RUSSIA'S MAN OF THE HOUR 

 Alexander Kerensky's First Speeches and Proclamations 



THOSE who, like Plutarch, seek 

 for parallels in the lives and char- 

 acters of men whose genius directs 

 the fate of nations, will find many inter- 

 esting points of similarity between the 

 Alan of Destiny of the French Revolu- 

 tion and the Man of the Hour in Russia's 

 day of liberation from the oppression of 

 autocracy. Napoleon was in his 31st 

 year when he became First Consul of 

 the French Republic ; Kerensky, premier 

 of the Russian cabinet and now exercis- 

 ing the powers of dictator in order to 

 restore order in the empire, is just 36. 



Throughout his career Napoleon suf- 

 fered from an incurable internal maladv, 

 supposedly cancer of the stomach ; Ke- 

 rensky is also tortured by a disease (sup- 

 posedly tuberculosis of the liver) which 

 prevents his working at fever heat more 

 than a few weeks at a time ; then he 

 is forced by weakness to recuperate for 

 three or four days in a sanitarium in 

 the Crimea. 



Napoleon's judgment of men was in- 

 stant and almost infallible ; Kerensky is 

 reputed to possess the same faculty to 

 a marked degree. 



The accompanying addresses and proc- 

 lamations, translated for the National 

 Geographic Magazine from official 

 copies in the offices of the Russian 

 Embassy at Washington, are their own 

 best commentary on the incisive, force- 

 ful style of Kerensky, the impassioned 

 orator. His exhortations to the soldiers 

 of the new Russia have much in com- 

 mon with the inspiring appeals of Na- 

 poleon to his troops before the Battle of 

 the Pyramids and elsewhere. 



In personal appearance Kerensky is 

 described as a man of medium height, 

 with close-cropped brown hair, flashing 

 brown eyes, and a face which in repose 

 has a strained, almost embittered, ex- 

 pression, but which lights up magically 

 with a broad, generous smile. 



Recent pictures of the premier show 



his right arm in a sling, but no news 

 has been allowed to pass the Russian 

 censor as to how the nation's foremost 

 revolutionary figure was injured, whether 

 by a bullet at the front or by the attack 

 of some anarchistic enemy among his 

 own people. 



The Provisional Government of Russia 

 came into existence on March 14, 1917, 

 as a result of agreement between the Ex- 

 ecutive Committee of the Duma and 

 the Council of Workmen and Soldiers. 

 The new government was composed 

 mainly of representatives of Liberal po- 

 litical views — the views of the Russian 

 middle class. 



Alexander Kerensky, who was the 

 only member of the Provisional Govern- 

 ment to represent the Socialist parties, 

 took the portfolio of Minister of Justice. 

 He appeared as the link between the gov- 

 ernment and the broad Russian masses. 



Immediately following the announce- 

 ment of the organization of the Provis- 

 ional Government, Kerensky delivered 

 two addresses — one before the Council of 

 Workmen and Soldier Deputies and the 

 second before a mass meeting of soldiers 

 and citizens gathered in front of th§ 

 Duma. In these speeches the Minister 

 explained the motives which induced him 

 to become a member of a cabinet com- 

 posed mainly of representatives of the 

 middle-class parties. 



SPEECH BEFORE THE COUNCIL OF SOEDIERS 

 AND WORKMEN 



"Comrades, do you believe me? Do 

 you have faith in me?" (Cries from 

 every part of the chamber, "Yes, we 

 have! Yes, zee have!") "I speak, com- 

 rades, from the very depths of my heart. 

 I am ready to die should it become neces- 

 sary." (General excitement and a great 

 deal of applause, followed by a continu- 

 ous ovation.) 



"Comrades, in view of the organization 

 of the new government, I felt it my duty 



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