The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-12-27
CONDITIONS IN
DARK RUSSIA

IlttSiiJ:7 IAIitttiN, WV.
There is no Likelihood Of a rising Of
the people OF Petrograd against the
BolSheviki this winter no matter how
terrible their plight may become,
says I. saponen, 4 rominent art deal
er of tina. city WHO sacrificed for
tune OF 100000 rubles to escape
from Russia.
The belief Of starring the porula-
ton into starting 4 revolution is a
! heresy," he declares. so far as the
, ! Russians arc concerned, they Will
simply die.
General Yudenitch. without Fin
lands help. has no chance Of taking
Petrograd for he began his campaign
q month too soon. II he had waited
until Trotzky's men began to feel the
pinch Of the cold. along With insult
Gcient food. their lowered morale
+! might enable the attack to succeed
Aided by the Wife OF Maxim Crosby,
VI Saponcn cnntrived, by lavish hrib-
cry Of the BoIskeviki. to leave Petro-
! grad. Hc arrived at. Hclsingfors a
! month ago. To II representative Of
! The Associated Press he related the
first .inc for publication his remark
cb,c experiences from arrest in June
! whilo serving as n representative OF
I the Finnish government in negot!a+-
ing for the exchange Of war prison
ers N. Saponen is native OF Fin
/ land, who has resided in PetroGr2d
for the last ton years.
Until March," he said, Eve foreign
ers were never molestcd. had been
representing, the Danish Red CroS~
uatil l tcck up the exchange Of pris
! onerS on March IL.
After securing written guaran
tee. signed by Schlovsky, the Petro
grad comnnandant. and Tchitcheri!
, Commissioner Of oFreign Aaffirs
that my life and property would b,
saf,.. was allowed to return to Fin
| land Nevertheless from April % un
til May II I was kept in detention
in my OWE house ;:nt, was formally ar
rested on June >. I was taken tt
Moscow thrown into Il military cam.
and treated worse than 4 dog si,npl.
because I was Finn. l was kept il
prison until August s when Schlov
sky ordered me to be released.
Tho contents of my Pctrosrat
house. consisting of works of art
Jewels valued by Russian experts
1900 .nA@ rublcs arc undoubtedly car
ried of. and have no hope Of scein:
them again.
Commenting on the condition 0:
Russia. NJ. Saponcn said:
The Allies blockade is destroying
White Russia for the Polshevik
naturally feed their own follower:
first and there is little left for tn
governments enemies who are perish
ing.
II wish to reiteratc that there is
no possibility Of a counter revolt fol
the Russian peasants are incapable o
acting without leaders. IT was tn.
Germans and not the people WHO
brought about the revolution Which
overthrow the Emperor and late!
KcrenskE. Before the revolution peo
pic could obtain two or three pound;
OF bread. Afterwards they were onl:
allowed onc-c;chtll of Il pound, but
they We're too tc:iorized to protest.
There arc only three to five PEI
cent. real believers in Bolsfevism il
Russia. and they, by using drastic
measures. are able TO swing the great
masses oyer TO their side"
M. Saponen said that the central
government, despite the control OF
the army, exercised little power over
the local Soviets but the Bolshevi!l:
have done considerable constructive
work principally in the establishment
OF trade schools. Eager to educate
;,,r masses t]1c:- have opened numer-
GUS kinderSartens and the State takes
care OF the children until they reach
fourteen years of age.
i!o criticised III" Allies. military
:::t! 70 The White Russians ss ineffect
ivc saving shat thc Allies do no; sene
supplies, regularly ard III sufficient
quantities.
The Finnish troops could them
selves capture PctroSrad as the Bol-
.ii wiki fear them above All others. AS
Il result Of tn" Eolshcvilzi propaganda
,lurin% .hc WIZ 4 Rolshev!k officer
3nnounccd thal he would rather fight
tn. devil himself than tho Finlls who
nc,-"r knew when they wer" defeated
per cent &c the task OF
,.nnuli"rn:. the I;oShcviki would be
accomplished with the cahtEr" OF
;,..:rn.r:.d ~; tha, is tn. only WAY TO
impair the blind confidence of the
people who are believing in Bolshe- |
oil -,f thrjr I
leaders.
VI. Sapcnen confirmed reports OF
+" "ppalling conditions in Pctrosrad |
which tho wintcr,will make far worse
and said :hut all wooden houses had
long since been burned for fuel SIS |