The Washington herald., 1919-04-18
The Amazing Story of
Maria BOtchkarepa
Leader of the Russian Battalion of Death

Petrograd soviet. Almost every day
there was q meeting. and almost every
days there were elections. We sent
delegates to corps headquarters and
delegates to army headquarters, dele
gates to q congress In Petrograd and
delegates to consult with the govern
ment. The speakers were almost all
eloquent They painted beautiful pic
lures OF Russia's future. Of universal
brotherhood. of happiness and pros
perity. The soldiers eyes would Hight
up with the glow Of hope. More than
once I was cought by those enticing
traps OF eloQuence. The rank and fle
were carried away to an enchanted
land by the orators and rewarded
them with tremendous ovatiohs.
There were speakers OF q different
kind, too. These solemnly appealed
for q realisation OF the immediate
duty which the revolution imposed
upon the soulders Of the army. Patri-
otism was their keynote. They called
us to defend our country, to be ready
at any moment for an attack to drive
the Germans out and win the much
desired victory and peace. The SOL
with equal enthusiasm. They were
ready, they would swear. Was there
any doubt that they were7 No. The
Russian soldier loved his mother
country before. He loved her q hun
dred-fold now.
The first signs Of spring arrived.
The rivers had broken. the ice fields
had thawed. 1t was muddy. but the
earth was fragrant. The winds were
laden with intoxicating odors. They
were carrying across the vast fields
and valleys of Mother-Russia tidings
of a new era There was spring In
our souls. II seemed that our long
suffering people and oountry were
being born for a new life. and one
wanted to live, live, live.
But there. a few hundred feet away.
were the Germans. They were not
free. Their souls did not commune
with God. Their hearts knew not the
immense Joy OF this unusual spring.
They were still slaves. and they would
not let US alone in our freedom. They
stretched themselves over the fair
lands OF our country and would not
retire They had to be removed be-
fore we could embark upon q life OF
peace We were ready to remove
them. We were awaiting the order to
leap at their throats and show them
what free Russia could do. But why
was the order postponed? why wait?
Why not strike while the iron was
hot?
Yet the Iron was allowed to cool.
There was an ocean Of talk in the
rear; there was absolute inactivity at
the front. And as hours grew into
days and days into weeks there
sprang forth out of this inactivity the
first sprouts of fraternization.
Come over here for a drink Of tea"
a voice from our trenches would ad-
dress itself across No Mans Land to
the Germans. And voices from there
would respond:
Come over here for drink OF
vodkav'
For several days they did not 80
beyond such mutual summons. Then
one morning a soldier from our midst
came out openly into No Mans Land
announcing that he wanted to talk
things over. He stopped in the center
OF the field. where he was met by q
German and engaged in an argument
From both sides soldiers flocked tc
the debaters.
why do you continue the war;
asked our men. I'VE have thrown
your Kaiser insists on war. Throw
over your Kaiser and then both sides
will go home.
You don't know the TRUTH" an.
swered the German. "You are de-
ceived. Why. our Kaiser offered
peace to all the allies last winter
But your Tsar refused to make peace
And now your allies are forcing Rus.
sia to continue In the war. We are
always ready for peace"
/ was with the soldiers In No Mans
Land and saw how the German argu.
ment impressed them. Some of the
Germans had brought vodka along and
gave 1t to our boys While they were
returning to the positions. engaged in
heated arguments over the story OF
the Kaiser's peace offer. Commander
kudriavtzev came out to admonish
them.
What are you doing. boys? Dom,