El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-04-09
BATTLE-GROUND
Of MANY ACES
Bessarabia, Newest Repub-
lie, Is Truly Bathed In
Blood.

! Washington. D. C.. April s.-~Could
Bessarabia have been racial catch
basin and retained progeny Of all the
tribes, peoples and nationalities that
have conquered or overrun her. she
would be an chronological museum Of
unparalleled variety" says q bulletin
from the National Geographic society
dealing with the small Russian district
which has Just proclaimed itself a re-
public
"As Il IS her population. more 3.ooo.- I
900 before the war. Included Molda-
VANS, Albanians. Little Russians. |
Jews. BuIgarians, Greeks. Armenians. |
Tatars. Germans and Gypsiss But
that list Is short compared with the ]
encyclopedia procession OF Getae. 1
Goths. Avars. Huns. Bessi CEhsncs her I
name). Ugrians Humans and Non /
gols 70 mention a few since the days /
OF thu original Cimmerians.
A Natural battle-ground.
Tor Bessarabia, sIoping southwark /
from the westward foothills OF the /
Carpathians. between the Dniester and |
Pruth. down 20 the Black sea and ]
Danube delta. lay IN the normal geo
graphical pathway % tribes pushing /
westward from Asia and southwark ]
from the bleak Russian steppes to- |
ward the warmer seacoast lands. !
Moreover Bessarabia Is at the con-
vergence OF these two history beaten I
paths, and many times a clash ensued I
70 decide which group should pass I
through the neck OF the bottle to- /
ward Europe's lands OF milk and I
honey.
Among the most narrowing OF the /
4.
the 18th century They came across !
the Volga under Batu. grandson Of I
that Mougol Charlemagne. Jeughiz ]
Khan, and though there Is no com /
plete story OF their depredations IN ]
Bessarabia that region without doubt i
suffered similar atrocities to others i
which are recorded IN narrowing de- /
tail At Ryazan women and children ]
were used as targets in bow and ar /
row contests. sllvers OF wood were ]
then they were corralled IN churches /
20 watch their women being ravished /
and finally roasted alive. and this i
went on until Il said that No eye re- /
NAMED open to weep for the dead 4
Another city. KozeIsk, was renamed I
Mobalig. city OF woe and Kisv was /
laid waste after her people had been /
manned and murdered.
The Great Contrast.
"A picture Of peaceful, pastoral. \
Bessarabia before the renewed raw
ages OF the world war furnishes a 4
pleasing contrast A delight to the l
few tourists who went through the re- 1
gion were the 1feldavian homes.
"a Moldavian interior was immacu-
late and vivid Brightly coIored cur
tains and hangings were used. An in 4
evitable decoration were rows OF yell
low gourds, the raising OF which is /
one Of the minor Bessarabian indus
tries The people are deeply religious.
Each orthodox home had its altar. fac
Ing eastward sacred bread beneath
the icon, and corn stalks pltced !
IN the shape OF cross be-
fore Il. Even the affairs were
colorful because Of their drapsries.
candles. and. many times, they
were laden with flowers. The Bessa-
rcbian women are sprightly. bright
eyed and pretty.
ITO a land where curious religions
abounded Bessarabia furnished It's
quota Of frealzish sects. The Flagel-
lantss self STYLED People OF Cod
Jumpers and White Doves did not pre-
vail in Bessarabia, but the Mutes
originated there. The followers OF
this belief kept vows OF silence. while
the 'Non-Prayers' took literally the
statement that God Is 20 be worshiped
In spirit and therefore did away with
candles, Imagery and vocal petitions.
The birth OF Rumania.
MoldaTlans constituted about half
the INHABITANTS OF BeGsaranla- Ru-
mania was formed by the union Of
Moldavia and Wallachia, hence the ad-
joining .Bessarabia, with its large Mol
davian population. long has been the
frredenta' OF Rumania-
''Kishinev, capital Of Moldavia. was
the scene Of the atrocious Jewish mas
sacres OF Easter Sunday. 1903. when
nearly 50 Jews were killed. about 500
wounded. and 700 homes destroyed.
REM Is q small Danube river port where
prince Alexandra. OF Bulgaria, was
taken after the Russians had insti-
gated a plot 10 have him Kidnapped IN
'Tsmafl. too. has a story. told IN
Byron's Don Juan the story OF its
siege by Souvarov.
1.-THE greatest chief
That eyer peoPled hell with heroes
Or plunged a province or a realm IN
grief
'Kilia IS another river port but its
growth was checked when the commits
sion which improved the Danube delta
deepened the Sulina. instead Of the
Kilia channel
''Bessarabia as a Russian province
before the war. had an area about
equal to that OF Massachusetts, and
New Hampshire combined, and popu-
lation comparable TO Indiana