Evening journal., 1916-07-11
Ry WILLIAM PHmp snMs
United Press san Corresnondent

United Press stan Correspondent
PETROGRAD. June 13 (By MaiD -
There are two mighty armies in Rus
sia. One works in the front line
trenches. shoots and charges bayonets
The other works back of the line and
furnishes the front line what it needs.
One is an army of soldiers. The
other is an army OF citizens. But
both are under the orders of the gen
eral staff The situation is unique In
history.
The main corps OF this citizen army
S known as the "All-Russian zemstvo
Union." and no other nation in the
world boasts anything like it. II the
troops need new fur coats the general
staff tells the Zemstvo Union, and the
zemstvo Union provides them. Or
maybe the staff asks for socks and
underwear, or boots, or bridges OF
daggers, or bath trains, or tonic, OF
chop axes Whatever in reason II
asks for. It gets.
Soldiery and citizenry are working
hand in hand This statement is lit
eral. not merely a figure of speech.
The Zemstvo pronounced "lem-
stervoO came into being in 1864, or
flrree wears after the serfs we're freed
ana the land divided. II began very
modestly and developed slowly, mem
bers being elected from three classes:
Peasant, the landed gentry, and the
urbanites owning shops, factories or
other property. Originally a zemstvo,
composed OF say so members, aver
aged about 20 peasants, 20 gentry and
40 town property owners, but in 1880
the gentry were given by law what
by the very nature of things they had
had from the start-a preponderant
voice.
Russia is divided into 81 provinces,
these into districts averaging about
10 districts to the province. At pres
ent 80 provinces and about $50 dis
lricts have Zemstvo organizations.
The district institution once year
sends delegates 10 a ten-day provin-
cial Zemstvo at which the work OF
The past year is reviewed and the
work for the coming year co-ordi-
mated. Further. a provincial board Of
four men Is named, these to devote
their entire time to this work. The
ordinary member Of the Zemstvo re-
oeives no pay. The four board mem
bers are on salary. as are the four
members of a similar district board,
who do nothing else but supervise
district work.
The Zemstvo has but slight legisla-
tive functions-levying local taxes.
etc.-and until the war its activities
were confined 10 four spheres: Work
ing the roads. supervising the schools.
aiding farmers with advice and look
ing after the hospitals: the primary
needs of country districts
Restricted In scope though the
zemstvo was. II was, nevertheless, the
apprenticeship OF the people II fur
nishcd the peasants with their FRS
means CT participating IN public work
Side by side with their former mas
ters, these farmers. newly out Of serl
dom. elected their Zemstvo represen
tatve and labored for the communit
and Russia.
Such was The zemstvo at the be
ginning of the war
On August 13, 1914 less than twt
weeks from the commencement o
host'iitics. a general meeting Of dele
gates elected by the Provincial
zemsJvos was held IN Moscow II
was then and there decided TO form
the "All-Russian zcmstvo Union" for
relief work among sick and wounded
soldiers, And every zemstvo Joined
in save one. this solitary abstainer
prefering 20 work Independently.
Here we are. Use u.s. said the
Zemstvo people 20 the government
and the government accepted They
were 10 be under the orders OF the Wal
Department and available only FOL
work in the interior Tho Limitation
was put upon them. they did no
specify the limitation.
But the restriction did not hold
The army needed doctors, nurses. hos
pitals The ZemstNo had been in In
hospital business for forty years. an
II went to the army's aid upon m
very field OF battle and in the fror
line trenches.
After this things moved rapid.
Hospitals in the interior were orgar
lied. So were frst-aids, distributin
centers. bases. Front Brieades
were formed for handling Wounds