Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-04
CAUCASUS POLITICS
Georgians in SulIen Revolt
Against Russia.
NO LOYALTY TO CAR
TWO Mobiles Slain for Selling Their
Lands to Slavs.
MARTIAL LAW OVER COUNTRY
Men Are Made to Do Army Duty
While Women Work Fields-of-
fees Held by Russians.
BY WILLIAM r. CURTIS
Special Correspondence Of The Star and tn
Chicago Record Herald.

The highest point reached by the train is
3.O27 feet, where it passes through a long
tunnel
The railway was built by the Russian
government for military purposes about
forty years ago, and IS still under mill
tary control and managed by military
methods. All the material and rolling
stock comes from the govTnment shops
At Moscow. The engines burn oil for
fuel, and the tracks are five feet gauge.
A squad Of soldiers accompanies every
train and occupies car Immediately
back of the locomotive, to guard the
mails and the express car, which often
contains treasure and always many val
u4ble packages This guard has been
maintained ever since the revolution.
which is not entirely over here, from all
accounts.
Martial Law Prevails.
The functions of the civil governor gen.
eral have been practically suspended for
two years. The military commander ex-
ercises autocratic authority. and martial
law is enforced according to his judg-
ment.
That is, all crimes which he CONSTITUTES
as political are tried by military courts
and punished by the military authorities,
who have practically filed the prisons
against person and property which, In
the judgment Of the military authorities.
have no political significance are COM
mitted to the jurisdiction Of the civil
courts.
No part of Russia suffered SO much
from fire and sword during the revolu-
ton a-few years ago as the Caucasus.
Revolving stories are told of the barbar-
tiles and horrors committed on both
sides.
The terrible prison in the citadel that
crowns hill overlooking the city of
Tifilis Is still crowded with patriots whose
zeal outran their judgment, and whose
ideas of civil liberty are somewhat
broader and more radical than We are
accustomed to concede-
Russian anarchists who throw bombs
1t their rulers and blow up barracks
filled with sleeping soldiers in the name
Of God and liberty are not quite sane
That is the most charitable way to re-
gard the awful crimes that have been
committed in the name Of patriotism AMI
liberty. 49, s--o-z 49, @z-,e
The leaders of the insurrection here
look upon the French revolution as
sacred history The province of the
. Caucasus has been the scene of many
similar occurrences recently. Nor Is the
trouble over Yet.
Trouble Not Over.
About the end of February q Georgian
prince named Dadish Keliarri living near
the city of Kutais, the first town Of
importance on the railway, had an offer
for a large tract Of land which he had
been trying to sell for several years.
There was no secret about IL, and the
buyers were Russians of high CONNER
cial standing and eminent respectability.
After the sale became known the prince
received an anonymous letter informing
him that the people of Georgia did Lot
approve Of selling property to Russians,
and that the land in question belonged
to the tenants who till il. instead of
himself. who inherited it from his an
cestors- The usual socialistic arguments
in such cases were reeited. He vas no.
titled that the transaction would not he
permitted.
The prince took no notice of the COM
munication- He probably threw 1t In the
waste basket. as anonymous letters are
circulated quite freely in this part Of the
world.
After the papers were made out he re-
ceived a second letter of similar import.
telling him that some patriotic society
had forbidden the sale Of the property
10 any one but the tenants who DOW
occupy it. and that violation OF its
orders would be punished by death.
This letter was preserved. although 1t
did not stop the sale. On the day the
deeds were signed the prince was shot
dead the threshold of the bank
where he had just deposited the purchase
money.
Prince Kipiani Slain.
Prince Kipiani. another Georgian no.
bic. had a similar experience after the
sale of a piece Of property in the same
locality He. too. suffered the death pen
slty for selling a portion of his estate
to strangers instead Of turning it over
to his tenants.
No one has yet been punished for these
acts OF barbarism. but they have been
generally approved by the peasants and
the masses Of the Georgian population. on
the theory that Russians have no rights
In this province, and that the highest
duties OF patriotism are to burn and kill
wherever any attempt is made to alien
ate the sacred soil by Georgian to the
ownership of an invader.
The land troubles in Ireland have not
been a circumstance to those that have
occurred here The same fanatical spirit
has been carried into education and re-
ugion, as we'll as into business.
The Georgian church is a branch of
the orthodox Greek. with some minor and
technical differences in theology and rit-
ual have never been able to learn
just what they are, and, indeed. no
one seems TO know
But the Georgians refuse to commune
with the Russians. and would burn the
Russian churches and massacre their
pr1ests IL they could accomplish any
thing thereby. They are simply fanatical
In racial prejudice.
Russians Also to Blame.
The Russians are not altogether blame.
less for this terrible situation. because
they have attempted to force the Russian
ritual and Russian priests upon unwilling
parishes in many places. and have In.
sisted that the Russian language instead
OF the Georgian language shall be used
In the schools. Therefore, the children
are growing up in Ignorance.
NO Georgian parent will allow his chill
dren TO attend school where the Rus.
sian LANGUAGE Is taught. He would prob
ably suffer ostracism t. cot a worse pun
ishment IL he did.
There are said to be seventy differen,
races represented in the city of Tifis. The
guide book says that seventy diheren
languages are spoken upon its streets
II that Is true. IL Is probably the most
cosmopolitan city In the world.
You can easily believe the statement
after seeing the wondrous variety Of cos
tunes and features of the people who
wear them There Is no unity among
these seventy races There is no com
mon national feeling. There Is nothing
upon which patriotism could be based.
The Georgians hate the Russians. The
Tartars hate the Armentsns. The Per