THE RUSSIAN COMMANDER.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 21 August 1917, Page 2

THE RUSSIAN COMMANDER.

ADVENTUROUS CAREER. . ESCAPE PROM AUSTRIAN PRISON LONDON, August 5 The correspondent of the London Times at Russian headquarters. Mr Wilton, describes General KorniJoff, Commander-in-Chief of ths Russian armies as a 'Jreless, spar-.} Cossack of middle height. His brows are well shaped, his features rugged and swarthy, his eyes small and piercing, and his manner calm and ponderate. He has infinite control over himself, and is kindly but admant.

Dispassionate observers on the southwestern front state that the new destinies of Russia are bound up in this remarkable man. Born in a small village in West Siberia, in 1870, of the humblest parentage, he was compelled from early childhood to work to support the family. As a student he had a brilliant career, in which, by his indomitable energy, he was first in all his classes. He carried out most daring missions in Afghanistan and Tur-

kestan, disguised as a native, instead of taking his ease in Petrograd. The results of his explorations were most important to science. His work in the war stamps him as a great soldier and statesman and as a leader of men.

General Korniloff was captured by the Austrians in 1915, because he sacrificed a division to save the left wing at Tarnopol. He was wounded, but fought with a small rearguard until all had fallen. He made a triumphal escape from an Austrian prison, and this brought him immense popularity. General Korniloff, on accepting the chief command of the army, stipulated that nobody should interfere -with him, and that measure recently adopted at the front should be applied to depots at the rear.