The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-03-03
In DARKEST RUSSIA
Kellogg Durland Tells of
Slayonic Horrors.
ARRESTED IN ST. PETERSBURG
Lecturer Many Times In Jeopardy
from secret POlice-Runs Away 10
Escape DifSIeuIty-DIspIay of Pie
lures Taken on Recent Trip
Through the Cars Kingdom.

Before an assemblage OF Washington
Catholics. which filed the Columbia The
alter, kellogg Durland, the American lee
turer aud writer. recently arrested in ST
Petersburg, Russia. together with other
Americans suspected Of plotting against
the government delivered an interesting
talk on "Present-day Russia" yesterday
afternoon. for the benefit of The Work
for Poor Churches"
This was Mr. Durland's first public APP
pearance in America since his return
from Russia. The pictures he presented
Of the last of the great autocracies fight
ing for self-preservation against famine
weakened. hals-enlightened peasantry
were absorbing.
Photographs Taken on Trip.
frustrating his story with photographs
taken during his recent trip through Eu-
ropean Russia, Ny. Durland brought 10
the eye as we'll as the ear much OF the
sadness. terror. and honor in the con
ditions that to-day surround Emperor
Nicholas 40 10000 subjects.
Mr.. Durland prefaced his lecture with
a personal reminiscence Of his expert
.enees with the Russian secret police in
St. Petersburg three months ago. He
told how two dinner parties he had been
invited 70 attend were raided by the
police before he had arrived, and the
guests arrested
He described several narrow escapes
from arrest, and OF the final incident OF
his actual arrest while entering the hotel
apartments Of a party OF Americans who
had just been visited by the police and
placed under arrest.
Got Rid OF Dangerous Letters.
Although innocent Of any charge that
might cause him trouble, Mr.. Durland
said he had in his pockets. when arrested,
some letters from Russian friends that
might have caused arrest Of writer's. he
described how he managed 10 dispose or
the letters before being searched by the
aid of a friend in the hotel and q call 10
the telephone booth.
Mr. Durland was soon released. A few
days later he learned that the police were
again 70 arrest him and this time il might
result seriously. He caught the express
for Berlin a few hours before the police
had planned TO visit him at his hotel
These incidents came at the csose or a
years travel through Russia which gave
AR Durland the material for many lee
lures and a book.
In his talk. yesterday, Mr.. Durland
touched but briefly on the horrible side
OF Russian conditions. The few photo
graphs illustrating this phase OF the sub
ject-showing dead mea lying unnouced
in the streets OF Russian villages, and the
bodies Of three peasants lying beside a
isEoW-covered road, where they had been
shot down. the lecturer said, By column
OF soldiers riding along a parallel road
| some hundred yards distant, who merely
fired for sports sake and target practice
were sufficient. however, TO ;ssve his
I hearers q better idea Of conditions than
gained from carefully censored st Peters
burg newspaper dispatches.
Buildings on Fire.
Mr. Durland also showed photographs OF
flaming homes fired by the soldiary by
orders Of the government military author
iity. He told of his interview with one of
these generals who had burned over 900
homes in his province because the owners
were suspected OF being revolutionary
sympathizers.
! Mr. Durland described parts OF his Jour
ney through the interior. and told Of the
several times he was arrested on sus-
picion- He displayed pictures illustrating
tho poverty of the peasants, 70 whom
he said, a season Of famine is an annual
affair
/ In closing. Mr.. Durland showed a pic
ture OF the Car reading his speech 70 the
first Donna. Mr.. Duriand said.
The failure Of the Gar to endear HIM
self 10 the people by coniiHg out strongly
on this occasion for a more liberal policy
/ stamped him as the great test living genius
for missing opportunities Since then his
/ prestige has gradually dwindled, until the
masses no longer speak OF him as The
Little Father
! He is not a weak man, but a deter
mined autocrat, who firmly believes in the
divinity OF his reign, and who intends q
! do his utmost to ward of the coming OF
/ a constitutional form Of government in
Russia, that the son may reign over ar
autocracy as absolute as that the father
found on his coronation"
Mr.. Durland was introduced by Repre-
sentative Bourke Cochran. who took the
place Of Cardinal Gibbons, who was IN
able TO be present.