Page:Michael Farbman - The Russian Revolution & The War (1917).djvu/14

 notorious reactionary deputies himself who delivered a scathing indictment of the Government in the matter in a speech in the Duma almost on the eve of the Revolution. Several years ago General Voyekoff, a famous courtier and aide-de-camp of the Tsar, discovered on his estate at Kuvaka a mineral table-water spring (this, by the way, is the same general who urged the Tsar after the Revolution to "open the Minsk front" and let the Germans through to crush the Revolution). Thanks to the influence of the general and his high protectors this table-water obtained a great vogue. It was named after the estate Kuvaka, and its label was to be seen in every restaurant. Vast quantities of it were exported in long trains from the general's estate. During the most tragic days of the war, when the utter breakdown of the transport system had made it extremely difficult to supply the troops with food and ammunition, the Tsar's friend calmly continued his lucrative business, and the long trains of wagons, loaded with Kuvaka table-water, proceeded regularly as before along