Manawatu Evening Standard. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1917. THE RUSSIAN SITUATION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 1019, 12 November 1917, Page 4

Manawatu Evening Standard. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1917. THE RUSSIAN SITUATION.

Nkwh coining from Petrograd must necessarily be received with a certain amount of reserve, because the Maximalists have control of the Government Departments there, including the .Post ami Telegraph Offices. Asa result, the new Government, ii' such it can claim to be, is not likely to let out any news that would indicate other than a complete change of opinion in favour of the new regime. At the same time, and as showing the pro-German character of the Maximalist rising, it is of interest to note that Berlin appears to be better informed of the doings of the Leninite crowd than the Allied Governments, with whom the Provisional Government, headed by .VI. Kerensky, was in complete accord, so far as the necessity for prosecuting the war was concerned. And while M. Trotsky and his friends have certain members of the Kerensky Government behind prison bars, Kerensky himself is at large, and is likely to be heard of before "very long, either from .Moscow, or one or other ol the Cossack Republics. M. Lenin, who appears to have instigated the revolt against the Provisional Government, remains very much in the background. The proclamation issued in the name of the .Soldiers' and Peasants' Congress of All Russia, the formation of which is due to the Maximalists,seems to indicate that neither Trotsky nor his principal, M. Lenin, have the confidence of the Workmen's and Soldiers' Delegates. As a matter of fact, the Council of that body, on July 31, adopted, by ;an overwhelming majority, a resolution consuring Lenin and his associates, carrying, by 300 to 11, the following, amongst other recommendations to the Provisional Government: First—The whole revolutionary democracy desires that the group of Maximalists accused of having organised disorders or incited re* volts or of having received money from German sources should be tried publicly. In consequence the Executive Committee considers it absolutely inadmissible that Lenin and Zinovieff should escape justice, and demands that the Maximalist, faction immediately and categorically express its censure of the conduct of its I leaders.

Second—ln view of the exceptional situation, the committees of Workmen's and Soldiers' Delegates demand from all their members, and from all factions of which they are composed, as well 4 as from all members of local councils, the putting into practice of all decisions adopted by the majority of the central organisations. At that time the Council had before it unmistakeable evidence that the crisis in Russia, earlier in the month, had been the work of Radical Socialists like Lenin, and that they were working cinder German direction and financed by Germans. Fully twenty-four hours before the news of the crisis in Petrograd reached the Army, Lenin's agents were acquainted with it through traitors in the wireless service. They spread a report among the troops that the Maximalists were in control af the Government, and that the war was at an end. Hence the sudden demoralisation ;>1 the Army and the unopposed German advance. Treachery had so clearly been at work that the Workmen's and Soldiers' Council issued a stirring proclamation to the Army, addressing it to their "Fellow Soldiers," in which the Armv was reminded that "One of our armies has wavered ; its regiments have Hod before the enemy. Part of our front has been broken. Emperor William's hordes, which have moved forward, are bringing with them death and destrucition. Who (the proclamation asked) is responsible for this humiliation? The responsibility rests with those who have spread discord in the Army and shaken its discipline, with those who. at a time of danger, disobeyed the military commands and wasted time in fruitless discussions and disputes." Then the proclamation proceeded in the following terms:

"Many of those who left the line and sought safety in running away paid for their disobedience with their lives for having disobeyed orders. The enemy's fire mowed them down. If this costly lesson has taught you nothing then there is no salvation for Russia. 'Enough of words. The time has come to act without hesitation. Wo have acknowledged the Provisional Government. With the Government lies the salvation of the revolution. Its commands must be law. All those who disobey the commands of the Provisional Government in battle will tie regarded as traitors. Towards traitors and cowards no mercy will be shown. Fellow soldiers: You want a durable peace. You want your land, your freedom. Then you must know that only by a stubborn struggle will you win peace for before the troops of the German Emperor you lost both your land and your freedom. The conquering, imperialistic Germans will force you again and again to fight for your interests." The ball lay at Kerensky's feet after that. Fortified by the decisions of. the Council of Workmen's and Soldiers' Delegates, given in such uncompromising fashion, lie simply played with the situation. A warrant was, it is true, issued for Lenin's arrest, but Lenin got away to Switzerland and no attempt was made to enforce the decisions of the Council in regard to the nrosecution of other of the Maximalist and pro-German leaders, but General Korniloff, who could, and would, have helped to control the situation, was arrested, and the recrudescence of the Maximalist agitation is therefore directly traceable to Kevenskv's handling of the .situation with the kid gloves on.