New-York tribune., 1921-12-04

s Ein long rcStdeu III N~SSt0 ana recently
veturxsd from Ekaterinodor. comnu,,i-
sSstss 10 lie Temps this tale Of whut he
Is seen there. II is an inepressive
,1velatioa Of the Russian life which the
sR.lshevists have created after three
.,6srs Of domination aud impfacable op-
yysssss'a.
PARIS, October 20.
FEW days after the occupa-
ton Of Ekaterinodar, or Kras-
~ nodar, by the Bolshevists, the
commander in chief of the
Ma army summoned me before him as
he dean Of the foreigners to learn the
Impression made on me by the Red
sfny and the order it had established.
fhe conversation was most amicable,
left the commander with his formal
assurance that the foreigners would
have nothing to fear and that they
would be provided with letters of
surety, guarantying them protection
against any untoward eventuality. But
shis happy impression lasted only few
days, and then was followed by olsen
+. chantment which could never forget.
A few days after our conversation the
commander Of the Red army imprisoned
the foreign consuls at Ekaterinodar and
Novorossysk and then transported
consulates were pillaged by the authori-
ties, who found there. especially at the
: Greek consulate of Ekaterinodar and
the Danish consulate of Novorossysk,
where the foreigners had deposited all
their valuables, colossal booty. No
sd Of requistion, no lists of the stolen
objects were made by the authorities.
This is. after all, the general rule:
Communism does not recognize prop
srty, and since all you posseas belongs
to.the people, you have no right to pro-
test when robbed, and you even risk
being arrested for your "insolence."
After the arrest Of the consuls de-
cree Of the Governor ordered that
the foreigners should thenceforth be
treated as the Russian subjects, with
out any exception in their favor. From
that moment on dates our martyrdom;
t.lasted even till after my departure,
for was already in the open sea, forty
kiiometers from Novorossysk, when a
torpedo boat made US stop in order to
make last search, although we were
in neutral waters.
i made three attempts to get to Res
tov, but all three failed. In the last
on, was arrested rs q spy at the
Tfchoretzkaya station and condemned
to death. At the moment when / was
lcd to the place Of execution, that isSto
Soy, to blank wall, was saved, thanks
to the Intervention of Red officer, a
former sailor at Novorossysk, who
knew me we'll. It must, incidentally, be
noted that no one can travel in Russia
without the special permission of the
military authorities, which it is almost
impossible to obtain for single mortal.
5000 Persons Executed
Within Fifteen Months
Back in Ekaterinodar, found the new
regime in full operation, and notably
the Extraordinary Commission for
fighting against speculation and the
counter-revolution," abridged to the
"Tchay-Ka." This institution, which
reminded one Of Dante's hell, has for
its only mission pillaging and massacre.
The least pretext is sufficient to cause
one to be imprisoned for weeks and
even months, and then shot, often with
out trial. At the time OF General
Wrangel's unhappy expedition, in Au-
gust, 1920, and when the panicstricken
Bolshevists began to evacuate Ekater-
inbdar, 5000 prisoners. most of whom
had committed only the wrong Of be-
longing to the bourgeoisie class, were
without trial shot in one night. es-
innate that during the fifteen months
that stayed with the Bolshevists, the
Tchay-Ka" sent about $4,000 persons
70 the other world.
The official aim Of the "Tchay-Ks" is
70 combat speculation and the counter
revolution, but in reality it occupies it
self with the repression of every kind
II offense, as we'll a. the misconduct
sf the state employees, such a. their
acts Of sabotage or stimulation OF sick
sess. The prosecutions for specula-
uon are more serious and most fire.
suently end in conviction and sentence
to death if the spectators, who often
work together with the agents of the
rchay-Ka" do not when arrested find
= means to purchase their life at the
price Of 100000 to 100000 rubles;
because everything is purchasable in
this country. But if one falls under
the charge Of attempting counter-rsvo-
luton. he is lost, and under this rubric
Is placed absolutely everything they
want: let them find at your home the
photograph of an officer, it is Counter
{esolution"; if you do not take off
pour hat on hearing the Internationals,
yeeunter-revolution"; if they fnd in
your house foreign newspaper which
scu have neglected to deliver to the
anthorties, "counter-revolution." He
VINO cats a roast chicken is counter
sssolutionist; the woman who is sala-
riously desired by Soviet con1missary
ana refuses to give herself to him is
A$-.-