The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-07-29
Russia Command of Death
Loses Seventy-hve Per Cent
of Members in Action
GERMAN WOMEN TOO
SAID TO BE FIGHTING
Stacking Men Howl and Hoot
as Train Passed Carrying
Fighting Women to Battle
Front

London, July 2s-W o men are
! lighting women on the battle front
in the East. This news comes from
Petrograd in dispatches which state
that when Vera Butchkareff's com
mand OF death" entered its first &C
ton last Wednesday. IL found that
German women were lighting side by
side with men in the hostile trenches.
A mum Der Of these AIuazons were cap
tured
OF the original 200 Russian women
in the command Of death" only fifty
are left. The commander. Vera
Butchkareff and her CHIEF aide, Maria
Skrydloff. daughter of the former
minister OF marines are both wound
ed. Twenty were killed, eight cap
tured and the rest are wounded
This battle of women forms one Of
the most picturesque phases of the
war and the heroism and success Of
the Russian women fighters is ac-
cepted in Petrograd as proof that
women ara as valuable on the battle
line as men. Indeed the heavy losses
Of the little contingent was due to
the treason OF male soldiers who de-
serted from the supporting trenches
leaving the women to face the Ger
mans alone
suffered Great Hardships
The Russian women's battalion un-
derwent the greatest hardships not
only in the actual fighting. but on
their way to the front according TO
stories told by wounded girls who
have been brought back from the
fighting lines to be placed In hos
Ditals. Their heroism under fire
was wonderful Their dash and elan
and their feaulessness under fire make
a new chapter OF the war.
The girls were sent to the front
after they had demanded from Pre-
mier Kerensky that they be allowed
to fight
In long trains of stripped coaches
wooden hunks had been placed along
the walls. The tourney was long and
tiresome Word of the women SOL
diers coming had preceded them ana
they were greeted by teering- and
hooting crowds at each station along
the route.
The girls had their answers ready
10 the cries OF the station crowds.
What do YOU think you're going
no do?" the ieers would go. why
are you hghting?"
/. Taking Place of SIackers.
Back would come the answer hot
with scorn:
fftNdQSF YOU men are AFRAID TO
fight All Russians are not towards ''
The women were sent to camp
back OF the lines on the northern
front. On their arrival there they
We're hooted by the male soldiers who
later tried to force themselves into
the women's camp II was plain that
the men had no idea the women really
expected to tight; they believed them
10 be merely camp followers and
their cries showed as much. II was
only after a band of male soldiers
had heen driven from the women's
quarters at the hayonet point that
thew changed their view.
The girls drilled every day rain or
shine and hathed in river near the
camp.
Then came wearving days of wait
ing. The commanders would not al
low the girls to go to the front II
was only after great influence had
! been used that the order sending them
10 the trenches was given
Greeted Order With Cheers.
They greeted the order with cheers
and In their first action advanced
singing songs OF home. Their voices
reached the German trenches and
!