New-York tribune., 1920-12-12
Anti Red Leader
Switched Allegiance
From Soviet Regime
Gen. BoulaAhovitch, Known
as Little Father Assailed
in Paper Published by En-.
emies of Lenine in France
From the Trtbunc's European Bureou


LONDON, Nov. 2O.-General Boulak-
hovitch, last of the important COM
manders in the field against the Rus
sian Red forces, is the subject Of long
article in the current Russian lnfor-
nation Bulletin, which is published in
Paris by Russians who are opposed
to the Soviet regime.
The Independent leader does not fare
we'll at the hands of the Riga corre
spondent of the Bulletin, who asserts
that Boulakhovitch (also sometimes
spelled Balahovitch'D formerly was a
Red. and that he has switched his al
legance as often as it has seemed to
his advantage to do so.
The story of the Little Father be-
gins in 1918, when he commanded the
Red cavalry at Louga, in the Province
of Petroglad,' the correspondent says.
"At the railway station Of Louga one
could almost always find soldiers Of the
Red army, clothed half as hussars and
half as apaches, and whose demeanor
did not invite confidence. These were
Boulakhovitch s men. They were freely
allowed to plunder the population Of
the city the Little Father took all re-
sponsi5ility; they were the flower and
the glory of the Russian revolution
"W hen, in the autumn Of 1918, q
peasant revolt DrOKe out ~ NCFoSSclle
Boulakhovitch's men shot, be-
acting upon his orders, sixty peasants" "
The Little Father" received the
thanks of the Soviets, but this appar-
emily did not satisfy him, for month
or two later he is said to have jumped
from the Reds to the Whites. In this
capacity he figured as the leader of an
attack on the communist forces at
Gdov, where his band defeated another,
larger numerically, but not SO fero-
cious as his own. He is supposed to
have secured 100000 Romanof ruble s
from the town treasury on this oeea-
sion.
The Bolsheviki, by way Of reprisal,
began mass arrests and executions of
the unfortunate inhabitants of the
town. Boulakhovitch is supposed to
have promised the townspeope pro-
lection against the revenge of the Reds,
but when the reprisals came he discov-
cred that he had urgent business near
the Esthonian frontier and managed
to place himself under the protection of
the Esthonian government.
Toward June, 1919 Boulakhovitch
figured in the occupation Of Pskov by
the Esthonians, and later became mill
tary commander of the town. His first
victim Is alleged to have been displayed
in the town market place for twenty
four hours before Boulakhovitch would
, allow the body to be removed. When
he thought that his authority had been
sufficiently established, he began to levy
contributions on the citizens Of Pskov
for the support of the White army.
Finally, he is supposed to have ex-
tended his depredations to Esthoniar
territory, for the government of that
country intimated to him that his serv.
ices were no longer needed (February
1920, and he moved with his followers
to join the Polish forces against the
Bolsheviki. Since then he has figured
prominently in the news of the day.
While the Russian Information Bull
letin is frankly propagandist, 1t is op-
posed to Soviet rule, SO that it's denun
clat)on of the man who now is fghtins
the Soviets may be more accurate thar
if he were O Bolshevik.