The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-10-22
Starvation, Disease and
Counter Plots Cause
Rule to Totter
CROP YIELD POOR.
Communists Burn For
ests To Rout. Out De-
serters
Ry J, II. pUcKWoRTH
n, e, A. Staff Correspondent.

LONDON, Oct. 22.--Hunger ter
ror, widespread riots and revoits,
and great dissatisfaction in the
; Red army are factors that seem TO
/ be at last undermining the Bolshe-
| vik regime IN Russia.
The Bolshevik position, It is felt
! hero, has never been more preCarl-
ors than at present. Frop what
a saw in Russia last summer l
/ agree with those who maintain that
| Communism cannot possibly sur
| vive another winter,
The immediate raising OF the
! blockade could not save RUSSIA
| from starvation the coming winter.
Peace. or no peace, millions IN
! Russia are doomed to die from star
walton cold and spotted typhus
| during the next six months OF se-
we're weather. The first snow has
| already fallen In north Russia.
| How long will the Russian peo-
| pIe. under these conditions, con.
| tinIe TO submit to the rule OF
Leuine and Trotzky?
Armies In Danger.
| a mass OF information collected
recently from dep ositlons made By
| prisoners captured from Soviet
.arniaf has arrived IN i o1dqp.
gIErofr esls sgESs; sl2S7s
4 5cIal SoFiet organs, tho IsvestlR and
| Pruyda Tor September 25, 26i con-
! yincing proof is given that the
Red armies are in imminent daa'
ger of melting away and that the
| civil population is with the great
J est difficulty being held in control.
The Isvestia prints an article
! by Trotzky which says that "Fhe
army is weakened and the people
passive toward the war. Work
men and peasants must under
| stand that II the Red army is sub
| iected to another serious defeat
! In the field, the position OF the So
Wet republic will become catas'
throplc. ,u.
and the Ukraine the harvest this
wear has been particularly poor.
In August only 100000 pods
were harvested, as against 4,OOO,-
| 600 In the same month OF last
( wear. And yet the bread ration
| last May was but half a pound a
| day, which, from personal expert
ence, l know is not sufficient TO
properly sustain a man.
Everywhere the peasants have
refused to produce more than they
| neeueQ LueIubGlNGSs nGS AoNo ~
clined to grow for the cities which
have nothing to offer in exchange
| except worthless paper money.
Both the Pravda and lsvestia re-
fer 10 the fact that harvesting, In
| many sections was in September
being done, not by the peasants,
hut by Communist troops.
More Conspiracies.
| In addition TO unrest created by
the food situation, more conspira'
| cies than usual seem to be in prog
Tess. Workmen of the famous
| Putiloff munitlon shops In PeTo'
! grad, together with railway men
from the Warsaw station, recently
began a revolt against the govern
ment because OF living conditions.
Troops suppressed the insurrectlon;:
Seyerul executions followed, and
30O Of the Putiloff workers were
sent for forced labor to the Muir
man coast.
Throughout all central Russia
extensive forest fires, consuming
untold wealth In timber, are IN
proEress as the result Of the work
Of Communists, who, dissatisfied
with the efforts Of the government
roundup Of deserters, have been
endeavoring to burn out 10000 OF
those known to be hiding In the
| woods.