in fact, was Russias one eff
fective public authority; and they un-
swervingly proclaimed that it should
be supreme. Over and over again, tire
lcssly, they said: Gail power to the
Soviet" Other things might or might
rot be. One thing, said I.enine and
Trotzky, had to be. Cali power to
the Soviet"
Toward the end of October Robins's
special friend in the tank CORPS came
to him and made a report, showing
that now in the tank corps there was
the same sentiment that there was in
the rest of the army. He said:
The men still are divided about half
and half between liking Kerensky and
liking Lenine. But they are unanimous
on one point. They are unanimously
Cor the Soviet"
What was the lesson in that situa-
tion? Robins could see only one les
sen in it. Colonel Thompson could see
follows:
Kerensky is for the war. Therefore
we Americans, we Allies, want Keren-
sky to stay in Office But the Soviet
Is the power Russia will not stay
IN the war except through the power
that really rules it--except, that is,
through the Soviet Therefore Keren-
sky must accept the Soviet and, with
his authority, with his reputation, lead
lt--and lead it, if he can, his way, for
ward into the war.
1t was the one possible plan in rea-
son, but 1t turned out TO be altogether
not possible in practice. Kerensky, to
be sure, seemed willing enough. He
seemed TO understand the situation.
He seemed to be doubtful OF just one
thing. He seemed to be doubtful Of
the Willingness of the Allies. He
Nseemed to be doubtful of their wiling
ness TO recognize the existence Of the
Soviet.
Colonel Thompson decided to test the
Allies out. He invited certain Allied
representatives to meet him in his
rooms at the Hotel Europe. They
NNi.'N' anu Vic. SAPi csocU ti!e SeNLl-
lnents which were the final sentence
Of death in the kerensky chapter in the
history Of Russia
At that meeting. at half-past . in
the afternoon of Friday, November ..
1917, there were present the following
men:
General Knox, Military Attache to
the British Embassy at Petrograd and
Chief of the British Military Mission.
General Niselle, holding the same
position at Petrograd for the French
General Juason, holding the same
position for the Americans
General Neuslochowsky, for keren.
sky
David Soskice, for Kerensky.
Colonel Thompson, and, as his aid,
Major (not yet Colonel) Robins.
Colonel Thompson opened the meet
ing by making a brief statement of the
crisis and of the instant need of ac-
ton. Then General Knox took the Aoor.
General Knox was not interested in
the Soviet He wanted to talk about
tho kerensky government. He did so.
He narrated the Kerensky govern
ment's historic frailties and utilities
at length. Everybody present knew
them, but General knnx wished to rr-
mind everybody present In paa'ticular
he seemed to wish to remind Esnernl
Neuslocho owsky and Mr.. Snskice. He
left nothing out. At any rate, he
seemed to Robins to leave nptrsnr cut-
But then General Nisslls took the