THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION.

Timaru Herald, Volume CVI, Issue 16310, 11 August 1917, Page 4

THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION.

REMARKABLE MEETING. BRITISH OFFICER'S APPEAL. Among tlie scores of organised political meetings at, Petrograd is one that talis for special attention. Tt- was presided over by M. Rodzianko, and some six thousand were present, over twothirds of whom were soldiers _ who had paid a minimum of one shilling entrance fee. Sir George Buchanan, the; British Ambassador, spoke at length, and a Russian version of his speech, which had already been prepared, was read. He had an enthusiastic receptions. The. Black Sea fleet stoker, who speaks French and has been already referred to in previous despatches', made n. set speech. The Belgian Consul took the. audience through all ihc horrors of Germanic brutalities. But what singled out this meeting as exceptional was a. speech in Russian by a British officer. A new note was struck by Major Thornhili, who, seeing the audience consisted mostly or soldiers, talked to them precisely as lie doubtless learned when a subaltern ro address raw recti,its, into whose heads something had to bo got. In correct Russian. imt> with a. strong British accent-, which inspired perfevt eonlidence of hirf audience, Major Thornhili told in simple, short sentences his experiences in speaking in turn- to all the regiments of the Petrograd garrison since the revolution. and to innumerable regiments over practically the whole Russian front. A murmur of approving comment followed among the listening soldiery throughout the speech, and every point went home, often in ways probai.iy (|ui■->■ unsuspected by the speaker. Here arc examples : 1 was told many times thai: T'.nglan' 1 began this wtir. I replied: "Whoever sa\s that lies." (Hurrah! Bravo M T was asked what about the Boers? I replied: "To-day the Boers are fighii'g alongside, us.*' 1 was asked what--1 about the colonies? Well, African troops and tlio Boers .under our fbm have -iii'-upied some; Irishmen have taken others. Tin; population in these German colonies are natives, and wiie.il tlie war is over we will ask them if they want io go back io Germany. If auv do, I. am >ure litey are welcome, t .mi see, i hey know the German, and

don't love him as some of our friends I at che front seem to do. England has I been asked -often enough to save the natives from German despots. You Know what they are doing with your own people in the occupied Russian territory. Everyone—man, woman, gir, or boy—has to work from lour in the morning till eigfxt at night in the ■ evening. (General rumble of soldiers' comments here, one expression particularly catching the ear: "Fine eight hours' day they'll get with the Germans.") Yes, and those who won't work are put to prison and flogged. ; The Germans allow everyone to bo i birched, even women and girls, provided they are not given not more than 20 strokes on any one day. I was often asked. Is your country really free? 1 was told that Russia is the only free : country in the word. Well, I replied, ! each might think what ho liked, but to i mj mind Russia was no free 'country*' when unoffending officers were thrust j into prison and fed on bread and water i every other day without trial. . j This reference'to the Kronstadt "Re- j public's proceedings, where several ; hundred wretched officers still languish j under the regime of freedom, produced j p.. startling effect. The soldiers cheered j the effective hit.