Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1920-09-11
~ "a,
Starvation
Soviet Government Destined
TO Undergo Severe Test of
Power During Next
Six Months.
Food Markets Closed
By ARTHUR SEARS HENNINQ
Chicago Tribune Omaha Zee Leased Wire

BY ARTHUR SEARS HENNlNO
Chicago Tribune-O Omaha Zee Leased Wire,
Washington, Sept l0,-Facinf
famine conditions that presage
terrible winter for the Russian peo
pie, suffering from military disaster
and more thoroughly discrcdited
abroad than ever before, the Le'
nine -Trotsky soviet government il
destined to undergo a severe test o.
its power in the next six months.
Extraordinary conditions in con,
nection with the food scarcity il
soviet Russia are reported in tele
gram which the State department re
ceived today from a Baltic source
Smuggling OF food supplies is com.
mon and the food situation in Petro-
grad, the old capital of Russia, is
growing steadily worse.
The Petrograd soviet has issued a
decree that private individuals are
forbidden to transport food and the
decree serves notice upon all con-
cerned that sentence of three years
at hard labor will be imposed upon
all persons found carrying as much
as pound OF potatoes.
Pursue Merciless Policy.
The bolshevik authorities regard
civilians who seek food for them
selves as food spectators" and the
extraordinary commission at Petro-
grad, vested with absolute powers
in keeping with its title. has adopted
a merciless policy in handling such
cases, the Department of State is
informed. The markets and food
shops in Petrograd continue closed
by order of the bolshevik regime.
There are many complaints on
the part of the population of Perto4
grad against the drastic policy in
force.
Even capital punishment has been
evoked under the arbitrary powers
OF the soviet to deal not only with
spies and those charged with count
er revolutionary activities, but also
with confirmed spectators" and
thieves" Peasants who seek
to recover grain requisitioned from
them by the soviet are punishable
by execution, the department is in
formed. Other offenses are punish
able by Imprisonment at hard labor
The State department was advised
today that small amount of ba-
con smuggled into Petrograd has
been put on sale there at price OF
5000 roubles per pound.
Passing Through Crisis.
A Russian authority in contact
with dependable sources of intelli-
gence from Russia said today:
"The bolsfeviki are passing
through a serious crisis. They we're
cheered by the attitude of Great
Britain when Premier Lloyd George
and other. members of his cabinet
received the bolshevik emissaries.
krassin and Kameneff, some weeks
ago. That marked the climax and
high water mark of bolshevik sue
cesses and conceded with the bolshe-
vik successes in the field against Po-
land.
Then everything was changed.
The bolshevik armies were beaten
before Warsaw, Americas note to
Italy clarified the international at
mosphere, France followed the AM
~erican policy of refusing to deal
with the bolsheviki and extended rec
ognition to the Wrangel government.
while Premier Lloyd George himself
issued statement from Lucerne de-
nouncing the bolsheviki on account
of the peace terms they proposed to
Poland and charging them with bad
faith. The bolsheviki are greatly dis
heartened now, having obtained
nothing essential in the ways of con-
! cessions from the powers, and ex-
pecting nothing.
Wanted Prestige.
From the very start of the boil
shevik maneuvers to obtain foreign,
especially allied recognition. the
Moscow governments aim was not
mainly to arrange for an exchange
OF commodities or the opening OF
Russia to foreign trade, because
none knew better than the bolshe-
wiki themselves that there were not
in existence in Russia raw materials
i'll sufficient quantities to be ex-
ported; and also the bolsheviki knew
that there was not enough gold to
pay for commodities which might
be imported into Russia, notably so
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