The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-17
FRENCH SAVANT
NEAR TODEATH
IN RED PRISON
Baron de Baye, Explorer,
Broken in Health, Re-
leased by BOlsheviki.
RUSSIA rs ALL HUNGER
Gently Bred Women Work
Their Fingers Off for Their
Former H0usemaids.
by LAURENCEsHILLs,

Special Gable 10 THE NEW YORK HERArD.
Copyright 1920. bu THE NEW YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau,
Paris, Oct. IG.
OF the hundreds of French refu-
gees who have just been permitted by
Nikolai Lenine to return to their native
land the most notable is Baron de
Baye, savant, archaologist, explorer
and one of the worlds greatest au-
thorities on Russian history and folk
lore. He is Sc years old, and the suf-
fering from hunger. Imprisonment and
the privations he underwent in Russia
during the last four years have left
him broken down and an invalid.
So considerable were the services
Baron de Baye rendered other French
refugees in Russia during the vicissi-
tudes since 1914 that "a representative
of the French Government called on
him at his home in the Champs Ely
sees, where Baron de Baye is on a
sickbed, Immediately after he returned
here and bestowed upon him the
Legion of Honor.
Baron de Baye, whose lifelong task
has been to strengthen the bonds Of
friendship between France and Russia.
went to Moscow in 1914 to aid in tho
elaboration of the Museum of 1912"
which was founded upon the centenary
OF Napoleon's defeat and retreat from
Moscow. 1t was a labor of love In
Russia that he undertook.
Unable 10 Complete Trip.
Six years later. so hardly was he used
by the Russians. the Baron was forced
II take long rest in Finland before he
was able IN c0ptfpua m NAV ho,,,a
and when he arrived in Paris he was
unable even to walk In spite of his
iilress, however, he gave an interview
TO the HERALD correspondent on his
life in Russia
When he arrived in Moscow in 1914.
hi said. he was entertained in the home
of Count Cheremetieff q member of
one of the leading Russian families
After the revolution he was at first
not molested. but one day after an at
tack on a Bolshevist meeting, all the
men of the Cheremetieff family were
| arrested and shot. Baron de Baye de-
clared that he was arrested as a sus-
! pect and thrown into prison.
At that time the Bolshevilli pretended
TO respect churches and historic monu-
meats. Baron dc Baye asserted that
he was member of the museum coun-
! ell and therefore "functionary"
magic word in Russia under the Bolshe-
vlki-and as such, after a long lmpris-
onment, he was paroled.
Under Car Nicholas the museum was
under the direction of Prince Chebaor.
The Bolsheviki put Nine Trotzky in his
place. she playing the role of a grand
dame in the palace OF Grand Duke Ser
gius. having proclaimed herself a patron
Of art. Not knowing much about art.
however, Nine. Trotzky did not bother
to visit the museum often. and after HIS
release from prison Baron de Baye
managed TO take refuge there, where he
mid In the art works and private collec-
lions.
Although rated as petty functionary.
he received no salary. and In order to
live was forced TO turn his private pos
sessions into money He sold his rings.
his watch. his trlnkets, his clothing. even
HIS shirts. to wealthy men-that is to
say. the functionaries Of the higher order
in the Bolshevist hierarchy.
The Baron learned TO paint and sold
pictures. and to this meagre income he
added what he could make by doing
TRANSACTIONS. lie found in the museum
data on The Extension Of Art Among
the Goths In Southern Russia and
wrote an essay on Il. receiving for his
work 1900 rlbles. He sold his last two
French gold ten franc pieces for 40. 600
rubles. and even then the best he could
buy with his means was "A bowl Of millet
| soup morning and night and herring on
rare occasions.
Aristocrnts Left 20 Die.
Aristocrats Of the old regime. he said.
have the choice OF working for a nero
pittance or dying OF consumption
brought on by starvation.
Gently bred women are working their
fingers to tho bone merely to keep. soul
and body together" he declared. They
arc sewing and making dresses Cor their
former housemaids. who are now the
wives Of profteers and Upstairs who can
neither read nor write. This state OF
affairs leads 10 conventional marriages
OF women formerly Of high rank. and 70
fictitious marriages with Bolshevist
functionarics and Red soldiers merely IN
order that these women may get a little
more nourishment 20 which this new
order Of society entities them, or may
obtain the liberty Of fleeing from the
country. which they cannot obtain other
wise
Russia to-day is organized hunger.
To eat at all one must either be a
functionary or soldier In the Red army
Industry Is not existent and idlencss is
the rule. In that country. ruled by q
dictatorship OF labor, there is no labor.
To have shirts on their backs Is a luxury
now unknown 10 persons who once con-
stltuted the highest Russian aristocracy.
Because Of this state OF affairs per-
sons OF intelligence have enrolled in the
machinery Of the Boshevlst regime IN
order 90 Keep themselves alive and so
help. despite themselves. perpetuate Bol-