The Washington herald., 1918-05-31
Russia's Womanhood Stands Impotent
While Red Pageant of Reconstruction
Moves Past Says Famed Amazon Leader
Mime. Botchkarova, Colonel
Of Battalion of Death,
Now in Washington, De-
scribes Her Bitter Expert
ences and Declares Ex-
pertinent She Tried Was
a Failure.

Russia's womanhood ~impoteit
and almost indifferent while the
great red pageant Of world re-
construction moves past.
Its gigantic potentiality nil as
a national force.
Suppression from without, cou-
pied with the peasants fatalistic
lassitude from within, claiming
the Slavic Amazon.
Such is the burden of the story
brought to America by Maria
Leontievna Botchkarova, founder
and colonel of the Russian wom-
ems Battalion of Death, who is
now visiting Washington, having
taken apartments at the Powha-
tan Hotel.
Madame Botchkarova came to
Washington after an escape from
Russia that reads like a novel. She
is accompanied by Lieut.. L G.
Filipoff. of the Russian Army. who
is acting as her adjutant.
Madame Botchkarova will leave
Washington for New York City
early this morning. She was re-
ceived by Secretaries Lansing and
Baker yesterday.
Tells Tragic Experience.
Madame Botchkarova supported
her gloomy portrayal with her own
tragic experiences and an account
OF how her patriotic endeavors
were frustrated.
Her efforts to organize Russia's
woman into a fighting power al
most led to her death when the
Bolsheviki ousted Kerensky.
And she escaped to the United
States only at the greatest risk,
now being in Washington to deliv-
er what she describes as an i'm
portant message"
Her patriotic fervor scorned at
home, the exiled Russian Joan of
Arc, who rose from peasant obscur-
ity for an hour OF glory and trag-
edy. is now seeking service under
an Allied banner.
1t is her lament that the example
OF the women who consecrated
themselves to their country's cause
in the Battalion of Death has not
proven an inspiration to the women
Of Russia.
1T all seems to have been In
vain" she said.
Through suppression and lack
Of vision the women OF Russia have
not risen to the big part they should
be playing in the great upheaval
through which our land will find
its future place among the nations.
That is the saddest truth about
Russia today"
that part OF Russias inarticulate,
cropping, downtrodden womanhood
which caught the vision shining
above the revolution.
A sort Of stolid Joan Of Arc who
reacted to the shock. and who, with
courage in heart and a rifle in hand,
went out to play an active part.
The death of her soldier husband
spurred her on. With his call to
the colors. she also had gained per-
~ DclnR lne nTSL
woman to see line service. While
surrounded. as part of Russian
scouting party, she killed her first
German with a bayonet. and then
escaped. Several times she was
wounded, and, for saving the lives
or men in her company, was award
ed the st. George medal and made
an under-off1cer.
Husband Killed,
1t was while fighting at the side of
her husband that he was killed. and
she was so severely wounded that she
was believed dead.
Not long after she was taken pris-
oner on the Austrian front. But. de-
ludins her captors into the belief that
she was Sister of Charity, Madame
Botchkarova was allowed to return
to her own lines.
Then the revolution took place. with
the decentralization of the Russian
army.
Kerensky. who had heard of this re-
markable fighting woman, summoned
her to Petrcgrad, asking her, What
Is your dearest wish?"
"A battalion of women soldiers. -
she replied. ito set an example for
the towards who will not fight"
1t was thus the famous Battalion of
Death was formed.
AT Kerensky's request Madame
Botchkarova agreed to take charge
and recruit the battalion. In two days
1000 women volunteers had been en-
rolled.
Frivolity Interyener,
But almost at once, she aserts, the
frivolity Of many of the women en-
dangered the safety of the legion as
well as the high purpose for which il
was being organized.
Flirtations with the men training Of
ficers. according to her story, under
mined morale from the start. while
the flippant attitude of many of the
recruits courted the very disaster
which was soon to overtake the regi-
ment of Amazons.
Iron discipline did not please the