The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1914-11-14
MURDER IS PLEASURE;.R0BBER A BOAST
SAYS TIMES CORRESPONDENT IN RUSSIA
v
BY W. II. NEVISON.
tBy messenger To Athens and
mail to United States.)

mail To United States.)
PETROGRAD, Russia. Oct. i6.
The war is really just starting
in Russia. The bear is only now
rising to the attack. Despite the
millions at the. front, they are
still flocking to the colors.
tramping and galloping in by
every road.
This has been going on for
two months. Ii probably Will go
on for a year and the never end
ing ranks will be made up of
faces new to the fighting front.
On they come--Circassians,
Cossacks, Little Russians, Siber-
ians. men from the regions OF the
Altai and the Urals, and, most
terrifying OF all. the wild-eyed.
confused Mahometans from Tur-
kestan and the Kirghez steppes--
the stolid peasants to fight for
the little white father. the tribes
men to loot and sIay.
would hate to be German
fighting man after what ! have
seen. And that's no slur on the
German. For even If a soldier OF
the kaiser vanquish ten OF these
fierce Russians ten more VIII
rise up to take the places OF their
slain fellows. Those are my I'M
prcssions after an eventful trip
to Warsaw.
MURDER A PLEASU RE,
nsAnnEnX nnAGT
But perhaps my opinions are
swayed by visions OF the uncon-
quered and untamed Bashi-Ba-
zouks, a thousand motley bands
of savage horsemen, with whom
murder is a pleasure and robbery
a boast. In mob formation and
clatter along the abominable
road, ponies swapping and biting
at each other, their no less vicious
masters grunting strange Moslem
oaths-"M ashallah" and "Wul-
lah" and "Billahi"-which seem
to start deep in the throat and
get no farther than the teeth
The only uniformity in the
|half-crazed horsemen is found in
their red riding boots. and In the
broad knives and wooden-butted
pistols which are stuck in their
sashes. Five saddle bags they
carry.
lone for the rider, one for the
horse and three for gold watches,
the interpreter will tell you with
smile
And II is true. The gold watches
are those the wild Bashi-BaZouks
have been told are carried by ev-
cry German soldier. Love OF the
little white father has not brought
these terrible men into the war.
1t is the gold watches with which,
someone has told them, the kaiser
supplies his whole army.
1t is the ambition of each Bashi-
Bazouk to bring three saddle
bags full of gold watches home
with him after the war!
This | discovered after half an
hour of hard work on the part OF
my Interpreter. He is young
student, son of a high official in
the government. and exempt from
military service because he is
awaiting appointment to a dipio-
matte post as an undersecretary.
He had spent a year in England
studying. Through his fathers
connections / was enabled to see
Warsaw-or as much of 1t as they
vol Id permit me, without an army
officer as guardian. l suppose
this was partly because Russia
needs every officer she has and
further because these Russians
are extremely hospitable people.
The word hospitable may sound
strange after just describing the
Bashi-Bazouks. But these wild
men are by no means the Ivan
Ivanovitch, or ordinary soldier, OF
Russia. The real Russians out
number them 20 to !. My young
Interpreter didn't like the idea OF
their being in the war, but he dis
posed of 1t with shrug and ges-
ture.
"'They are Russians" he said.
Let them fight for their coun-
try"
REAL RUSSIANS ARE
IRREGULAR GUYS.
The ordinary Russian, the man
from the small towns and farm
ing country, is good-natured fel-
low who would give you his shirt
or make the children go to bed
hungry in order that the traveller
oo,,Id aat He is stolid. easy 60