vious that German influences were at work with our sources
of news. The Stevens Commission, whose mission was of a technical
nature, expressed surprise and pleasure over the progress which had
been made in straightening out the transportation tangle and the good
condition in which they found railroad facilities, the only handicaps
being lack of locomotives and rolling stock.

Meanwhile, during June, 1917, a special council of sixty members was
at work drafting new legislation for the civil government of the
country. One law prepared by this body, as an illustration, was making
the judges of petty courts subject to the election of the people on
the American principle. This council was also intrusted with the task
of formulating the groundwork for the new constitution for the Russian
democracy, to be approved by the General Assembly when elected.

During the first half of July, 1917, the sudden offensive of the
Russian armies, so brilliantly begun, seemed to engross every element
of Russian society. Kerensky himself had gone to the front and was
said to be leading the advancing troops himself. But even his magnetic
personality and stupendous vitality proved insufficient to accomplish
a task evidently begun too prematurely.

On July 15, 1917, five members of the Provisional Government
resigned--Shingarev, Minister of Finance; Manuilov, of Education;
Nekrasov, of Ways and Communications; Prince Shakovsky, of Social
Welfare; and Acting Minister of Trade and Commerce, Steganov. Their
reasons for this action was their inability to agree with their
associates in the cabinet over the demands made just then by the
Ukraine elements in southern Russia, who wanted complete independence.
The dissenting ministers held that to grant such a demand would open
the way to similar action on the part of Finns, Ruthenians, Poles, and
other minor nationalities, which would mean the disintegration of
Russia.

On July 18, 1917, there was a sudden outburst of Maximalist activity,
the most violent which had yet occurred. A body of sailors from
Kronstadt appeared and, together with the Anarchists who had
previously made armed demonstrations, they began parading the streets.
A body of Cossacks, armed only with sabers, which was advancing up one
of the streets conveying some wagon loads of material was fired upon
and several Cossacks were killed. The cavalrymen retired, being unable
to return the fire. This first bloodshed roused the indignation