The Washington herald., 1920-03-28

mind, II had passed entirely away
during the last years which preced-
ed the war. When things became
serious after the Austrian ulti-
matum to Serbia. implored the en-
peror to think seriously over the
situation, because any complica-
tions of a nature to embrace the
whole of Europe might easily lead
to our downfall as a military na-
ton, unless we were quite prepared
for the terrific struggle which clear
ly was impending"
"And what did the emperor re-
ply?" / queried.
Nothing! What did he ever re-
ply, except to agree with those with
whom he vas speakingT he re-
sponded. with bitterness. IF only Al
exander III had been alive, things
would have different, indeed.
Had to Fight with Fists.
81 had been led to believe that
the sovereign would assume the high
commander of his armies in perrson
Nevertheless, / asked Soukhomlinoff
minister of war) to call upon me
as I wished to speak to him on i'm
portant matters. Can you imagine
! that he excused himself upon the
plea of being too busy to wait upon
me?
Then I went myself to the wal
office, and was assured by the min
lister that, though he would have
felt misgiyings two years before a.
to the condition of our armament
this had been so entirely perfected
owing to French cooperation. thai
L he could guarantee we would
emerge triumphant ,out of q war, u
such came to be declared. I could
only believe. 1 had, after all, nc
reason to think that Soukhomiinon
was not an honest man.
Three days later I was advised
that I had been chosen commander
in chief"
Picturing the astonishing lack oi
equipment which brought the Rus
sian collapse, this tragic figure ol
Russia's military failure said:
Our armies had not been ter
days in the field when 1 became
aware that we would have to fight
with our fists the monstrous Prus'
J sian machine which was bearing
down upon us. Imagine my feel
ings when I discovered that the
whole of our army had been left
with some three rounds OF ammuni.
tion for each man and gun; thai
our big artillery was either defec-
tive or supplied with shells 1t could
not use; that our poor soldiers had
no clothes to protect them from the
Russian winter ahead, and no food
to eat when hungry.
II wrote. 1 telegraphed, implored
the war ONCE to do something be-
q lat nd NJ n n
came of my entreaties. The game
was lost almost before we began to
play it
Warsaw First Blow.
do you think my heart did not
break when we had to abandon
Warsaw, when. one after, another
all Of our magnificent fortresses
fell into the hands OF our enemy?
Do you think that my soul did not
bleed when looked upon the suffer
ings of our admirable troops, when
saw, one after another, the off,
GERS who were the flower of our
army. killed upon the battlefield
lighting fight of predestined
failure?
"It was folly, in the circum-
stances, to embark on an enterprise
in which we stood handicapped from
the very outset. II Soukhomlinoff
, had been honest, he would have
told the Emperor the truth-told II
boldly. Then at least his RESPONSE
bility before the country and before
history would not have been the ter
rible one itistoday.
IT have been blamed, too, for the
Carpathian affair. know It.. But
do you think 1t was my doing when
we started on that mad adventure?
At no time was I a free agent; I re
ceived instructions from Petrograd
of men who had no idea of the OBJ
stacles to be faced. see now, un-
fortunately when II Is too late, that
should have acted on my own re-
ponsibility-refused to fight
against obstacles impossible to be
set aside. The Emperor sacrificed
me to the vengeance of others, and
made me responsible for disasters /
would willingly have given my life
to avoid"
"was there ever a question among
the members OF the imperial family
of deposing the Emperor" 1 asked.
"Yes: there was such a thing mem
toned. But ! refused to associate
myself with any of 1t. ] could not
forget that ] was q Romanoff, and
as such compelled to respect and
obey the head Of my dynasty. Be-
sdes. palace revolution could only
have raised the little Czarevitch to
the throne. and q regency would
have but added to the troubles OF
the country"
(Copyisht. 1920. By Gross Atlantic News
Dnpcr 0eryIce. Inc.l