New-York tribune., 1918-06-03
Russian Upper Classes
Enslaved by Peasants
her Property and Money Conhscated Once Rich Mus
covtcs Flelpessy Watch Bolshevki Ruin the Nation,
Officers Widow Writes to Classmate Here

shame, the disgrace and the folly
Of it!
The army, which now consists Of
young boys (thc regular one is long
ago killed., without any sense Of duty
morals and discipline, see their &C
CURED freedom in the freedom to go
home when they want TO- And so all
the trains, all the stations. are attack ed
and destroyed by'this horde of savages
who XIII engineers, if it seems to them
the train goes too slowly; who martyr
izc the railway agents who tell them OF
the impossibility OF starting their
train, for there is another one coming
toward them in the same time AS this
human food goes home without any or
ganization everything is looted and de-
stroyed.
Home Confiscatcd
Some months ago I believed myself
to be quite we'll off. l have house in
Petrograd. Last spring | was offered
$4,000 for it, but was advised not to
sci! and go over to America to have NY
little girl become happy American
schoolgirl. Now have on hand about
$4,000 and no other resources; tho
house, like other private property, is
being confiscated, the revenue going tc
the government--that is to say, to the
government bonds were annulated Gre
pudiatedD; and even if I had money
believe me, there is nothing to buy.
"Petrograd will begin to die from,
hunger one of these days. And those
who arc the authors of it arc sure tc
escape at the last moment abroad anc
live happily afterward with the mill.
ions they will have robbed, and leave
the country to its dreadful fate.
Life in Pctrograd is horrible. All
the criminals, all the workmen and de
moralized soldiers, rob the few cars
that still bring some kind Of products
time, you have your clothes taken of
your back. literally. Just think that
there are no police, nobody to call TO,
help, for those who would like to helr
have had their firearms confiscated
even the officers, even the highest gen
erals. All the soldiers, etc. are armec
and have become highwaymer. At any
moment you can expect a number OF
them coming into your private lodging
and, under the pretence of 'requisition,
take away all your money and val
uables
Nowhere to Look for Help
"And as the government declares that
in real socialistic state no crime
against private property will be con
sidered as such, for the biggest Of all
crimes is just the crime of private
ownership, so, you see, there is no.
where to look for help.
"Our money is not accepted anywhere
abroad. Russia is bankrupt, so that it
is impossible to escape. All my friends
and relatives are in the same awful
position. All are living on their
last money, even those who were quite
rich. Their money was in government
or private bonds. and as they are de-
clared void, where will you get money
from? Ny poor mind cannot grasp the
whole thing; it is too great madness
hope with all my heart that my dear
American friends are happy-it is some
relief to think that there are people
rot suffering what we have to.
"My only chance to save my little
girls life and my own would be to get
away from here and 60 to the United
States. If you can think of any way tc
bring this about please write to me al
once. I would do any kind of work
And if | came to starve there, it would
be to have my little one escape from
this madhousc! Here. if we do rot die
in the next months, we will be slaves
regular slaves, of our lowest classes
So, you see, that anything in free
America would surely be Thousand
times better than what we must expect
here"