I was deeply agitated, and in spite of the late hour ordered the girls to form into ranks. As soon as this was accomplished I addressed the following command to the body:
“Those who want a committee move over to the right. Those who are against it go to, the left.”
The majority went to the right. Only about three hundred stood at the left.
“Now those of you who are willing to be treated by me as you have been treated hitherto, to receive punishment when necessary, to maintain the severest possible discipline in the Battalion and to be ruled without a committee, say yes,” I exclaimed.
The group of three hundred on the left shouted in a chorus: “Yes, we consent! We are willing, Commander.”
Turning to the silent crowd on the right I said:
“Why did you join? I told you beforehand that it would be hard. Did you not sign pledges to obey? I want action, not phrases. Committees paralyse action by a flood of words.”
“We are not slaves; we are free women,” many of the mutineers shouted. “This is not the old régime. We want more courteous treatment, more liberty. We want to govern our own affairs like the rest of the army.”
“Ah, you foolish women!” I answered with a sorrowing heart. “I did not organize this Battalion to be like the rest of the army. We were to serve as an example, and not merely to add a few babas to the ineffectual millions of soldiers now swarming over Russia. We were to strike out a new path and not imitate the demoralized army. Had I known what stuff you were made of, I would not have had anything to do with you. Consider, we were to lead in a general attack. Now, suppose we had a committee and the moment for the offensive arrived. Then the committee suddenly decides not to advance and our whole scheme is brought to nothing.”
“Certainly,” the rebels shouted. “We should want to decide for ourselves whether to attack or not.”