The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-15

SOCla1StlC organizations, ana police
agents in the guise Of anarchistic rep
resentatives have canvassed various
posts, judiciously distributing this
printed matter and leaving nothing I'M
done to ascertain infinitely the opin-
ions of all grades of soldiers
In spite of the precautions taken by
the government in laying it's trap, the
scheme leaked out, and within a few
days after the police agents visits the
revolutionary documents were in their
hands again, surrendered to the au-
thorities by soldiers who 'felt it their
duty" to give information. The few
who failed to turn in the seditious pa
pers at once, either have been arrested
or have been placed under the closest
surveillance by the police.
Within a few days further distribu-
lions have been made, this time act
ually by the social democrats, but so
wary have the soldiers become that
many Of the men known to have an
archfstfc Ieanings have promptly in
formed the police of the distributions
and turned over the contraband litera-
ture.
AS the Russian forces stand in such
AFFECT fear Of their chiefs, it Is difficult
to determine exactly how much this
extraordinary disaffection has under
mined discipline. No outbreaks have
occurred, and the higher officers appar-
emily are interrupted, but the recent
actions of the government indicate
that it is taking. no chances, and al
most every one connected with the
service is more or less under the eye
of trusted police spies.
What the authorities fear most is,
of course, that the army, by the aid
of which only can despotism continue
It's sway, may yield to the persistent
exhortationS Of the socialists, and in
the event of uprisings take sides with
the people. That this fear is long
way from being groundless Is proved
by the recent publication in the Pc
tite Republique, the Partisan Socialist
dated in April and August of this year,
which emanate directly from the Mil
itary Revolutionary Organization
the more courageous Of the two secret
societies known to exist among the
officers Of the Russian army. The first
Of these, which Is addressed to off,
GERS, refers to the universal discomfort
in the country of the car and to the
shameless clique" which governs
Russia in the name of Nicholas H., and
then urges commanders to fulfill their
sacred duty by refusing to lead their
soldiers in the fratricidal war against
their fellow countrymen."
The second manifesto, addressed to
the rank and file, breathes a similar
spirit and dwells especially upon the
bonds that unite the soldier with the
peasant and working class brethren.
1t goes on to assert that among the
superior officers are many who are
perfectly conscious of the odious part
they are obliged to play. They are not
sure, however. whether their men are
with them or against them. But, what
ever may be the views of the officer in
command, it is not he who aims and
fires, but you yourselves the soldiers.
1t therefore depends entirely upon you
not to fire..
MutiIating Recruits.
While the authorities have been busy
trying to control the troops who al
ready wear the Russian uniform, the
enlistment officers have been uncover
ing one Of the most remarkable
schemes for assisting individuals to
evade military service discovered in
the history of the empire, and a spe-
cial court-martial, sitting at Odessa,
has just found four men guilty of mon
strous practices.
For years this quartette, which has
fourished under the firm name Of Kirk
& Co., has been getting rich by per-
forming upon young men liable for
military service surgical operations,
the results of which insure their being
rejected by the army medical exam
liners. Organized throughout Southern
Russia, this gang has mutilated, in
some cases fatally, scores of perfectly
sound young men who, to escape the
dreaded military CONSUMPTION, paid the
manners literally.
Equipped with almost every instru-
ment and appliance known to modern
surgery, the band was able to do per-
manent injury to almost any organ, or
to inoculate any system with incura-
BILE diseases. One favorite treatment
was the inhaling of strong chloride
fumes, which produced bronchitis,
while other applicants were given a
course of such powerful cathartics that
their constitutions We're permanently
ruined In bringing about the desired
appearance of anaemia.
In other cases castor oil was admin
istered to produce catarrh of the stom-
ach, while another injury favored by
many was that of destroying the ear
drum by piercing it with sharp in
strument or placing in the ear caus-