with themselves, and thoroughly enjoying a partial return to the old conditions.  Colonel Frank translated in a whisper all that was said, so that I got a good hang to the mental atmosphere of this unique gathering.  The toast of their Ally, Great Britain, was the occasion which brought me to my feet.  The band played “Rule Britannia” as a substitute for “God Save the King,” for the simple reason that though mostly Social Revolutionaries they dared not play a Royalist hymn until they had tested the feelings of their audience.  This gave me my cue.  I laughed at their fears, and informed them that whatever happened, our anthem, which for the time represented the unity of our race, would be played by my band at the ceremonial to-morrow, and all the Bolsheviks in Russia would not be powerful enough to prevent it.  From this I led to the flag, another great emblem of racial unity.  I called attention to the entire absence of a Russian flag from Vladivostok to Irkutsk, and asked, “Is this the country of the once great and mighty Russia that a stranger travels over without knowing what country it is?” I suggested that though we had twenty revolutions I could never imagine Englishmen being ashamed of the English flag or afraid to call themselves Englishmen.  The translation of my remarks ended in a wonderful ovation, and I thought the band would never play anything else but the National Anthem, which it repeated again and again.

My list of telegrams and messages of every kind and character from every part of Russia and the outside world, together with constant repetition of the speech in the Press, indicates plainly that from this day began the resurrection of the Russian soul.  Another sign of renewed vigour and life was the fact that from that day the Russian flag (minus the Crown) flew from the flagpost over every big station we passed, and on all public buildings.  The Russians are extremely emotional, and I had managed to strike the right chord the first time.

The day following we marched to the square space surrounding the cathedral, and I inspected the newly-formed units of the army.  Splendid men with good physique, but slow and stilted in movement.  The remnant of the cadets who had escaped the general massacre was there, a wonderfully smart set of beautiful boys, who at a distance, looking at their faces only, I took for girls, much to the disgust of the colonel in charge.  It was altogether a fine and impressive sight, with big crowds and the fine cathedral as a background.  With the “Present” and “The King” at the end, every man present uncovered, and an old Russian lady knelt and kissed my adjutant’s hand and blessed us as “saviours,” while the commandant asked for cheers for “the only country which came to our help without conditions.”  I wonder how that will pan out?

We were entertained at the British Consul’s, followed by a concert at night.  It was terribly cold, and no droshkies were to be had.  We had to walk to the theatre in a blinding snowstorm.  At 2 A.M. we started on our last lap.