The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-09-28
PAINTS GLOOMY
PICTURE OF The
CONDITIONSINT THE
new REPUBLIC
Russian Cities Filled With
Troops Who Refuse To
Go To The Front
SOLDIERS ARE ~
LOOTING COUNTRY
Shoot Their Officers and
Murder and Rob the
Civilians
(By Associated Press.l .


Stockholm, Sept. 2s.-An American
who has spent ten years in European
capitals and whose position compels
him to take an impartial point of
view, reached here yesterday after
six weeks in Petrograd and gives a
pessimistic report OF the fighting
spirit in Russia and of political and
industrial conditions there.
He says:
There is no fighting spirit except
among the Cossacks and Caucasians,
and that seems to be waning. A
Caucasian colonel said to me: There
are no real fighters left in Russia
except us and we are not Russians,
thank God. but Caucasians and Mo.
hammedans.'
The interior cities and villages
are filled with Russian troops who
refuse to go to the front. Young
Russians of the better class are
hunting the streets Of Petrograd for
men who are willing to become off,
GERS. Since the murder OF officers by
men has become a daily occurrence
only the most fervent patriots will
assume the risk Of taking commits
sions.
Open Disobedienoe.
THE reports OF open disobedience
of troops at the front and of deeds
of violence committed by them are
countless. Railway travel in many
places, and particularly in south
western Russia is unsafe because
soldiers loot trains. steal luggage and
maltreat and even murder those who
resist.
II sat in the war office at Petro-
grad when the report was received
of the murder Of nearly 100 officers
at Viborg and Of the preparation OF
prescription lists against officers ~
Tannefors.
Newspapers in Helsingfors carry
daily accounts of military deeds OF
violence and Of the murder of Off
GERS and civilians by soldiers. often
accompanied by robbery. The gov
eminent has not dared to do more
than announce that these matters
will be investigated carefully.
THE Bolshevikis are gaining the
upper hand in Petrograd and are in
oreasing their strength in Moscow.
venture to predict their eventual
supremacy. / know this means al
most the elimination of Russia as a
factor in the war and places new
burdens on America.
THE governments utter power
lessness was recently shown In con-
nection with its exile of q. number
of dark forces The Bolshevikis
took them from train at Viborg,
now are sending them back to Petro-
grad. and the government does not
dare to insist that it's deportation
order be carried out.
THE Bolshevilis' demonstration Of
Joy over the fall of Riga held in the
front of the war Office, was suffered
by the government in silence.
q Such facts, together with the gov
ernment's rapid changes in person
mel. form and policy, demonstrate the
seriousness Of the situation.
KorniIoff a Patriot.
when korniloff issued his ulti-
matum the news was received with
Joy by a great proportion Of sub
stantial citizens and even men in the
departments told me OF
their secret hope that he would come
to Petrograd. The comments from
English and American newspapers
at KornilOff's failure were
received with amazement by these
people who saw in his success the
only possibility of saving Russia.
"A factory near Nizhini- Novgorod
war materials and
employing fifteen thousand hands
has Just closed because it has been
impossible to meet the wage de-
mands. Armed workmen terrorized
the owners of factories, workmens
committees spend their whole time
drafting wage schedules; and. nobody
NAV be hired or discharged without
their consent. Laborers unloading
wood from barges at Petrograd won
in one day a strike for an increase
of from 43 to So rubles daily.
Conductors and porters on FIN
nish railways refuse to accept RUS
sian money at any rate OF exchange
/ saw four one-ruble and three tnree-
ruble notes bearing the same respec-
tive numbers"