New-York tribune., 1920-06-27

American Red Cross, Was i'm
prisoned for several months by order
of the Bolsnevik government in the
famous fortress Of Sts Peter and Paul
in Petrcgrad. HIS account of his ex-
perientes, entitled "A Prisoner OF
Trotzky's" Doubleday Page), Is mos:
vivid and startling narrative. It pos
scsses all the fascination of fiction. 1t
is doubtful if any hero of Dumas ever
passed through SO many narrowing ad-
ventures or enjoyed so many narrow
escapes from death
KalpaschniAotf was accused Of plot
ting to send number of Red Cross
motor cars to General Kaledine, an
anti lshevik Cossack leader who y vas
then hghting in the Don region Kal-
paschnkof vehemently asserts his in
nocence and is supported by former
Ambassador Francis, who writes r fore
word to the book Mr.. Francis says o.
the author:
He is a patriotic Russian, possessed
Of courage, intelligence and culture,
IF paschnlkoff vas connected with
any movement for the restorat ton Of
the monarchy I was not aware of il,
and think I should have known it il he
had been, as l had several talks with
him on the subject. He always ex-
pressed himself as iiberai-minded
Russian and regretiu that the pro
vsional government mad been over
thrown"
Colonel Kalpaschnikotf' attachment
to the provisional goverAmen. seems
to have been q case of preferrlng the
lesser Of Two evils. He inveigns bit
terly against It's head, Kcrensky, whom
he describes as a shallow adveNturcr
without principle, courage or honor
Ie declares, on somewhat doubtful au-
thorlty, that Kerensky chad been ar
rested several times before the revolu-
/ ton, not only for political, but for
criminal o;fenses'
1t was strange crowd that filled
the cells of SITS. Peter and Paul during
the period Of paschnlkoff's impris-
onment. Old monarchists and veteran
revolutionists, united in hostility t,
the Bolsheviki. occupied ad joining cells
Among the more distinguished pris
oners were Bourtzef, the Sherlock
Holmes Of the revolutio onists, who de
voted many years OF his life 10 the .x
posure Of spies and informers; Parish
kevitch, a fanaticaI Czarist; Mime
Nirubova, a ccnfdante OF the CZarir
and friend Of Rasputin, and Terest
chcnko, minister III Kerensky's cab
nets. There was nuch in the situatio
to suggest the French Revolution, al
though noue Of paschnikoff's &C
quaintanoes was carried off to execu
ton. Tie prisoners lived in a state O
constant terror. however, as there wa
always danger that the turbulent Re
guards ght break in and commit
wholesale massacre. The author de
scribes the Kronstadt sailors who acte
as his jai,ers i'll philosophical, not t
say charitable, spirit.
at is curious to say, but these rabi
Bolsheviki. with whose assistance Le
nine succeeded in taking powe
into his hands and who wer
often described as bio loodtnirsty Ar
violent brutes, always seemed t
me to be-when | came 10 kno'
them better-brave, energetic m
bright fellows, with open mini
and they were quite well educated 70
common Russian peasants. am PEI
fcctly sure that II they We're pcoperI
handled and reasonably talked to the
would turn oui 20 be kind -hea rted ind
viduals. would understand their ms
takes and would have made wonderft
! material in the hands or cleve
, strong wilied man. Some of them wer
simply ideslists, and it way impossibl
10 bribe them with money
, Colonel Kalpaschinoff describes n
interview between himself and III
Pols Der1hinsky, the lending spirit
a tho formidable Extraordinary Comm.
y sion, which may be lNened TO the Con
,nittee Of Public Safety In the trenc
Revolution. To the authors questio