The Washington herald., 1919-05-04

an end OF it!''
But the members OF the committee
and my friends insisted that / acted
in accordance with an agreement
she only engages her own battalion
in fighting" my defenders argued
"and leaves US alone. 1t is not her
fault that the German artillery could
not find the range quickly and killed
some of our comrades"
When word reached me of the in
dignation and threats of the men
decided to organize an offensive OF
my own and die fighting. l requested
our artillery to answer in kind the
enemy's fire. The engagement de-
veIoped into a regular little battle.
We were firing furiously.
While this was going on and the
soldiers in the rear were holding the
meeting the news arrived of the over
throw of Kerensky and the Bolshe-
visits victory in Petrograd. II was
announced to the men by the chair
man and hailed with such an outburst
Of enthusiasm that the shouts almost
drowned the rafting OF the machine
guns.
Peace. Peace" thundered through
the air.
I'VE will leave the front now. We
are going home, HUrrah for Lenine.
Hurrah for Trotzky! Hurrah for
KoIontay,"
Land and freedom! Bread. Down
with the bourgeoisie""
Mob Approaches.
As the celebration was attaining
new climaxes, the ears OF the multi
tude suddenly caught the sound OF the
shooting at my sector. The men were
struck with frenzy.
xiii her, Kill them all: We have
peace now" they raved. and STAN
peded in our direction.
Several girls dashed up TO me to
tell of the approach of the blood
thirsty mob. Almost simu' aneously
the commanding general rang up on
the field wire.
Run" was his first word. We are
all lost. / am escaping myself. Go
to Krasnoye Selo"'
ordered my girls to seize their
rifles and whatever belongings they
could and run without stopping To
one of the men instructors / gave
the direction in which We were TO
20. MN NNt ll4OI-
nation to our supply detachment.
Meanwhile the mob was advancing.
II encountered in the immediate rear
engaged in the supporting line.
These twenty girls were lynched by
the maddened soldiers.
Four of the instructors. who made
an attempt at defending these inno-
-
heels OF the savage mob.
For fifteen versts l and my remain
ing soldiers ran. Although We could
see no sign of pursurers We took no
chances. We stopped in the woods be-
side the road to Molodechno II was
dark. We drank tea for supper and
trees. Our supply train came up dur
ing the night and was intercepted
by one Of our sentries.
We were up at in the morning I
had connection made with the tele-
phone wire running to army head
quarters at Molodechno. and talked
to the officer in charge. telling him of
our approach and asking for dug
outs. The officer replied that Molo-
dechno was overflowing with desert
place for the battalion as the front
itself.
But what could do? I had to 20
somewhere. could not very well
continue living in the forest 1t was
an awful situation. We had escaped
from one mob. leaving twenty vic
tins in its hands. and were running
straight into the arms of another
rorh0nS hlnpulfhfrcfx- O.
we resumed our march. Within three
versts OF Molodechno I led the bat
talon deep into the woods and left il
there with the supply detachment
comprising twenty-five men. went
to Molodechno alone. having decided
TO go over the ground first and sec
what was to be done.
Mocked by Soldiers.
Groups of soldiers here and there.
in the streets OF Molodechno, stopped
me with derisive exclamations:
''Ha, there goes the commander OF
the Women's Battalion. She demands
iron discipline. Ha, ha." they would
laugh. turning to me. What now?''
With smiles and conciliatory an.
swers 1 managed to get TO head.
quarters. I made a report to the COM
mandant and was assigned some dug
outs for the battalion. There were
crowds of soldiers everywhere as ]
walked to the billets. They began
to harangue me.
You were late with your battalion -
they said. Its peace now"
IT am always with you; / am my
self a common peasant soldier"
answered. ''If you make peace now
will abide by your decision. am
not going to fight against the people.
Yes, you are for the people now.
but where were you before2" they in
Quired. You maintained the disci-
pline Of the old regime in your battal-
ion"
"If 1 had had no discipline" / an
swered, my battalion would have be-
come an institution OF shame. You
would have derided it yourselves.
Women are not like men. It is not
customary for women to fight
Imagine what would have become OF
300 girls among thousands of men let
loose without supervision and res
traint. You will agree with me that
I acted right"
The men liked the argument
I'VE guess you are right about
that" they nodded. and became more
sympathetic.
1 requested their help in cleaning
out the dugouts for my girls. and
they gave il cheerfully. i despatched
an instructor for the battalion and
by night my soldiers were comfort
ably quartered. Under the protection
of sentinels picked from the men at
tached to my unit We passed a restful
night But our presence offered too
good an opportunity for the agitators
to let go by. So in the morning after
breakfast. as ! started on my way to
headquarters, a AFnall group of inso-