South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-07-06
BY FRANK J. TAYLOR.

NEW YORK. July g. Petrograd
Is but the ghost OF a city that was
formerly as gay as money and peo-
pie could make it. Petrograd is a
prison in itself, under the highest
state of siege that a trembling re-
Sime can devise TO prevent uprisings.
PetrOgrad's wide streets are al
most deserted. The days are almost
as barren as the long twilight even
ings, which last until midnight now.
No one is allowed on the streets aft
er II in the evening. Every house
must have one of it's occupants out
side its gate on guard at all hours
to guard what nobody knows. but
those are orders from the military
commander
Stores Are Closed.
Stores are closed and buying is
done entirely through secret chan
nels. The beautiful buildings are
inhabited by bolshevik officials. Ho-
tells are dark and dirty, and are no
longer keeping public hostelries
They are the hang outs" of the
commissionaires.
There probably rs not a sadder
city in the world than the once won
derful Petrograd. The place is I'M
der the spell of apprehension of
either bolshevik terror or enemy in
vasion. Most of the people hope for
the latter, since il would mean food
Most of Petrograd is starving. II
is estimated that 700 or 500 people
die daily through hunger or priva-
ton. Disease is rampant Medical
supplies are not 10 be found
Food is sold in insufficient quanti-
ties at the cooperatives, but nobody
can live on it. The soup kitchens
| serve such as they have, but sub
stances that none but the ravenous
can mouth.
Foreigners Plight PitifuI.
The position OF foreigners is pitt
full. They are mostly old people or
refugees, waiting for the chance to
escape. They have nothing, and
without enormous funds one cannot
live. With limitless funds one can
eat fairly well, buying on the sly.
Confiscations continue. Supposed
/ " they are official. The same old
| terrorist methods prevail a typical
case was cited by a Polish woman.
/ This woman lived alone with her
aged mother in an apartment One
! night about midnight half "A dozen
sailors appeared battering down the
/ door. demanding 10 search for wea-
/ pons. Rudely and destructively they
| bullied the women and stayed until
/ four in the morning.
They broke open every trunk and
box and stole all money they could
! find This they did in violation of
/ the regulations for protection of for
| eigners Trunks left by friends OF
/ the family were broken open with
axes
Disease RACES i'm City.
Next day the victims protested 70
the diplomatic representatives. They
were assured they would get their
funds and papers back. They did
/ but with 1000 rubles gone This
was the third time this house had
/ been searched for confiscations.
Disease RACES in Petrograd. worse
/ than any other region in Russian.
\ Typhus is especially bad 1t is so
serious that the Firms put every
/ one who escapes from Russia into
( quarantine. In none Of the Russian
cities are there means of combating
disease now. The Danish Red Cross
/ is the only organization allowed 10
conduct relief work. and II operates
under the greatest OF difficulties
Moscow is more normal and is
I less tragic than Petrograd IL is bet
ter supplied with food. and prices
are half as high. PetrOgrad is in
| danger OF being isolated anytime by
an advance from Esthonia. The Dol
l sheviks are panicky and are pre-
pared 10 evacuate hastily IL necessary
/ Shops are almost entirely closed and
the workmen mobilized. Trenches