and, though I cannot say what part pro-Germanism actually played, it certainly had some effect. To my mind, one of the most practical explanations is that Stürmer opposed the liberation of Slav prisoners of war in deference to capitalist wishes, since the Czech prisoners in particular were well qualified for work in factories and mines. This was also to the liking of some of our manufacturers at Kieff, who consequently wished our legion to be kept small and non-military. In support of this explanation stands the fact that, after the Revolution, even the Provisional Government had an eye on our skilled workmen and would not let them join the army. Under Stürmer’s pressure, the Tsar himself agreed that his assent to the release of the prisoners should not take effect. My information was derived from a trustworthy informant, and it is confirmed by one of the Tsaritsa’s letters (which have been printed) to the Tsar on August 17, 1916, asking, in the name of Rasputin, that the Slav prisoners should not be released. Another letter from the Tsaritsa, dated August 27, also gives colour to what I learned-that it was intended to honour the Tsar’s work by admitting gradually a small number of prisoners to our brigade so that its strength would have been slightly increased without making an army of it.
Ups and Downs.
So things went on until the Revolution broke out in March 1917. Štefánik and the French military mission had been urging the military and civil authorities in 1916 and 1917 to permit the formation of our army. The General Staff at Petrograd had set up a Commission to work out Regulations for it. Like so many others, this Commission served to delay matters. When the Regulations were ready, in October 1916, they were at variance with our programme. The Družina was to be slightly enlarged but it was not to be ours. It was to be entirely Russian, with a Russian Commander and Russian superior officers. General Červinka gave the Regulations to Headquarters. Then our “League” stepped in and rightly demanded that our army should be at least partly Czech, not wholly Russian. Headquarters instructed the General Staff to revise the Regulations. Their final text was still being drafted in February 1917 when the Revolution broke out, and they were confirmed only by the new revolutionary Government.
Like the Russians, our people changed front after the Revolution. On April 8, 1917, the “League” presented to
