The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-07-14
RED GUARD RULES
BY POT SHOOTING
English Red Cross Woman
Tells Of Military Anarchy
in Moscow.
SOLDIERS TURN THIEVES
Aim of the Bolsheviki Seems
to Be Starvation Of the
Bourgeoise.
Special Cable Despasch TO ruE Sos from the
London Tfm<s

Special Cable Desposch TO TsE suS from he
London ffmts.
Copyright. 1919: oil rfohs rss~cel.
LONDON. July l3.--Ths Times to-day
prints the following account Of Mos
COW Life Under Bolshevist Rule. The
article. explanation Is made. is by an
English woman, who has been servins
for three years with the Russian Red
Cross at the front and who recently
returned to England.
Halt"
A hand clutched my arm and pulled
me behind an iron railing into q small
courtyard.
Don't be frightened" the voice con.
tinued. "You are safe here
What Is the NATTER" I inquired has
THY OF the little shecpskinned duornils
tyardman) at my side.
IT'S only the Red Guards" he re-
assured me. Scarcely were the words
spoken when .volley resounded start
iinsly near.
"Polmali!" shouted some distant
voice. We've caught him"
I moved toward the railing. Some
500 yards up the street several armed
fighters could be seen bending over
something lying on the ground One
Of them happening to catch sight of
US waved his rife threateningly.
Shoot Red Guard Thieves.
Oct away or wen shoot" he
shouted We got away accordingly.
~.- That's the second they've had this
evening In this street" the duornik in
formed me, as he conducted me through
back yard route into another street,
and they say there are stili two more
TO be caught"
THE second what? Which two
more" 1 was entirely in the dark.
Two more thieves"
'On" said. suddenly enlightened.
The Red Guards are shooting down
thieves?"
Yes" he chuckled. "nnd these
thieves are Red Guards too"
The Red Guards trying to establish
ORDER. It was the same old story of
setting a thief TO catch a thief. Such
was my welcome TO Moscow after an
absence of four months. Evidently the
town had little improved since those
dark days of civil war in October. 1911.
when the inha bitants certainly had qui-
eted down. ! was surprised to find them
so passive. so Indifferent to famine and
the fratricidal warfare around them.
February WAS drawing to close.
Spring was at hand and still the Boil
shevist power was at its height. The
Intelligent classes were suffering indie
scribably. A kind OF stupor lay upon
them. They bowed their heads and sub
mitted. Daily came DEGREES from the
Soviet commanding. demanding, threat
ening.
"Rouse yourselves" some would say.
IF We must die. let us die lighting
Help Yourself, the Rule.
What can one do against flny?"
would come the answer.
Yes" warned another. endurance
and patience only arc necessary. Soon
the eyes of the people must be opened :"
So they waited. their patience tried to
the utmost. their nerves strained to the
breaking point. The banks were in tho
hands OF the Red Guard. All pensions
were withheld All investments and per-
centage papers were pronounced invalid
Land propfetors were driven from their
estates. Country houses were pillaged
and burned and the spells divided among
the soldiers. Land was taken over by
the peasants. Many noblemen's families
were compelled to leave at a moment =
notice. thankful to escape with their
lives. and seek refuge In towns where
they would find lodging the best they
could accepting any work however hum
BILE that would enable them to 1.-Two.
4 labor bureau was opened in Moscow
and in this way work was found for tho
most needy, In the streets it was not
an uncommon sight to see a gentle
woman In dilapidated attire selling news
papers. One professors daughter. whose
husband was killed by the Bolsheviki in
the Crimea, while still at hospital
made five mile walk every morning
Drawing winter weather. in order 10 de-
liver newspapers and in this way gain
enough TO Keep herself and her chill
dreh alive. Not long ago this bureau
was shut down by the Bolsheviki.
Starve the Bourgeoisie.
THE hour has come to starve the
bourgeoisie," they decided. Even the
leading newspapers were suppressed
their offices and large stores of papers
being confiscated.
Officers dressed as civilians were seen
FASTING the walls. In the house adjoin-
ing ours the duties OF house porter
were being fulfilled by an old General
For this work he received eighty rubles,
nomnally eight pounds. monthly and a
small room under the staircase. In the
same house a yuouS officer had accepted
the post of stoker. >eceiving forty rubles
monthly.
Such was the misery OF the intelli-
gent classes that they, In the depths Of
despair. would sometimes defer 10 the
German Invasion as the only chance Of
for them, and often would they
reproach me why don't the Allies help
us In our need? Have we then fallen SO
low they<nust reject us altogether? How
can England look on so calmly when the
existence OF our country IL at stake"
They indeed were difficult questions nor
could answer them.
One woman OF the military, through
being the wife OF n prominent General
In the Russo-Japanese war and the
mother-in-law OF q General whose name
all Russia has had on its lips, mad
dened by some fresh outrage upon her
fellows, bowed her head before the Ikon
Christ and crossing herself repeated.
Grant, God. Oh grant, God, that the
Germans may come quickly and deliver
us from our countrymen!'
Robbed of Clothing In Streets.
Nor can disgrace be greater than
now" she added bitterly. Even under
the shelter of ones own roof a feeling of