The Washington herald., 1919-04-21

, moved. I came out and In . thunder-
ing voice ordered:
Get upr "vetavai!"
Good health. sir chief" 'Zdrav,s
zhelaiem.. gospodin Natchalnik"!
Frightened and sleepy. my recruits
left their beds. Az soon as they gu<
through dressing and washing thers
was . call to prayer. ! made praytns
q daily duty. Breakfast followed. con-
sisttng q tea and bread
At had issued an order that the
companies should all, in fifteen
minutes. Be formed into ranks. ready
for review. I came out. passed each
company, greeting It. The company
would answer in . chorus:
GOOD health. sir chief''
Training was resumed. and l con-
tinued the combing out process. A
soon as I observed q girl coquettins
with an Instructor. carrying herself
lightly, playing tricks and generally
taking It easy, quickly ordered her
out Of the uniform and back homa
| In this manner weeded out about
nifty on the second day. I could not
emphasise too much the burden Of
responsibility I carried. I constantly
appealed for the most serious attitude
possible on the part OF the soldiers
toward our task The battalion had
to be a success or I would become the
laughing stock Of the country. dis
RracinR at the same tine the spon-
sors of my idea, who grew in numbers
daily. I took no new applicants, BE-
, cause haste in completing the course
of training to rush the battalion to
the front was OF the greatest i'm.
portance.
For several days the drilling went
on, the girls acquiring the rudiments
OF soldering. On several occasions
I resorted to slapping as punishment
for misbehavior.
One day the sentry reported to the
officer in charge that two women, one
q famous Englishwoman, came to ses
me. I ordered the battalion at attsn-
ton while I received the two callers.
who were Emmeline Pankhurst and
Princess Kikuatova, the latter OF
whom ! knew.
Mrs. Pankhurst was introduced to
me and had the battalion salute
"the eminent visitor who had done
much for women and her country.
Mrs Pankhurst became a frequenter
of the battalion. watching It with alb
sorbing interest as It grew into well
disciplined military unit. We became
very much attached to each other.
Mrs. Pankhurst invited me to a
dinner at the Astoria, Petrograd's 8
leading hotel. At which Kerensky was
to be present and the various allied
representatives in the capital.
Meanwhile, the battalion was max
ing rapid progress. At frst We were
little annoyed. The Bolshevik agita-
tors did not think much Of the idea,
expecting II to collapse quickly.
received only about thirty threatening
letters in the beginning. 1t gradually,
however, became known that I main
tanned the strictest discipline. com.
manding without . committee. anc
the propagandists recognized a menace
in me, and sought q means for the
destruction Of my scheme.
On the evening appointed for The
dinner I went to the Astoria. Ther<
Kerensky was very cordial to ma
He told me that the Bolshevfki vert
preparing q Demonstration against the
| Provisional Government and that a
nrst the Petrograd garrison had con.
sented to organise . demonstration
in favor Of the government. However
later the garrison wavered IN its de-
cision. The war minister then asked
me II would march with the bat
TALON for the Provisional Govern
ment.
CTo Be Continued)