The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE TUESDAY, JULY 24, 1917. THE RUSSIAN MUTINY.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 24 July 1917, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

TUESDAY, JULY 24, 1917. THE RUSSIAN MUTINY.

(With which is incorporated The Taihape Post and Waimarino News).

Owing to the defection ,of one regiment the Russian offensive has been driven right back to Tarnopol, farther back than from whence the recent thrust was made. Perhaps it is more correct -to say that a retreat was the result of a deliberate act of mutiny by a section of the Russian soldiers who let the enemy in througn their line, necessitating a hurried withdrawal of the whole line on both sides of the gap. There is no doubt about this being a very serious matter, but it is a happening that might well be expected under such circumstances as now prevail in that unhappy revolutionary country. The lapse from rectitude and a sane course by this regiment will cost Russia thousands of its best soldiers-and much war material; it will tend to weaken the Czechs and Slavs of Hungary in their support of brother Slavs in Russia, and it will tend to hearten the German and Austrian forces. In fact, an act of the Austrian Emperor amply discovers what moral effect, the fiasco has already had in Austria, and it also discloses that the real reason of Emperor Carl's desire for peace is purely selfish—to save his neck and throne. Last week he would have officially appealed to the Pope and the crowns of Spain and Holland to institute peace mediations. Then the news of the Russian breakdown reached Vienna, and thereupon mediation plans were relinquished. It nothing else this episode -has discovered Carl's true motive. 'lt is not the desire to save his people from further bloodshed; it is not Austrian tiredness of the war; it is not a desire for peace in accordance with religious tenets or humane aspirations; Emperor Carl was seeking mediation because he is a miserable, contemptible cowardly craven. He would desert his bosom friend the Kaiser in his misfortunes, but is ready to share in his successes, depite the cant about his care for the misery and death amongst his people. Ferdinand of Bulgaria has also sent 'emissaries to engineer, if possible, a separate peace, his trump card being that he is not at war with the Allies but merely with Servia. It is known from experience that he is actuated by motives similar to those of the contemptible Carl. But what is going to be the real outcome of the act of these mutinous Russians? Not enough is yet known of the extent of the damage done, or of how deep and widespread the new wave of defection is. Kerensky the strong has arrived in Petrograd from the front; he has brow-beaten members of the Government for their milk r md water handling of anarchist, outbreaks, and he has vigorously set to work to repair the damage and remove the cause. The fullest powers are to be used to suppress, any further risings should they eventuate, which means that force major will be employed, bringing certain death to leaders and followers. The flight of

the arch-fiend Lenin is a sign that the > power of Kerensky is indeed great, and likely to be equal to all demands made upon it. All Russians having guilty relationship with Germany, together with several notorious Maximalists, have been arrested; mutin-! ous troops have been disbanded, anarchists have been driven from the last stronghold they had taken possession of, and loyal troops have been brought fom the front to secure immunity from furiner outbreaks. All this indicates that there is a plan for the rehabilitation of Russia which has at its back the leading Russian statesmen and military giants, men of learning and of indomitable will and persistent purpose, Kerensky and Brusiloff being at the head. This is all we know at present, and is altogether too meagre to form any opinion respecting the future more than can be gathered from what the related acts of Kerensky indicate. The questions on everyone's lips are, how is this going to affect the war generally? In what way will it interfere with operations on other fronts, particularly on the Western front, and is it likely to prolong the war? We think there was good reason to hope that the war would end before another winter, but it is evident from the change wrought in the Austrian Emperor that this Russian lapse, if no worse than we know it to be, will have the tendency to lengthen the war, by raising fresh hopes in the command of our enemies, but if it turns out to be something much more serious than we know it to be, the disaster may be far-reach-ing, affecting the position in Roumania, and in Greece, and also in Asia Minor. This would undoubtedly prolong the war, but there seems good reason to believe that the news received fairly well covers the whole trouble. This terribly dark cloud is not without its silver lining. One of the last cables to come to hand yesterday was the confidence creating speech by Mr. Lloyd George. The news of the Russian failure was cabled on the twenty-first July and Mr. Lloyd George's speech a day later, therefore we may fairly assume that when speaking he was fully informed of all there was then to know about this Russian trouble, and also •how thoroughly Kerensky and Brusiloff had it in check. With this knowledge he did not hesitate to criticise and ridicule the peace talk of the new German Chancellor; he was more firm than on former occasions, if possible, on what the Allies would demand from Germany; he made it quite clear that there was no peace in sight until the aims and objects of the Allies were fully attained. Belgium must be restored to a free and independent people, with no German taint on it. Peace would be possible with a free Germany, but the Prussian autocratic domination must be destroyed. Sir Edward Carson said if Germany wants us to negotiate for peace her armies must retire to beyond the Rhine, and her leaders must show contrition for drenching Europe in blood. When Germany does this we will show willingness to discuss peace, but not otherwise. If, as seems probable, the trouble was known in ''Tagland when Lloyd George spoke, we have no occasion to view it as a disaster to the war generally; as something that can affect the ultimate and final outcome of the struggle. That Mr. Lloyd George was in full possession of the facts is almost certain, as the news was also cabled from The Hague on the twenty-first. As neither Mr. Lloyd George or Sir Edward Carson seemed to attach major importance to the mutinous event, we can very well wait for further information before feeling that there is any great cause for alarm. It is not the first time we have had similar experience.