The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-07-11
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SADDEST CITY IN The WORLD
SAYS ONE WRITER
Terrorist Methods Prevailing;
Thieyiag Is Quite Prevail, !, !,
ing EyeryWher,e .,,.s
FRANK !. TAYLOR.

merly as gay as money and people
could make it. Petrograd is 9 prison
in itself, under the tightest state of
siege that a trembling regime cam de-
wise to prevent uprisings.
Petrograd's wide streets are almost
deserted. The days are almost as
barren as the long twilight evenings,
which last until midnight now. Z, No
one is allowed on the streets after
eleven in the evening. Every house
must have one of its occupants out
side its gate to guard at all HOURS
to guard what nobody knows. but
those are orders from the military
commander. sss@
Stores are closed and buying is
done entirely through secret channels.
The beautiful buildings are Inhabited
by bolshevik officials. H0tels are
dark and dirty, and are no longer
public shostelries. They !; are the
hang outs" Of the commissaires.
: There probably is not a sadder city
in the world than the one wonderful
Petrograd. The place is under the
spell of apprehension of either boil
shevik terror or enemy Invasion.
Most of the people hope for the lat
ter, since.it would mean food.
Most of .Petrograd is Starving.
Most of Petrograd is starving. 1T
is estimated that seven or eighS hun
bred people die daily through hunger
or privation. Disease is rampant.
Medical supplies are not to be found.
Food is sold in insufficient quaint
ties at the co-operatives, but nobody
can live on it. The soup kitchens
serve such as they have but sub
stances that none but the rayenous
can mouth. .ss
The position, of foreigners is pitiful.
They are mostly old people or refu-
gees. waiting for the chance to es-
cape. They have nothing, and with
out enormous funds. one cannot live.
With limitless funds one can eat
fairly well, buying on theesly
Cepfiscations continue, SUPPOSEDLY
they are official. The same old ter2
rorists methods prevail "a typical case
was cited by Polish woman This To-
man lived alone with her aged moth
.er IN an apartment. One night a6ugt'
midnight half a dozen sailors appear 9
ed battering down the door, demand
ing to search for weapons. Rud6ly
and destructively they bLllied the qA
men and stayed until four - the
morning. -
/ They broke open every trunk and
box and stole all the money they could
find This they did in violation of the
regulations for protection Of foreignr
ers. Trunks left by friends OF the
family were broken open with axes
How They Jared. DO.
Next day the victims. protested to-
their diplomatic representatives. They
were assured they would ) get their
funds and papers back. They did but
with fifty, thousand rnbles gone. This
was the third time this house had
been searched for considerations.
Disease RACES in Petrograd worse
than any other region in Russia Ty-
hpus is especially bad. 1t lis so seri-
GUS that the Firms put everyone who
escapes from Russia into quarantine.
In none of the Russian cities are
there means of combating disease
now. The Danish Red Cross is the
only organization allowed to conduct
relief work, and it operates under the
greatest of difficulties. 81 ST
Moscow is more normal and Is less
tragic than Petrograd. 1t is better
supplied with food, and prices are
half as high. Petrograd is in danger
of being isolated anytime by an ad.
vance from Esthonia. The bolshe-
yiks are panicky and are prepared TO
evacuate hastily, il necessary. Shops
81, 1u al
workmen modified Trenches and
barbed wire, barricades outside Petro-
grad are intricate and many, built,
mostly by labor of the, women, who
are herded in hundreds by the Red
guards. -.
Situation In Moscow.
In Moscow there are many people
in the streets. and they do not seem
particularly depressed or hungry.
They have adjusted themselves to the
new conditions and are making. the
most of II with a shrug Of the sho-
der. Az
Women are. quite well dressed,
many of them e~--, -.--nningly gown
ed. In answer; to your query, they
tell you they are wearing their best
left over gowns, Even evening dres-
SEES are worn on the streets or at
work. since people can get no. new
working clothes The men ARE most
ly shabby, and, in alditions dirty.
Crime has greatly decreased ae-
lcoring to the bolsheviks. This.b ds
probably due to the extremely harsh
nenalties. Practically all Of the pun
tishrnents II are for q politi cal CRIMES.
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