The Washington times., 1920-09-30

Il
old Russian devil Brusiloff pl
To-day BrusiioK remains the mill
tary brain In reserve for the Russian
forces II is known here In Warsaw
that he has not repudiated the Soviet
He and all other former cEarists re-
gard the Ukraine. especially Its port
Odessa, as rightfully Russian terri
tory. We are facing not only Soviet
ism but a unincation Of sll-Russian
sentiment, brought about by our In
sistence that we hold wilma In
Lithuanis, and Minsk, and by our
thrust down into Ukrsinia, and be-
yond. to a point 500 kilometers (34S
miles) southeastward from Warsaw.
/ 200 miles from Odessa. and at least
| 100 kilometers, or SIS miles. east from
the line which our allies will con-
slider as our admitted boundary"
| This Polish officer who made the
foregoing statement to me In War
saw. just before the Polish counter
offensive began in August. had come
fresh from Kiefr. spd had been In the
Polish Russ actions on the southern
front. Obviously he cannot be iden-
tined. He had come from the United
States to rejoin his countrymen In
their struggle for freedom. and pos
sessed abilities which caused his Sc
lection for a special mission con-
nected with the war.
MANY BRUsILOFF REPORTS.
| Reports have circulated that Brust-
loff has deserted the Soviet; that he
has been repudiated by the Soviet In
the fear that he and others were
concerned in cZarist-reactionary
movement. and that he has been dis
lplaced by other commanders who were
safer for the Soviet regime.
| Il listened for evidence touching
these reports, during the months in
Warsaw and did not find it, be-
lieve that it was the consensus of
opinion in the Russian capital that
those reports were incorrect. That
willy old devil Brusiloff,' unless War
saw was deceived tthat is. informed
circles do not refer TO possible In
spired statements sent out to the
other countries) continued in August
TO do the military thinking for the
Russian Soviets, with Leon TroAky
commissiary for war, of course as the
final authority, exactly as in the Uni
ted States the Secretary Of War stands
back of the generals as the ultimate
dispensing power
This Polish officer herein quoted
was at the moment standing IN the
lobby of the Bristol Motel, Warsaw's
chief hostelry, in uniform, and at
times surrounded by other officers
and by foreigners. He did not attempt
to disguise his belief and they were
shared by the brother officers. He
continued:
MASTER OF STRATEGY.
"BrusiIoff was one OF the ablest Of
the late Cars generals. Three times
he had fought over the regions IN
volved in our present operations, been
defeated by the Germans. and known
the sweetness of victory over them.
He has commanded large bodies of
men, and is an admitted master of
military strategy"
"How does he compare with your
Marshal Pilsudski (commander-inz
chief of the Polish army in mastery
of strategy" / asked.
He took his watch from his pocket.
glanced at it and said hurriedly:
II shall have to ask you TO excuse
me this moment. / have an important
| appointment
Before then the Marshal had re-
turned from his entry into Kieff. I'M
mense crowds lined the streets of
Warsaw, estimated at quarter of a
million. He rode in q carriage with
two magnificent white horses at
tached But he was not permitted to
GO far before enthusiastic youth in
Polish uniforms unhitched the horses
and drew him triumph antly to his
destination on Alice Ujamdowskie. ]
| was seated in an automobile in which
was an officer of foreign country.
He had been observing the Polish
Russ operations at the front, and
| when the Marshal passed amid the
soclaims of the wildly cheering multi
tudc. said:
THAT man Pilsudski has SO far
iovermatched the Russian Brusilof and
is certainly today coming home con-
qucrinK hero
The echoes OF that statement by
military expert had scarcely died
away before word came to Warsaw
that the Poles had been hurled back
from Kief. and Immediately aftcrward
kief itself was evacuated by the
Poles, and then soon tho entire Polish
army was in retreat on both northern
and southern fronts until the Bolshc
visits Numbered at the gates OF War
saw and Polish officers were opining
as did that American-Pole heretofore
mentioned.
wEyGAND TURNED TABLES.
Hurried consultations were called
and a new. cabinet was formed. with
Witos, peasant leader, as premier. and
Daszynski Socialist leader, as his
chief aide 1t was opeply stated in