The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-04-18
TREASURES IN TIFLIS
CAUSE DOWNFALL OF
GEORGIAN CAPITAL
fBy Associated Press)


CONSTANTINOPLE, April IS
The Georgian Republic which ceased /
to exist as an Independent. home-con- !
trolled government at the end of Feb |
ruary, as result of attacks directed |
from Moscow, made considerable |
stir during the three years of it's free |
dom.
OF all the states that have broken
away from great Russia, such as Po-
land, Armenia, and the Ukraine, none
has won more real sympathy from
visitors. In its capital Of Tiflis, tidily
nestled in the Caucasian foothills, be-
side the little river Kura, there was al
ways a hearty welcome to strangers.
Like all provincial capitals of old Rus
STA, the life was delightfully."- demo
cratic and free from the sober re-
straints of more highly organized and
commercialized communities.
Had Own Society
Tiflis had it's opera, its music halls
its central club house, it's picturesque
drinkers, it's old-fashioned national
costumes and dancers. both men and
women 1t had it's society of princes
and princesses and counts and count.
csses, who lived in their town houses
and extended hospitality almost to all
Corners as in the south before the
war. Russians themselves, before
and sinces the great war, loved to Wis
it Georgia, because of it's climate and
its verdant richness. The car and
hosts of Petrograd and Moscow mobiles
and wealthy people had their villas,
their hunting lodges and summer re-
sort places scattered through Georgia.
One cause of the occupation OF
Georgia by the Bolsheviki was prob
loo
>,of Russia which still retained some OF
old Russia's vast treasures OF art, OF
paintings, of tapestries and rugs, of
silver and gold ware, of arms iniaid
with precious metals and jewels, of
silver-ornamented harness, of dia
monds and valuable oriental stones,
The very name OF which is hardly
known in Western countries. q
gussia Wanted Territory.
more general cause of the occara
lion by the Bolsheviki has been the
systematic attempt Of Moscow to re-
incorporate into Russia It's Old proyin-
ces.
During its three years Of independ-
eTce, Georgia had on paper Is mobiliza-
tons of troops and IA wars, all to
protect frontiers. All of these newly
formed republics in Europe occupy
which their neiehbor5 need, and this
generally brings on trouble.
Georgia held the railway up from
Batum on the BLACK Sea to Baku, the
oil center and also one of the ways
into Persia The Bolsheviki are said
10 have wanted Georgia as base tor
their campaign into Persia and to give
a better control Of Armenia, all for the
purpose Of an attack on the British,
and also for a closer contact, either Of
fensive or defensive. with the Turks.
Unable to Repe Soviet.
The attack of the Soviet army was
made on February IS. The fight about
the city continued until Friday, Feb
ruaYy 25, when the Georgians we're
obliged to fee. Their intelligence
eating oil for their brand new air
planes, everything went wrong
The lootins of the city began from
he inside. Wesen the Bolsheviki came
MORE of a rabhae than a soldiery, they
Were permitted to loot, after the man.
\ ner Of armies in this part of the world
: The allied and American missions and
officials got away by train, together
with the Georgian government. Off
c7ially President Jordania and his
government will continue at CONSTANT
nople, hoping for another chapter to
open in ~ struggle for freedom.
Becanso - lack Of unity and sym
pathy amo0s DE five republics of the
Caucasus, the Bolsheviki were able tc
play them one against the other. The
Taxtars and Coss acks who helped over
run Georgia had been fighting for the
national freedom in their republics.
The Bolsheviki who formed the
Soviet government at Tifis have pro
claimed that now Georgia is free tC
work out her deStinies, without I'M
nnrialictin in auoncoc