Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-16
With a Leader Like Kos
ciusko the Dons Could
Reclaim the Great Land
for the Allies
Kerensky Was Disappoint-
ment to Cossacks Who
Would Have Followed a
Real Leader
BY EVA ZAINTX
4 Soldier In tic RAnLs.

The history Of my family is something
which even Russians regarded as unique. /
For, ag I have said | am a Jewess /,
and my father and mother were Jews Of /.
the orthodox belief. Yet. from the third |.
generation we lived and were persons Of
some Importance in the country of the |
Donski Cossacks, where according to the |
law. no jew might live or even reside.
can speak of my own knowledge |
when | tell what the Cossacks mean |
to Russia today--and say that upon
them depends Russia's salvation, If that
is ever To- be accomplished
our home was u fine house in the prin-
cVal street OF Taganrog, and IL" old
people who came tu have tea with my
father and mother told stories of my
great grandfather, Who was small
merchant when the town was but a W.
lagc, and Of my grandfather. who was
never a merchant hut the tallest soldier
in his reEiment--hc. a jew. and his
regiment Cossacks I am like h;m, with
my straight nose and yellow hair and
my strong shoulders and my more than
six feet of height. Yet | am not like
him. for I am a woman | cannot help
weeping when | write, now, Of our home
In Taganrog. and when I fought as
soldier against the Bolsheviki wolves.
| did not stay to die ! i1rd. because
| was woman. 4 woman'S weaknesses
arr as God has made them,
FEW COSSACK TOWNS
si,co Iopr b.snro mt. groa,-crard-
father carried his pack Of merchandise
tn fin, co,,ntr,. of thn ponski ,hn nov.
orn,,art nf tho ,,o.socL, bnJ hoar ns.
,,hIiared orcnrding 10 its ,,v.n ordinnuces
and customs Few or the Cossacks live
in towns-ur ever did Taganrog was
only a village until, In the daya Of my
great-graudfathcr tho Belgiana and
French came to dig iron from the hills
ana melt II down in great furnaces belch-
ing fir, and smoke day and night The
Cossaclts came TO see these sights and
TO approve. because with the mills came
vodka shops and places of amusement
and many peorle to buy the butter and
ea-rs and oycrnlentiful food which tho
Cossack women could sell them.
} Every Cossack has his own farm The
Government provides the land and gives
every NAV an ti'e receSs''seS Ut an caSg
me ioI il'''Neii 'h' ~, to s ne" nun
ne pays n" taxes lis iaIii 'nlilsIS
| are from tne Government but tiey are
his. HIS Morse "h'cn ~ ms prlue anu
! care Is lro', Spe''', 'eeu VI ST..
| sWlttness anu sp''i.' ne ~ ''o,e'",'leil ~ ~,
| PROVIDES nm WIN t"a'' "lso' M,'e" ne -
eighteen ana goes tor ms iNS years
/ service III the army put Mlon ne re-
| turns to the ease ana comfort OK ms
! farm, the morse " MS as are also the
arms ana iae equipment OIL soldler
which he has learned To use lie mas
! but to remain loyai ana ready 70 answer
! the tfDNprnlnenf = call, 10 i've III II man
| ner in which little King might envy.
So the Cossacks lived from the time
of Peter the Great to the time of this
war. In childhood the training for the
armv began. In the schools, which the
I 1,nvsrnnent regulated for the Cossacks,
| thnre was spccial training In horseman-
( sbip and in the use of arms. Cossacks
mnrried only ,'ossacks. They recognized
! enecloI obligations to their Atamau--
thni, headnan--but they swore an al
Iapiaucn In the car which was "A death
oa;h Tho wore the defenders of the
| C,or against .v,ry ueople or his own
! ,,1n,la
''Oi ,.r. ,-,.,,,r..t-n