New-York tribune., 1919-05-25
>lheDOnCOSSackS
Fight ON
MONG the Russian govern
ments which are at present
fighting the Bolsheviki for

K A- fighting the Bolsheviki for
life and death one of the
strongest is that which has its seat
at Yekaterinodar, in Southeastern
Russia, and is headed by the Cos
sack leader, General Denikin. The
main support of this government is
the ancient Cossack republic of the
Don, organized in the eighteenth
century as military frontier and
maintained since as semi-autono-
nous unit OF the Russian empire,
kind of "state within a state" A
series of letters written by a Cos
sack officer, Alexis Aladdin, to Eng
lish friends, is published in "The
London Daily Telegraph" describ-
Ing conditions in the Cossack terri
: tory.
One of the letters reports a meet
ing of the Cossacks held at their
ancient capital, Novo-Cherkask. We
read:
Novo-Cherkask, Feb. ], 1914.
Dear To-day there met in
rooms of the Assembly of the Nobility
our Great Cossack Circle, the embodi-
ment of the supreme power in the
region of the Don.
Only year ago, on January 20, our
great Ataman, General Kaledin, shot
himself to awaken to sense of loyalty
and duty the souls of those Cossacks
who had forgotten the glory of the
traditions of their ancestors and Joined
the numbering bands of the Bolsheviki.
In the middle of last February we were
driven by the pressure of the enemy
and the reasonable disloyalty of the
population out of Novo- -Cherkask into
the barren steppes of the Don hnter-
land and the Alamans. Generals
Nazarof and Voloshin were barbar-
ously shot by the Bolsheviki, for no
other crime than staying in the town
of Novo- Cherkask on the post of duty.
A little later fourth victim, the AS
sistant Ataman, Mitrophan Bogaevsky
(brother to our present chief of the
Don Cabinet, General Afrikan Bogaev-
sky, fell treacherously murdered by the
revolted Cossacks.
"All these memories haunt us as
living phantoms of the past, as dark
blots on our conscience-there is no
peace in our hearts. And the actu-
slity, the reality OF our present situa-
flcn-if = hu
After ten months of incessant fight
ing on the northern borderland, our
troops-clad in rags, badly armed, worse
provisioned, lacking in ammunition and
reserves, with hospital stores empty,
and no dressing material for the
wounded, or means of transporting
them in time to the bases, with typhoid
fever decimating their ranks-gave
way, and they are now slowly falling
back southwark toward the railway
line connecting the Don region with
Tsaritsin. The Reds (Bolshevih) hang
on their heels, and press with heavy
odds-five against one at least.
"The Bishop of Axay, Hermogen, the
fearless spiritual leader of the Don,
blessed those present and the pro-
ceedings were opened
THE chairman of the circle was Mr..
Harlanoff an ex-member Of the Duma,
good speaker. The undcrcurrent in
his mind was-broken front, falling
back in the north Of the Don and de-
lays in the help from the Allies.
"The audience heard the words of
their chairman with intense eagerness.
but remained silent and waited for
the Ataman.
when the Ataman rose no cheers
greeted him-the moment was too
serious. tall, 1.-THE figure, with the
springy movements of body trained
TO military life, with q head showing
Eilvery traces OF age; the penetrating
voice OF born speaker; quick i'm
agination, full Of poetic color; eyes
now burning with the enthusiasm Of a
fiery spirit, now holding the audience
with the cold expression Of will: a
soul urged upward by ambition and
genuine, deep love for his native land;
divine spirit struggling in the miro
OF earthly wiles and snares--such Is
our Ataman.
Arosnof's Speech
He rose to speak, tense, nervous-a
giimmer OF hesitation-an effort Of will
TO collect himself and get hold Of hia
audience with his eyes-then the first
sounds OF his voice, vibrating this time
with Enthusiastically genuine emotion.
filed the hall.
In April last our position in Novo-
ShefSask was worse. The guns sounded
ho'tn' south, west. We were short of
! arms ammunition, men, organization
sus our spirit thrilled with hone
hnpty-handed we fought and van
euisned our enemies, and took from
tnem arms ammunition, stores. Al
tnat time our enemies were nuror.,,.
nns not organized az they are TO-DAY
1heir leaders were "coxnrade hair
dresser and "comrade bootmaker" and
similar experts in matters militarv
lime wore on and with the helm ~
arms and ammunition got from the
Sermans-and at what price, oh. Lord,
we chased the enemy out OF our bc-
loved Don land. But again we fought
snd fought, and fought--thia time