Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-03-21

In the summer of 1917 Maria
Botchkareva formed the Battalion
OF Death, a woman's fghting unit in
the Russion army, and peasant
girl thus stepped into the interna-
tional hall Of fame. In earlier in
stsllments she told of the hardships
of her childhood, the brutalities OF
her married life and the realiza-
ton of her desire to become a SOL
dier. She told Of battles fought
and won and of the Generalization
OF the army after the overthrow OF
the Car. II was TO shame the mer
into action that she formed the bat
talon. She goes to the front with
& her women soldiers to find condi-
tions even worse than when she left.
TIME sun crept out in the east, only
\ to cast it's rays on the eXtraordi-
nary spectacle of an entire corps de-
batting their commanders order to ad-
vance. 1t was four. The debate still
ragged. The sun rose higher The morn
ing mist had almost vanished. The ar
tillery fire was slackening. The debate
continued. 1t was five. The Germans
were wondering what in the world
those Russians were going to do with
their offensive. All the spirit accumu-
lated in the battalion during the night
was waning, giving way to the physi.
cal strain under which we labored.
And the soldiers were still discussing
the advisability Of attacking!
Every second was precious. "If they
would only decide in the affirmative,
even now it might not be too late to
strike" thought. But minutes rolled
into hours, and there was no sign Of
q decision. 1t struck six, and then
seven. The day was surely lost. Per-
haps all was lost. Ones blood boiled
with indignation at the absurdity, the
futility of the procedure. The weak
kneed hypocrites They feigned inter-
est in the prudence Of starting an of.
fensive on general principles, as II
they hadn't talked for weeks about it
TO their hearts content. They were
plain towards, concealing their fear in
bushels of idle talk.
Orders were given to the artillery to
continue the bombardment. All day
the cannon doomed while the men de-
bayed. The shame, the humiliation of
ri! These very men had given their
words OF honor to attack! Now the
fear for the safety Of their hides had
overwhelmed their minds and souls.
The hour of noon still found them in
the midst of the debate! There were
meetings and speeches in the immedi-
ate rear. Nothing more stupid, more
empty OF meaning could be imagined
than the arguments of the men. They
were repeating in halting tones those
old, vague phrases that had been
proved false again and again, to the
complete satisfaction of their own
minds. And yet they fingered. drawn
by their faint souls toward doubt and
vacillation,
The day declined. The men had ar
rived at no final resolution. Then,
about seventy-five officers, led by Lieu
tenant Colonel Ivanov, came to me to
ask permission to enter the ranks OF
the battalion for a joint advance.
They were followed by about 800 of
the most intelligent and gallant SOL
diers in the regiment. Altogether, the
battalion's ranks had swollen to about
1000. I offered the command to Lieu
enant Colonel Ivanov as to a superior.
hut he declined.
Every officer was provided with a
rifle. The line was so arranged that
men and women alternated, girl
being fanked by two men. The officers
now numbering about 100, were sta
toned at equal distances throughout
the line.
We decided to advance in order to
shame the men, having arrived at the
conclusion that they would not let us
perish in No Mans Land. We all felt
the gravity of the decision. We had
nothing to guide us in the belief that
the boys would not abandon us to our
fate, except feeling that such mon
strosity could not happen. Besides
something had to be done. An often
sive had to be launched soon. The
front was rapidly deteriorating to q
4 state of impotence.
Colonel Ivanov communicated &c
the commander by telephone the de
3 cision of the battalion. 1t was a des
perate gamble, and every one of us
realized the grimness of the moment
The men on our tanks were joking
3 and deriding US.
"Ha. ha! Women and officers will
fght!" they rallied.
"They are taking. Who ever saw
officers go over the top like soldiers
with rifles in hand?"
"Just watch those women run!
Joked a fellow to the merriment of ,
chorus of voices.
We gritted our teeth in fury but di,
not reply. Our hope was still in thes
men. We stuck to the belief that the,
would follow US and, therefore, avoide,
Z alienating them.
At last the signal was given. w
crossed ourselves and, hugging ou
rifles, leaped out of the trenches, ever,
one OF our lives dedicated to "the cour
try and freedom" We moved forwar
against a whitening fire of machin
guns and artillery, my brave girls, er
couraged by the presence of men o.
their sides, marching steadily agains
the hail of bullets.
Ey cry particle of time carried deaf
with IL. There was but one though
3 Id every mind: "Will they follow?
( Each fieeting instant seemed like a
\ AKA that lurid morning. Already Sc,
3 eroi of us We're struck down, and yt
Il no one came after US. We turned ou
heads every now and then, piercin
the darkness in vain for supper
Many heads were sticking out froI
the trenches in our rear. The laggard
were wondering IL we were in earnes
mo, II was all ruse TO them. Ho'
oou1d q bare thousand of women an
ofIicers attack after a two days bon
berdment on front OF several versts
IL seemed incredible. impossible.
\ M hut. dauntless OF heart and firm q
1ten. we moved forward Our losse
z v1fe increasing, but our line was III
<ol<en. As we advanced more an
.l|ofo Into No Mans Land. the shadow
&114Ilx swallowing us completely, wit
>1 ~ tHa Hre of expIosLons revea1En
t. ~ q omes t. ~ eyes 'of ou