The Washington herald., 1918-01-20

leaVe tuelr MONIES We would take
them on to Kazan. The children
would be placed In schools, and we
would find work for the parents,
though II was Of course hard for
them to start again. as many Of
them were old"
Mrs. Golden stated that the Rus
stan civilians clung to their hum
BILE homes desperately, even though
they knew that they were in grav-
est danger OF being destroyed at any
time.
MANY times" she said, "they
stay until the very last minute,
often refusing to leave until the.
Russian soldiers come and tell
them they must be out within a
certain number of hours"
And then 1t il that the pathetic
side of 1t is seen. They invariably
wait until they have positive orders
to leave before they get together
their goods, and then they always
seem to take everything in the
house which is of no value, and to
leave everything which they really
need"
Driven from Pinsk.
Mrs. Golden lived originally In
Pinsk. About five years ago her hus-
band came to America, and two years
ago Mrs. Golden left Pinsk-just five
days before 1t was captured by the
Germans - and removed to Kazan,
where she took up war relief work,
mostly among the Jews.
Mrs. Golden said that in Russian
towns in which there vas no soldierys
there was little political strife and not
much evidence of war.
'Tt was the same way with the
coming Of the liberty (as she calls
the revolution.) In some of the towns
we hardly knew anything was going
on until we learned that the Car had
been overthrown."
mo. I have never seen shell fire or
been uncomfortaly near the firing
line." said Mrs. Golden, "but I was
in Kazan when the explosion in the
munitions factory occurred-a few
days before left-and don't. think
war could be more terrifying.
''It started when a shell exploded in
freight car in which they were load
ed. and then there was one detona-
| ton after another. The car was
standing near to the factory and the
fragments of bursting shells fell into
the faetory-and then after that It is
almost indescribable.
About 1000 people who worked in
or lived near the factory were killed.
and many thousand more would have
died had the entire town not fed
from their homes. The explosions con-
tinued, shell after shell, for three
whole days. I had fed with my hus-
bands family. as much as ten or
fifteen miles from the city, walking.
and even at that distance, 50 great
was the force of the explosions that
every time a shell burst we felt, If
right above us. ~. ..r..
THE CONSERVATION and panic are
unimagfnable. Further and further
the thousands Of people fed from
| the town, until the explosions finally
| died down and We knew it was safe
to return. And when We did return.
| although every window was broken
within miles of the factory, yet the
Russian officers, who had remained
| in the city during the whole three
days. had saved the town from burn
ing up-and there was not a house
looted"
Mrs. Golden said that It was impos-
sible to say just what the sentiment
in Russia was with regard to the war.
1T seems to be divided. so that
it is impossible to say. OF course,
there is talk of a separate peace
lots of it-but still there is more talk
of an honorable and lasting peace
and for myself / do not believe Rus
sia will be satisfied with anything
short of that