14 August 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

The War Cabinet had hitherto given Russia everything she asked, even at a sacrifice to ourselves, and had supported Kerenski as the only man who stood between us and disaster to allied interests in the Eastern theatre. Opinion was now hardening, and our Government was not prepared to make further concrete sacrifices. I suggested that we might demand from Kerenski a considered statement of the part the Russian army would be able to play in the spring campaign. The statesman I put the suggestion to replied : “It would not be of the slightest use, for when the spring comes Kerenski will not be Prime Minister.” He further said that there would not be an inter-allied conference to reconsider the terms of peace, for any Minister the Russians might send to attend such a conference would be certain to be “ kicked out ” before he got back to Russia. He waxed bitter when he spoke of the parrot cry of “ Without annexations and without indemnities.” “ When the Russians are running away like blazes, running away like blazes on their own territory—that is my point, running away like blazes on their own territory—they have the damned cheek to ask us to relinquish territory that we have spent hundreds of thousands of lives in conquering ! ”

I believe this statesman voiced the opinion of England. Russian officers told me that carters in the East End of London called out to them : “ When are you Russians going to fight ? ” Even our gardener in Ulster had asked: “ Why do those Russians not fight ?

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