South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-05-25
SCORES KILLED
DAILY IN SOVIET
SEAT IN RUSSIA
To Wear Good Clothes in
Moscow is Crime. Says
American Engineer.

BAKU. Nav 24-Giimpses into
the fantastic life IN Moscow under
bolsheyik rule are given by an Ar
menian engineer who has arrived
here from the capital OF soviet
Russia. He saws the people OF the
city live IN terror Of the bolsheNlk
Red Guard and that the former
bourgeOisie have very few privileges.
To be we'll dressed is "A crime The
hated upper classes must masquer-
ade as poorer folk whenever they go
into the streets. Good clothes or
furs bring down upon them the CRY
Of bourgeois" one word OF pro-
test or of nou-su omission 10 the
ruling powers is quite sufficient 90
evoke the damning word. counter
revolutionary" That means prison
and sometimes death. The jalls al
ready are full OF old counter-revolu-
tionaries and the Armenian says al
most daily from 80 90 90 men and
women are shot
The Strasnoi monastery is now
peoples law court Where the
bourgeoisie are tried and condemn
ed for crimes" of opposition or al
legged opposition to bolshevik rule
Many Priests Killed
The churches. he says. are safe.
but their yaluables have been rec
moved. Many priests have been kill
ed or imprisoned because. after the
death OF the former emperor and ms
family. they prayed in secret FOR the
dead
Some of the theaters are stil
omen The great imperial theater IS
used for bolsheVik meetings but IN
the evenings opera and ballet con-
tinue The greatest artists have all
escaped from Moscow but many
good ones remain Only soldiers go
to the theaters The bourgeoisie APP
parently dare not.
Most of the banks are closed. Only
one bank with several branches eN-
/ lists. IL is known as the Peoples
Bank of the Russian Federal Soviet
Republic" sums not exceeding 1000
rubles month may be drawn but
usually one has 10 pay am agent 30
to so per cent of his draft as "a COM
mission for obtaining f.
IL is dangerous TO employ any
servants sure sign Of bOurgeOlsie.
Servants arc in some cases retained
secretly But on the paper showing
the number Of people i'm the house
the servants are listed as poor reia-
tives.
streets Are Filthy.
The streets are hithy and unkept
Every now and then the bourgeoisie
are ordered to clean their own
streets, men. women and children
are given spades and ordered under
penalty Of Imprisonment 10 shovel
filth away. AS a rule the bOur-
geoisie have 10 load and carry their
own supplies 40 one else viii work
for them.
There IS no gasoline for private
automobiles and alcohol - used for
fuel. This is stolen by the chauf-
feurs mixed with water and sold as
vodka for 400 rubles a bottle
soldiers of the Red army COM
nandeer the peasants stores -
grain and food, give them ridicu-
lousy small prices in payment and
then sell the food az huge pronts.
fDIten tEeN WISH houses ON inc AA
text Of searching for arms, take what
vaIuabIes they can hnd and sell
them in the streets They loot rob
and even murder any one daring 10
say word against them.
Death Penalty Frequent
The slightest offense in the army
is now punished by death. but when
the Red soldiers are not on duty
they seem 10 be able 20 do as they
/ like with impunity. Most OF the
civilians who have been modified
/ into the army are disconnected and
are awaiting the first opportunity
( OF turning against the bolsheyiki.
There is no protection for for
+ eigners. A decree was recently pub
Iished declaring there were no long
or any foreigners and that every one
living ia Russia henceforth would
| De deemed a Russian and have q
submit 10 bolshevik rule Paper
money 20 the value 81 100000
rubIes is printed daily only two
/ newspapers are permitted 20 ne