The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-10-15
NOTED LEADER IS
AIDING RUSSIANS
UNDER WRANGEL
BY PAUL BREWSTER.
international News Service Staff
CorrespondentO

LONDON, OCt, lb.-Gtn. w ranger
has secured a very important, ally
In Ataman Maxine, the idol ~ the
Crimean peasants. according TO Capt.
Ooshakoff. Russian officer who has
arrived here to study the military
tactics OF the British army. Oosha-
koff has known Maxine intimately
for several years.
Ataman Makhno in Capt. Oosha-
koff's opinion, is the one man who
can show the present chief of the
White Guards how to clear South
Russia OF the Red forces. Operating
between the lower Dnieper AZ Alex
androvsk to Melitopol and the Shores
of the Sea of Azov, with a force of
between 10000 and 10000 peasants.
Ataman Maxine has been able to
withstand all efforts Of the forces OF
the Soviet TO destroy him. He held
the city of Ekaternoslav. one OF
the largest coal centers OF the Do
metz, for two years.
II was in the summer Of 1919 at
Gulai Polei, north of Melitopol. a
large commercial village, that Alta
man Maxine first came into promt-
nence as a guerilla leader, when he
revolted against Gen. Denikin. He
first assisted Denlkin in organizing
LIlS peasant ItNulbH 1T IshaAOi lllONliNt
and all along the coast of tho Sea
of AZov. But later when Denikin
was in Kursk and Orel, he rose
against him and cut off the line from
Crimea to the north because Deni-
kin's troops behaved badly toward
the peasants and robbed and looted
them.
Since then he has lived as an out
law both from the soviet and the
white forces and has mastered the
art of guerilla warfare. Ooshakoff
thinks that he could even give the
Mexicans a few pointers in this pre-
carious art and could Guido Houdini
in the disappearing act.
He has frequently made the Reds
take water, but occasionally, when
badly outnumbered, Ataman merely
leads his army into a village and dis
appears as completely as though
Kansas cyclone had struck him and
his peasant army. When the Red
forces arrive they find only n num-
Der OF Mouths engaged In agricul-
tural pursuits and no trace of the
army. Their arms are so discretely
hidden by the peasants that 1t Is very
rarely that even n rifle is dis
covered.
These tactics employed against the
Bolshevik forces countless times has
succeeded in bringing innumeraole
peace proposals from them and the
peace negotiations have promptly
fallen through after the soviet re-
ceived Ataman Makhno's answer to
them which Is embodied In his reply
10 their last peace proposal received
a few weeks ago. The soviet news
paper Bednota gave the following re-
port of the peace negotiations:
MAKING has agreed to the pro-
posals on one condition; namely, all
the peasants are to be asked what
form of government they prefer.
whichever they choose they must
get" After this the negotiations,
as usual. fell through.
Gen. Wrangel recently issued an
order in which he suggested that
his troops cooperate with any anti
Bolshevik bodies" said Ooshakoff.
"In his order he did not mention
Ataman Maxine by name. but 'Ba-
takes Makhno,' or Father Makhno,
as he Is called by the peasants,
knew for whom the proposal was
meant and accepted. He issued an
order TO his supporters and the peas
ants at large that they should assist
bAA AOANtcs
AThis means that Gen. Wrangel
will be supported by all the Crimean
peasants.
THE true significance OF this sup
port is shown In the fact that the
Bolshevik troops never were able to
occupy Crimea, II was occupied by
Maxine, who never Joined any polit-
ical party and was just as much an
enemy Of the white guards as he
was of the reds.
Wherever Gen. Wrangel goes he
will be furnished food and transpor-
tation by the peasants just as long
as he does not illtreat. for just as
surely as he does, Ataman Makhno
VIII turn against him.
THE peasants will obey Ataman
Makhno's orders TO a man.
"Ataman Makhno's popularity with
the peasants is explained by his
championship Of them and the oppor-
tunities which he has given them to
loot smaller towns, The efforts of
either the soviet or white guards to
destroy his organization or him were
in vain, for 1t was always impossible |
TO locate him. His bands, clothed as
peasants, moved with incredible |
speed and when hard pressed simply
Unsupported ny lue dGI Oh becoming |
Villagers. from whom they were in
distinguishable.
"Ataman Maxine is n small, fair
haired man with quiet gray eyes
He is about 40 years old and is Of
simple peasant parentage. To the |
outsider there is nothing to indicate |
that this man is any different from |
any member OF the peasant troops |
which he leads. However. he has |
passed no less than six years in the |
Siberian mines for political and other |
criminal offenses. but his almost |
brow and smooth rudy |
give not the slightest |
hint Of his suffering while in ST. |
aerian incarceration. Yet this sim |
pie, unpresuming peasant Is provid- !
ing Gen. Wrangel with assistance |
which | think is likely to lead him |
TO victory"
Capt. Ooshakofta.s young Rus
sian officer who has served with dis
on both the North Russian |
and South Russian fronts, winning |
fha RnagiaD Ortors ~ 81 Nladiuuir |