The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1919-11-11
GATCHINA'S JOY GONE;
CARS MOTHER EXILED
TOWN LOOKS AS THOUGH THE
GRASSHOPPERS, SMALL POX,
PLAGUE, DROUGHT AND FAM.
INE HAD ATTACKED 1T.


GATCHINA.-This little town was
once one of the most beautiful spots
in all Russia. Here in the great pal
ace Of Gatchina lived the cars
mother, the Empress Maria Fedorov-
ma, and here the car had a large
deer park.
Maria Fedorovna is now in exile,
living in Copenhagen, but if she cares
to know it her house of 600 rooms
has not been damaged by the boil
sheviki. 1 have walked for hours
through the palace and have been in
at least 500 of the 600 rooms. Not a
painting or book or piece of tap
estry has been disturbed. Even Maria
Fedorovna's dresses are still hang
ing on their appointed hooks in the
closets and the books which she had
evidently been reading in the little
sitting room and left open when she
made her hurried exit are still there,
just as she left them.
Though this was mighty nice of the
bolshies, people of Gatchina who do
not want their names mentioned be-
cause they have some doubts regard
ing the ability OF the Northwest army
to hold the town, say the bolshevilli,
realizing their inability to produce
anything, anyone could only live on
what had accumulated under the
cars government, had made most
stringent laws, making all former
government properties sacred. What
the bolsheviki wanted to protect was
the great store houses of provisions,
clothing and munitions but a feeling
that the bolshevist masses might not
make a fine distinction between store
houses and palaces made all govern
ment property out Of bounds for the
soldiers of the common bourgeoise.
Grim and Silent Place.
Gatchina is now grim and silent
place. l have seen a Kansas town in
regions stricken by grasshoppers and
drought. | have been in towns of the
South after a smallpox cOntagion, and
in towns in China where the plague
had ragged many months, and in other
cities cursed by famine. Gatchina
looks today as though for two years
it had had everything-smallpox, the
plague, drought, famine and grass
hoppers. 1t is picture of desolation.
There is horror and sadness every
where. In the dark, tumble-down
buildings twenty-three old women
are sick and starving.
AS we came in from that front re-
Gently our machine was stopped by
a crowd Of people in the road. They
were. watching a man who stood
against a wall while file of soldiers
in front of him leyeled their rifles.
At the word of command they fired
and the man fell dead. A soldier in
the crowd told me the man was for
merly a communist commandant at
Hamburg who had been found guilty
by court martial and executed accord
ingly.
Just few yards from our house
two mornings ago l heard the rattle
of rifles IN the kings deer park. One
of our guards said six communist
cadets, captured the day before, had
been shot. These are the only execu-
lions of communists of which | have
heard since l have been in Gatchina.
Must Be OFF Streets at Three.
The whites have arrested one of
the civilian population for showing
sympathy for the soviet cause during
the red regime here. Martial law
prevails, of course, and all citizens
are required to be off the street af-
ter 3 o'clock in the afternoon unless
provided with military pass.
The passing of soviet money or the
sale of it is punished as severely as
we punish people for circulating
counterfeit money in America. / have
tried in vain to buy some of this mon
ey, but. people gladly present me
with all l want to carry, but they will
not accept payment for it or any ar
ticle in exchange, even cigarettes,
because they say they would be put
in jail if they did.
The only bright spots in town are
the kitchens where the American
Child Fund Association is feeding
several thousand of the children OF
Gatchina and those who are refugees
from Tzarskoe Selo and other towns
from which the reds have been driven
by the Yudenitch troops. 1t is the
first time l have ever liked to listen
1