The Washington times., 1921-10-30
RUSSIAN GENERAL HANGING A PICTURE DELAYED
MING THE CZAR OF REVOLT i'm TIME TO SAVE HIS GROW


archy!
The people OF western Europe are
disposed to Judge things according
20 preconceived ideas and take for
granted that Russian civilizati1n
and culture are similar TO their
own. But we forget too often the
millions OF densely ignorant beings
controlled by the simplest and most
primitive sentiments.
Even the ambassadors az P'io'
grad, obtaining their informhticn
from politicians whose patriotism
was above suspicion. but who aw
their country as they desired IL TO
be and not as II was, allowed then'-
selves 10 be led into erroneous ideas.
They failed TO see that special con-
ditions made Russia a religious
political and social anachronism 10
which none of the formulas OF west
ern Europe could fit.
They forgot that while In every
country at war a revolution a'w iys
provoked at first a weakening OF tie
nation and a diminution Of the com
bative force OF the army due to the
resulting irresolution, these ettects
in Russia would pe produced WIN
an unbelievable intensity and dis
astrous fullness.
CZAR EXPECTS VICTORY.
The error Of the entente was 10
have thought that the movement
which showed itself at the begin
ming of February. 1917. was OF
popular origin. 1t was nothing
of the kind. Only the leading
classes Of Petrograd participated In
it; the great mass remained out
siders. 1t was not, as tho press
said, a ground swell which engulfed
the monarchy; 1t was the fall or
,Czarism which raised wave OF
such formidable proportions that 1t
swallowed up Russia and threat
ened to submerge the neighboring
states.
The Emperor spent January and
February at Tsarkoie-Selo. He con-
tinued hopeful, although the politi-
cal situation was more and more
strained. The country had suffered
terribly; It was weary Of war and
longed for peace. In spite OF
everything Nicholas believed that
patriotism would overcome the
revolutionary tendency which the
anguish of the hour. had bred. and
that the people would not risk by
an ill-reflected moment TO COM
promise the results Of a war which
had cost the country so much.
He kept his faith in the army.
thoroughly reorganized in tho win
ter. He knew the material sent
from France and England had
arrived satisfactorily and i'm
proved the conditions under which
the Russians fought.
They would be ready to Join in
the grand allied offensive planned
for the spring. That would de-
liver the fatal stroke to Germany.
A few weeks more and then-vic-
tory!
Although Nicholas considered It
was his duty to rejoin the army
headquarters Immediately. he hesi.
tated to leave Tsarkoie-Selo on
account Of the political situation in
Petrograd.
On Thursday. March 8. the Car
left for Mohilef.
MUTINY FOLLOWS STRIKE.
The next day the first symptoms
Of agitation showed in the work
ers' district Of Petrograd. The
factories went on strike. The
movement extended rapidly in the
following two or three days. The
discomfort was occasioned by
shortage Of food and fuel supplies.
The government did not know
how to meet the situation. Proto-
poi, the minister of the interior,
only exasperated the people by
a repressive use of the police-as
stupid as It was criminal.
Although all the regiments were
at the front, there were in the
city some recruits in training.
These had been won over by an
insidious organized revolutionary
propaganda. A mutinous spirit
was created. At the end Of three
days of sluggish resistance these
raw troops passed over TO the
side Of the insurgents one after
the other.
On March 13 the city was almost
entirely in the hands of the revo-
lutionists. The Duma proceeded
to form a provisional government.
The true import OF these events
was not clearly understood at army
headquarters in Mohllef. on Sun.
day, March 10, General Alexief