Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-03-04

l rested for about three days. The
news from the front was exciting.
Great battles were raging. Our SOL
diers were retroating in some places
and advancing in others. I wished for
wings 10 fly to their succor. My heart
yearned and achod.
DO you know what war is?' / asked
myself. ITS no womans Job. You
must mako sure before starting out,
Marusia, that you won't disgrace
spirit to face all the trials and dangers
Of this colossal war? Are you strong
enough in body to shed blood and
endure the privations Of war? Are
the temptations that will come to you.
living among men? Search your soul
for an answer of truth and courage"
And l found strength enough i'll me
to answer yes" TO all these questions.
I suppressed the hidden longing for
Yasha in the depths of my being, and
made the fateful decision. would go
to war and fight till death, or. II God
preserved me, till the coming of peace.
/ would defend my country and help
these unfortunates OF the field of
slaughter who had already made their
sacrifices for the country.
II was November, 1914. With my
heart steeled in the decision | had
made, l resolutely approached the
headquarters of the Twenty-fifth Re-
serve Battalion, stationed in Tomsk.
Upon entering, clerk asked me what
I wanted.
ITO see the commander" l replied.
What for?" he inquired.
II want to enlist" l said.
The man looked at me for a mo-
.ment and burst out laughing. He
called to the other clerks. Here is
a baba who wants to enlist" he all.
nounced jokingly. pointing at me.
| There followed n general uproar.
"Ha! ha! ha!" they chorused, forget
ting their work for the moment. When
the merriment subsidized little 1 re-
| peated my request to see the com
smander, and his adjutant came out.
He must have been told that a woman
had come to enlist, for he addressed
me gaily:
What is your wish?"
II want TO enlist in the army, Your
EXcellency," l answered.
| ITO enlist, eh? But you are a
baba," he laughed. The regulations
do not permit US to enlist women. 1t
is against the law"
I Insisted that I wanted to fight and
begged to see the commander. The
adjutant reported me to the COM
mander, who asked to have inc shown
in.
With the adjutant laughing behind
me, I blushed and became confused
when brought before the commander.
He rebuked the adjutant and inquired
what he could do for me. I repeated
that I wanted to enlist and fight for
the country.
"It is very noble of you to have
such a desire. But women are not
allowed in the army" he said. They
are too weak. What could you, for
instance. do in the front line? Women
are not made for war"
your Excellency," l insisted, God
has given me strength and l can
defend my country as we'll as a man.
/ have asked myself before coming
here whether could endure the life
of n soldier and found that I could
Can't you place me in your regiment?"
"Golubushka" little Dovel, the com.
mander declared gently, how can I
help you? 1t is against the law.
have no authority to enlist a woman
even il 1 wanted 10. You can go to
the rear, enlist as a Red Cross nurse
or in some other auxiliary OF the
service"
rejected his proposal. ! had heard
so many rumors about the women in
the rear that I had come to despise
them. 1 therefore reiterated my de-
termination to go TO the front as a
regular soldier. The commander was
deeply impressed by my obstinacy and
wanted TO help me. He suggested that
I send a telegram TO the Car. telling
him OF my desire to defend the coun-
try, of my moral purpose and pray
I: he grant me the special right to
| enlist.
The commander promised to draw
UP the telegram himself. with a rec.
ommendation OF his own, and have It
sent from his Office. He warned me.
however, TO consider the matter again,
to think Of the hardships ! would have
to bear. OF the soldiers attitude
toward me and the universal rIdicule
that / would provoke. did not
change my mind. though. The tele-
gram was sent at my expense. costing
eight rubles, which I obtained from
my mother.