New-York tribune., 1918-09-10
Maria Spiridonovo, Most
influential With Peasants,
Denounced Germany
Started New Revolt
Forces That Ousted kerenskv
Are Now Sweeping Red
Guard Aside
(Bp Tho Associated Prcss)

STOCKHOLM, Sept. 9-The Soviet
rspublic has not realized the ideals Of
Russian women and they are playing
an important part in Fastening its end.
Their influence in this connection is
being exerted even more powerfully
than it was in bringing the. dictator
shin OF the proletariat into existence.
Evidence of this has been observed by
man who came out of Russia with the
American refugees who reached Hapa-
randa. Sweden, last week.
Maria Spiridonovo probably was the
most powerful leader in the establish
ment of the Bolshevik power. AS the
recognized spokesman of the peasants.
forming S5 per cent of the Russian
population, she swung the peasant
strength into line and persuaded the
Social Revolutionaries of the Left to
join the Bolsheviki. On July 4. eight
months later, she delivered startling
speech of defiance to German oppres-
sion, which resulted in the assassi-
nation of Count Won Mirbach, German
Ambassador to Russia, and announced
that the Social Revolutionaries of the
Left would make bitter war on the
Bolshevik.
Turn on Former Leaders
Several prominent officials have been
slain since Mile. Spiridonovo's declar-
alton and now Nikolai Lenne, idol of
the Bolsheviki, lies badly wounded by
shots fired by Russian woman, Dora
Kapan, Social Revolutionist, who
said she placed her life in jeopardy
to save Russia and believed this could
be realized only through a Constituent
Assembly. Mile. Kaplan. a medical stu
dent, thirty years old, has since been
executed.
Mile. Spiridonovo is teacher, about
thirty years old. Until late in June
she was the most effective speaker and
organizer for the Bolsheviki. She did
not favor the Brest- -Litovsk peace, but
accepted 1t as inevitable and kept the
peasant organizations in line until she
learned the Bolshevik government was
preparing to turn over millions of
yards of cloth to the Germans She
denounced this in the press.
Lenine Favored Plundering
Then Admiral Stchasnig. who saved
the Baltic fleet for Russia, was exc
cuted without trial on the charge Of
being implicated in counter revolu
'lonary plot. Mile. Spiridonovo always
opposed capital punishment and de-
Aounced this act.
Premier Lenine's policy of dividing
the PEASANTS into rich and poor classes
and urging the poor to plunder from
the rich was also offensive to Mile.
Spridonovo. The cumulative evidence
OF submission to the German demands
hred Mile. Spiridonovo to revolt, and
her challenge to the Bolshevik leaders
IN the All Russian Soviet Congress on
July will never be forgotten by the
great audience which filled the grand
opera house at Moscow
lou may have a MAJ iority in this
congress, but you have not a majority
OF the workmen of Russia with you and
you have not 10 per cent Of the peas
ants she shouted.
She announced to the Bolsheviki that
she would fight if they wanted fight.
and if necessary would take revolver
and bomb in hand and lead the peas
ants against oppression. She shook her
ist at the box occupied by representa-
yves OF the German Embassy and de-
clared Russia would never submit itself
10 become German colony.
Lenine Unable to Reply
Nile. Spiridonovo's speech practically
broke up the congress. Premier Le-
hlne and Minister of War Trotzky were
ineffective in their attempts to refute
her charges Lenine, who had seemed
70 be power of strength in the All
ausslan Congress four months before.
mad lost all his fire.
Two days later Won Mrbach was
kllled and White Guard uprisings oc-
CURED IN many parts of the Soviet
republic. Mile. Spirldonovo was i'm
prlsoned, but the Bolshevik leaders did
no, dare execute her.
- Many members of the Left Social
,SSeevolutIoGnary ,Se party were shot, but the
war on the Bolsheviki continued Cen
eral Hermann Eichhorn, the German
commander in the Ukraine, was killed
as s hlev and Moses Uritzky, chairman
Si Si the Petrograd Commission for the
suppression of a Counter Revolution,
was shot at Petrograd. Various other !
eommlssaries fell and their guerilla
warfare became more active throughout
the Ukraine. '' ''N -
!. Vile - Spirodonovo spent eleven years
an SIBERIAN prisons for killing a gov
e'tS1r oo who oppressed the peasants.
one has tuberculosis and has suffered
serious decline since her imprison-
HeHt IN the krem1in