7 September 1917. Alfred Knox

Non-fiction

Project 1917 is a series of events that took place a hundred years ago as described by those involved. It is composed only of diaries, letters, memoirs, newspapers and other documents

Alfred Knox

London, United Kingdom

I arrived in London on the morning of August 30th, and reported on the following day to the Directors of Military Intelligence and of Military Operations, but only appeared before the War Cabinet a week later—on Friday, September 7th.

Asked to make a statement on the situation in Russia, I said that there was grave danger of a separate peace and urged that a joint note should be sent by the Allies to the Russian Government, expressing sympathy with Russia’s difficulties, but pointing out that events in Russia since the Revolution had not only prolonged the war by a twelvemonth, but threatened, by bringing a German victory within the bounds of possibility, to put back the progress of democracy throughout the world for a whole generation. I asked that the name of General Kornilov should be mentioned, and that Kerenski should be asked tactfully to give him a free hand to re-establish discipline in the army.

The Prime Minister and Lord Curzon were absent. While the proposal was being discussed, the Prime Minister’s Private Secretary came in to say that Mr. Lloyd George had made a speech on Russia at Birkenhead, and the consideration of the note was postponed till the receipt of the text of the speech.

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