Charlevoix county herald., 1919-08-01

propaganda against the patriotic Rus
sian government If the capital is aban-
doned. Meanwhile the position of the
civil inhabitants is desperate.
The Nicholas railway has been en-
tirely taken over for evacuation and
other military purposes. Passenger
traffic has been abolished; therefore
sackmen are unable to import the
canty but essential contraband for
merly received In Petrograd.
The following were the prices ruling
last week: Butter, 20 rubles ($12.5O)
pound bread 40 to so rubles ($28.13-
$31.75); potatoes, 20 ($125O); meat,
90 to 100 rubles ($56.25-$62 5O) sugar,
tea and coffee are unobtainable; 100
cigarettes cost $50 rubles ($93.75).
Many so-called social living rooms, 9th
erwise municipal soup kitchens, have
closed for want of provisions. Those
open give only slops; people go about
almost in rags.
1t is estimated that 10000 rubles
(normally $75Q00) monthly is re-
quired to support life per head. Work
is unobtainable and the intelligent
have burned their remaining furniture
for cooking. Probably not above 1000
of the civil population remain. Pecu-
lation and corruption on the part of
the bOlshevists are undated. Recent
ly a great quantity Of clothing and
boots which were collected together on
the pretext that they were for the cen
trail store, was destroyed by fire.
1t Is suspected to have been incen-
diarism covering traces of large defal-
cations.
Situation Growing Worse.
The following shows how much
worse the situation has grown:
A month ago the theaters and cine
mas were full despite the fact that
seats in the latter cost 16 .rubles ($1O).
Now this last fiction of cultured life
has given out and the public In terror
of arrests and perquisltions have de-
serted the theater, preferring anxious
and undisturbed solitude.
As a result of bolshevist tyranny in
have appeared. The bolshevists mobi-
lized all the young peasants, but
large number deserving have formed
rowing bands inhabiting the woods,
living by robbery and falling on par
ties of soldiers, farmers and villages.
Under an elected "Robin Hood these
bands are taking the place of the for
mer peasant revolts and are known as
the green army. They are a veritable
thorn I'm the side of the bolshevists and
are reminiscent of the activities of the
little Russian guidemaki, with whom
they have a similarity in that they kill
all communists mercilessly.
The bolshevists still rely largely on
sailors to restore the weak places In
the front, bribing them with enormous
pay and privileges. The sailors are
covered with diamonds and pearls.
But, according to a secret telegram re-
ceived in Petrograd from the propa-
ganda section In Moscow, q consider
able force of Gepman comAlunists
shortly is expected, also q party of
Hungarian officers, with the object Of
forming battalion of Let's and Chin
csc partly for the Finnish front.
There is reason to believe the Ger
mans are repeating the offer made to
Admiral Kolchak at the beginning Of
the year, which he Loyalty rejected and
will again undoubtedly reject, but the
Russian peasants tortured under the
bolshevist heel may be unable to con-
troll their desperate impatience. Their
cry Is "Save us or let another save u.s."
EurOpe's future depends on our re-
spouse to their applications.