The Washington herald., 1919-04-07
The Amazing Story of
Maria BOtchkQrepa

ing for Yasha in the depths of my
being. and made the fatefuI decision.
] would go to war and fight till death,
or, if God preserved me. till the COM
ing OF peace. would defend my
country and help those unfortunates
on the field of slaughter who had al
ready made their sacrifices for the
country.
1t was November, 1914. With my
heart steeled in the decision l had
made, 1 resolutely approached the
headquarters of the 25th Reserve Bat
talon, stationed in Tomsk. Upon en-
tering. a clerk asked me what
wanted.
TO see the commander" I replied.
What for?" he inquired.
Il want to enlist" l said.
The man looked at me for a mo-
ment and burst out laughing. lie
called to the other clerks. Here is
a baba who wants to enlist"' he an
nounced jokingly, pointing at me.
There followed a general uproar. "Ha!
ha, hal" they chorused. forgetting
their work for the moment. When the
merriment subsided a little 1 repeated
my request to see the commander.
and his adjutant came out. He must
nave DCCn NOiu AAdI a "Oiudh ildu
come to enlist, for he addressed me
gaily:
What is your wish?"
'I want to enlist In the army. your
excellency," I answered.
ITO enlist. eh? But you are a baba,"
he laughed. THE regulations do not
permit US to enlist women. 1t is
against the law"
1 insisted that I wanted to fight.
and begged to see the commander.
The adjutant reported me to the COM
mander, who asked to have me shown
in.
With tho adjutant laughing behind
me, 1 blushed and became confused
when brought before the commander.
He rebuked the adjutant and inquired
what he could do for me. 1 repeated
that 1 wanted to enlist and fight for
the country.
1T is very noble OF you to have such
a desire. But women are not allowed
in the army" he said. They are too
weak. What could you. for instance,
do in the front line? Women are
not made for war"
Your excellency," 1 insisted, God
has given me strength. and can de-
fend my country as well as a man.
whether I could endure the life of
soldier and found that could. Can't
you place me in your regiment"
"Golubushka" Qittle dove). the COM
mander declared gently, "how can L
help you? 1t is against the law.
have no authority to enlist a woman
even il 1 wanted to. You can go to
the rear, enlist as a Red Cross nurse
or in some other auxiliary of the SER
vice"
1 rejected his proposal. had heard
so many rumors about the women in
the rear that 1 had come to despise
them. I therefore reiterated my de-
| termination to go to the front as a
| regular soldier. The commander was
deeply impressed by my obstinacy,
! and wanted to help me. He suggest
ed that I send telegram to the Gar,
! telling him of my desire to defend
the country, of my moral purpose, and
pray that ne grant me the special
I right to enlist.
The commander promised to draw
up the telegram himself, with a
| recommendation of his own, and have
| 1t sent from his office. He warned
me, however. to consider the matter
again, to think of the hardships I
would have to bear, of the soldiers
attitude toward me, and the universal
ridicule that 1 would provoke. l did
| not change my mind. though. The
telegram was sent at my expense
costing rubles. which I obtained
from my mother.
CTo be continued)
Copyright 1919, by Frederick A. Stokes Com
pany. All Rights Reserved.)