Evening star., 1920-02-15
WEAPONS Of REDS
/. OF PRIMITIVE TYPE.
Spears. Scythes and Lances
Used by More Than 80
Per Cent of Army.
BY LUDOVIC II. GRONDIJS.
Special Correspondence Of The sta,
and the Chicago Daily News.

md the Chicago Daily News.
NONO NICOLAIEVSK. Siberia. De-
cember 6.-We can estimate the
number of armed bolsheviki between
Novo Nicolaievsk and Barnaoul at
5000, between Barnaoul and Selmi-
palatinsk at between 1000 and 5000
and around Bisk at 1000. the total
about 10000 in the region south of
Novo Nicolaiersk. Everywhere else
there is an unstable population. out
Of which bands will spring as soon
AS circumstances force them.
Two months ago there was in that
region a nucleus ready for insurreC-
ton. Conyicts liberated by the sec
ond revolution. former red soldiers
thrown heck into the forests by the
victorious Czechs. laborers having
nothing to lose or gain by the red
propaganda ALL there were in hiding
in the "taigas" These are forests
impenetrable because of swamps or
brushwood From these lurking
places they would come to make in
cursons against the opulent viii
lagos. The bandits were brought to-
gether by red emissaries. who dis
seminated doctrines designed for use
in Siberia. Lately it is not uncom-
mon to see wealthy peasants joining
these bands. men having 10000 and
10000 pools of wheat in their barn,
"a pood is forty pounds.D
Glad 10 Get Munitions.
Most valuable to the red agents are
the men on leave who have come from
the front with their guns, swords and
cartridges. Some among them. hay
ing overStayed their leave, fear to re-
turn to their regiments. and join the
red bands. Then there are the de-
serters. Six weeks ago post on
guard on the bridge on the OBJ, near
Barnaoul. Joined the reds with arms
and several cases of cartridges. Small
patrol parties disappear into the red
ranks. Regular army munitions can
even be obtained on condition or
small payments. Two soldiers who
left the front to go to their village
are said to have stolen and carried
away two rapid-fire guns belonging
to their regiment.
From 10 to 20 per cent of the bolshe-
Wiki "partisans" carry Berdan rifies.
and a great many hunting guns. The
balance. so or 80 per cent. have only
spears, scythes and pointed iron bars
or lances attached to sticks. These
men generally attack on horseback
and in great numbers. with remarka-
BILE courage. even against rapid-hre
guns. and are sometimes able to reach
the adversary's first lines. At the
Toptchica railroad station the Czechs
were besieged by the peasants.
Against such disciplined troops the
peasant losses are dreadful. 1t some
times happens that one can count
rs dead against 2 wounded on the
Czech side. as at Toptchica. or 256
dead against a few wounded. as near
Gust -TaImenka-
They can be seen coming in the dis
tance in great numbers. The majority y
of them are rough. thick and short
ferocious, raw, seated on the bare
backs of horses. lances in hand. charg
ing then facing their adversary with
a resolute attitude, retreating to come
back from another side.
The infantry must always be on the
lookout, day and night. which makes
the watching of the railroad very tire
some. Poles and Czechs have found
mutilated bodies of their comrades
who had been surprised by these par
tisans. They had been subjected be
fore their death to tortures without
number. Deep holes were burned in
their flesh with hot irons. limbs were
cut into small fragments. skulls were
split. eyes ,gored. skins torn. Hundreds
of other horrible inventions disclose
the Imagination of the assassins es
capped from the great Siberian jails.