Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-04-10
BOTCHKAREVA. MEETS
HER AMAZONS AGAIN
They Are in Sad Plight and She Makes Arrangement
TO Take Them From MoScoU to Her Home ToWn and
Haze Them Cared For-PIans to Come to America

md trans strd @ and transcribed by isaac Don
levine. Is published by the Frederick \.
stokes Company under The title OF
I r SPENT only several hours in Pet
4 rograd and did not go 20 see Gen.
eral y. got my war decorations
from the woman friend with whom
had left them, and saw only few of
my acquaintances. l told all Of them
of the great change in the soldiers
state of mind, and they rejoiced.
THANK Cod" they exclaimed. "It
the soldiers are waking up, then Rus.
sia will yet be saved"
After dinner took a train back to
MOSCOW. AS usual soldiers formed
the larger part of the passengers. l
listened to their discussions attcn-
Z lively, although this time [ took no
part in them, as there were a few
Bolsheviks among the men. and I did
rot wish to divulge my plans. I heard
many curse LeninC and TrotSky, and
all expressed their Willingness TO go
to fight the Germans. One fellow
asked:
How could you fight them without
leaders and organization
'Ah. that's the trouble" answered
several at once. 1--WE have no leaders.
VI some appeared and only called on
us, we would make short work of the
Bolsheviks and drive the Germans out
of Russia"
] said nothing, but remembered the
words well. The people were cropping
for light. 1t strengthened my deter.
mination to so to the Allied countries
. in search of help for Russia. But II
\ was necessary TO evolve some plan
whereby I could get out of the Coun.
try. A happy thought then occurred
to me. | would make my deSIina-
ton the home Of my valued friend,
Mrs. Emmeline Pankhurst, London.
Upon my arrival at Moscow, I an
nounced to the NasilieVs my decision
to go to London. It was explained to
me that the only way out of Russia
{ lay through Nladivostok. and that |
would have to cross America before
reaching England, That suited me
exactly.
Before taking the necessary steps
for the departure | resolved to look
up my girls and visited a clinic IN
which my poor little soldiers were said
to be located. When l arrived at the
address I found the building closed
and was referred to a certain profes'
sor, whom 7 finally found. He told
me that those of the girls who were
not severely wounded had left for
their native places. Only about thirty
jnyalids remained. Five of these Suf
fered from shell shock and were either
hysterical or idiotiC. Many of the
others were nervous wrecks. He had
tried hard to have them quartered in
the Home for 1nvalids, but hardly had
they got there when the building was,
requisitioned by the Bolsheviks and
the inmates turned out into the
Streets Vera Michailovna, a wealthy
woman had picked them UP from the
streets and sheltered them in her
house, but just before my call she
had telephoned to him that the Boil
sheviks had requisitioned her own
Eouse, and she was in quandary as
TO how to dispose of the girls. He con-
cluded with the suggestion that both
4 Of us go over to Vera M.ChaiioNna.
With a heavy heart I entered the
large building in which my unfortu-
nate girls. momentarily awaiting the
word to get out, were kept. ] came as
a complete surprise to them. But
there was no joy in my heart as !
crossed the threshold of their room
1t was not a happy reunion. had
no means with which TO help them
no power, no influential friends.
"The Natchalnik. Natchalnik," the
women exclaimed joyously as soon as
they perceived me, rushing toward
me- throwing themselves upon my
neck. kissing me, hugging me.
"The Natchalnik has come! She
viii save u.s. She will get us money
bread, home."
They danced and pranCed about me
in a spirit of jubilation, making me
feel even more bitter and miserable
y Girls, dear" ] tried to disillusior
them early, 'I am myself pennies
and hungry. You mustn't expect any
help of me now"
"Nitchevo, You know now to ge
Everything" they answered with con
fidence. you will take us TO figh'
" the Bolsheviks as we fought the Ger
Nhians!"
There was a conference betweer
Vera Michailovna. the professor an(
myself on the problem facing us
Vera Michailovna suggested that
take the girls with me to my hom'
village. I rejected the idea at first
both because I did not intend TO re
main at Tutalsk, but continue on II
yladivostok and because of my lacl
of funds.
Vera Michailovna, however. insiste'
that the wisest thing in the circun
stances would be to take them ava.
from Moscow. She told me that seN
eral of the girls had been lured ava!
and maltreated by the BolsheVik sol
diers and that the result of leaving
them in Moscow would be their ruin
she offered to provide tickets for then