It’s winter again here, it’s snowed and it’s very cold: I’ve fallen ill (a cold) and must stock up on menthol.
I would like to give you some good news, but there is none of it!
The riots are continuing. But, for the time being, they are innocent enough. Young Cossacks are riding up and down Nevsky Prospect.
Disregard of streets is a feature of government and many among us. But the street has already spoken, gentlemen, and this street is now to be reckoned with.
At 12 o'clock I had breakfast, and at 1 o'clock I rode horseback to the Tsarsko-Slavic forest, where they hunted a wolf. The circle was behind the railway, to the left of the road, in the same place where they had hunted before. The wolf broke through the people, they tried to cover it, but despite the fact that riders were cathing the wolf up, they could not cover it because it did not stop.
Most factories have gone on strike since the morning. A thick crowd is filling up Nevskiy. Crowds are moving and protests have begun.
Leaders of the left have already made a decision to take advantage of tomorrow’s crowds, should these gather, to agitate. If the crowds will be supportive, rioting is to be initiated, and, depending on the circumstances, weapons might be used. I reported this to General Khabalov. The military leadership has so far decided to refrain from using weaponry.
Heading from Rome to Naples.
My precious! Yesterday there were disturbances on Vasilievsky Island and on Nevsky Prospect, because the poor tried to storm the baker’s shops.
May God bless you and keep you. I send countless kisses from your warmly devoted and passionately loving dear old Wifey.
They sing revolutionary songs. Chants of “Down with the government!”, “Long live the republic”, “Down with war!” can be heard. A police patrol lunges towards the crowd, it is met with a barrage of ice chunks. The cossacks stay idle, merely passing through the crowd on foot, some of them laughing. The crowd is extatric and chants “hooray!”, the cossacs meet the chants with nods and bows. The police are infuriated. One phase was passed around among groups of dispersing workers: “the cossacks support us, the cossacks support the people!”…
Today I went to a concert at the Marinskii, but the theatre was two thirds empty. Apparently there'd been a deliberate shooting on Nevsky and music lovers decided not make the journey along Nevskii to the concert.
My darling Papa, dearest one. I am sitting in a darkened room with Olga and Tatyana. They send you big kisses, they are lying down and not doing anything in particular. They both have a slight temperature. I have not been in to see Alexei, as he was still asleep. Maria and I are still well, and sitting with everybody in turn. I wonder when I will fall ill and which of us will fall ill first - myself or Maria?!
I love you terribly and send you big hugs and kisses! God bless you.
White House statement that Wilson has power to arm and inference that he will use it. J. D. Josephus Daniels says that he will use it by Monday. Why doesn’t President say so without equivocation?
My brain is able to rest here; there are no ministers or troublesome questions requiring deliberation. I feel this is good for me, but only for my brain. My heart suffers from our separation. I hate to be separated, particularly now, at this time! I shall not be away for long. I shall do all I can sort out matters here, and then I shall have done my duty.
This morning the excitement in industrial circles took a violent form. Many bakeries were looted, especially in the Viborg Quarter and Vassili-Ostrov. At several points the Cossacks charged the crowd and killed a number of workmen.
Huge Animal Fights With Regiment on French Front
Petrograd. Fighting with the Russian army In France is a huge bear from the Caucasian mountains, who seems to enjoy his sojourn on the French front fully as much as his masters enjoy theirs. He Is the mascot of one of the Russian regiments that were transported halfway round the world from the Russia to the French front to show the solidarity of the allies. When the time comes for the bear’s regiment to go to the front line treaties for its six days of duty the bear goes along. He keeps the all night vigils with the sentries, and as there is nothing else to eat but the regular rations brought up from the rear he permits the soldiers to divide their share with him.