Evening star., 1918-05-20
PETROGRAD'S life
CONTINUES UPSET
Murders and Thefts Make
Existence One of Thrills,
Says Russian.
BIZ BAssETr DIGBY.

BIZ BASSETT OIGBY.
CableEran to The Evening Star and
Chicago Daily News. Copyright. 1913.
STOCKHOLM. Sweden. May l7.-In-
formation throwing moro light on
conditions in Petrograd has reached
Stockholm from Switzerland. whither
Russian Travelled by way Of Dvinsk
and Germany. He left Petrograd
early in May. He says that then Pc
trograd's red guard corps had become
a club for all the criminals in north
ern Russia. as they found an immu-
nifty there not procurable in Moscow,
where Lenine's discipline II felt.
Few persons venture out after 6
o'clock. II ono goes to the theater It
Is usually in the company Of . strong
contingent Of armed friends. These
parties OF theatergoers are now q ia
miliar feature Of city life. Ono II
ments are frequently robbed. Street
killings are commonplace. The S9.
Peter and Paul and the Kresty tails
are overcrowded and an auxiliary jail
has had to be established in a wing OF
the Smolny Institute. Death sem
yard OF the IS. Peter and Paul prison.
Munitions Guarded.
vigilant and hold the storehouses Of
weapons and ammunition. thus rem
dering the counter-revolutionary
minded powerless. In the middle Of
March violent hunger riots occurred,
many Of the bourgeoisis taking part.
become worse. Unemployment com
tinues and the men without work in
many cases join the red guards. This
in itself Is considered Q danger to
the Smolny government, as the NUM-
Der Of armed men is increased. and. II
weapons may be turned against the
shaky bolshevist system.
Food rationing 10 largely nullined
by the red guards, who assume tho
right to traffc in the goods they
are supposed to protect. They open
Old Red Guard Apathetie.
The -principled new red army
lavish expenditure of money and
much rhetoric by Leon Trotzky the
result last month consisted Of fifty
two men. Members Of the old red
guard are apathetic and refuse to
Join. Gen. Kornilo6 has been report
GU OSdu 0StSIdk tlHSSs ouI III k0STos
grad 1t Is believed that he 10 in
hiding.
Indicative perhaps Of the high pas
senger steamship rates that may pre-
vail after war Is the nat rate. without
meals. of $3.50 for the 450-mile voy-
age from Stockholm to Petrograd dx-
ed for two small Swedish steamers,
which leave next Thursday No COM
plants are made and there is an
eager demand for reservations on
these vessels. the first carrying pas
sengers on this route since 1914. No
freight will be taken on account Of
the possibility Of its being stolen by
the bolsheviki on It's arrival, but tho
captains will try to obtain assurances
Of protection II they bring cargoes
on their next trips.
Long delayed mails will probably be
taken and an effort will be made to
bring back cargoes Of Russian wares.
The ready acceptance by travellers Of
the heavy passenger fares 10 likely to
have an effect on other shipowners in
stiffening the sentiment against rent
ing ship tonnage to the United States
despite the fact that the latter
course would be to the public benefit
in view of the fortunes to be made
Immediately after peace is declared.
1t is believed that then many
Swedish vessels now in the coastwise
traffic will emerge from the Baltic
and seek to enter the depleted west
European passenger routes.