THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 6 August 1917, Page 2

THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION.

A REMARKABLE MEETING.

BRITISH OFFICER’S APPEAL. Among the scores of organised political meetings at Petrograd is one that calls for special attention. It was presided over, by Mr. Rodzianko, and some six thousand were present, over two^-

thirds 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 been already prepared, was read. He had an enthusiastic reception The Black Sea Fleet stoker, who spoke French an has been alreday referred to in previous despatches, made a set speech. The Belgian Consul took the audience through all the 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 Thornhill, who, seeing the audience consisted mostly of soldiers, talked to them precisely as he doubtless learned when a subaltern to address raw re-

cruits, into whose heads something had to be got. In correct Russian, but with a strong British accent, which inspired the perfect confidence of his audience, Major Thornhill 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 in every point went home, often in ways probably quite unsuspected by the speaker. Here are examples:

I was told many times that England began this war. I replied: Whoever says that lies.” (Hurrah! Bravo!) I was asked- what about the Boers? I replied: "To-day the Boers are fighting alongside us.” I was asked about the colonies? Well, African troops and the Boers under our flag have occupied some; Irishmen have taken others. The population in these German colonies are natives and when the war is over will ask them if they want to* go back to welcome. You, see they know the German, and don’t love him as some of our friends at the front seem to do. England has been asked often enough to save the natives from Gorman depots, You know what they are doing with your own people in the occupied Rus-

sian territory. Everyone—man, woman, girl, or boy—has to work from four in the morning till eight 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 can’t work ar e put to prison and flogged. The Germans allow everyone to be birched, even women and girls, provided they are given not more than 20 strokes on any one day. I was often asked, Is your country free? I was told that Russia is the only free country in the world. Well, I replied, each might think what he liked to but my mind Russia was no free country when unoffending officers were thrust into prison and fed on bread and water every other day without trial.

This reference to the Kronstadt “ Republic’s” proceedings, where several hundred wretched officers still languish under the regime of freedom, produced a startling effect. Th e soldiers cheered the effective hit.