The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-12-25
ON ITS LAST LEGS
Russian Soviet Government Is
lettering to Fall.
Refugees From BOlsheVik Area
Say Conditions Awful.
old REGIME TAKES HOPE
Food Situation Becoming Stead
lily Worse, Say Reports.
All Public Baths Closed for Lack
of Fuel.
old REGIME TAKES HOPE
BY RUSSELL BROWSING.

London, Dec. 25.-Every week or SO
London's colony OF Russian anti-Bol-
sheviks, czarist nobility and refugee
bourgeois welcomes a new member,
fresh from exciting experiences in
frontier running and bearer of new
tales of the imminent collapse of the
Kremlin spiders web" Their stories
OF internal conditions in red Russia
replenishes optimism in Wrangelite,
Kerenslty, and Russian liberation
commissions, and stirs hope anew in
the virtually intact but stranded dip
iomatic machinery of the former Rus
sian governments.
About once a month a courier from
Moscow or Petrograd reaches London
bearing briefly written variations OF
events and gossip to the eXiles These
reports are always highly interesting
and frequently bring to light big
stories of happenings that have failed
to reach the outside world, More
often they are the unimpassioned de-
tail OF terrible incidents and colorless
descriptions of horrible conditions.
The latest white Russian news
paper" has just reached London,
smuggled out of Russia by a fleeing
professor from a Petrograd university.
Lenine Back to Petrograd.
The professor does not wish his
name disclosed, as he was forced to
leave his wife and daughter in Rus
STA and fears reprisals. The reports
are apparently written by persons on
the inside of the soviet regime, as
forecasts of events are often faith
fully given.
-'Lenine will soon move the seat of
soviet government from Moscow to
Pertrograd," says the last report, las
the more destitute population of
Petrograd is less liable to attempt an
uprising.
Recently birch bark shoes were is
sued to four regiments leaving Mos
COW for the Wrangel front. The
troops mUtinied and demanded leather
boots. They surrounded the Kremlin,
but were overcome by attachments of
Lettish soldiers. Every twentieth
man was shot.
"Bolsheviks have arrested two thou
sand offieers, including several high
staff officers.
Get Baths on Coupons.
THE anniversary of the Bolsheviki
government passed quietly Demon
trations were attended only by Red
guards and sailors and those by or
der No private workers or others
were present
because of lack of fuel all bath
ing establishments are closed, people
not having baths in their flats are
given a coupon which entities them to
take a bath in any flat they desire.
Food Instead Of Wages.
Professors and artists now receive
wages in foodstuffs. Thence they are
better fed than most of the popula-
tion. The army ration is sometimes
allowed brain workers. The cost of
food coupons has increased from 1900
rubles to $500. No food can be OBJ
tanned without a food coupon, except
at the Illicit markets. where it costs
five times the general prices. The
n --- N~vo Given scientists, ar
lists, and professors a present of one
f. Iornd rice, one piece soap and
one herring each. The gifts were
deeply appreciated"
A disDatch from Petrograd says:
''Food situation growing worse. Peas
ants either have nothing to send to
cities or refuse to do so. Reported
here South Russian peasants shoot
ing commissars, seizing lanes and
fighting guerilla warfare. Tchitcherin
has sent a commission south to get
facts. Lettish de-achments are well
fed and pampered Cinnamon are
used only for eXecUtioners."