Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1921-04-18
LITTLE NATION
BUSY ASLONC
asst LASTED
Georgian Republics Three
Years Had IA Wars To
Protect Frontiers
tBy The Associated yressi


The Georgian Republic, which eeas-
ed to exist as an independent, home
controlled government at the end of
February, as a result of attacks di-
rected from Moscow, made a con
siderable stir during the three years
of its freedom.
OF all the states that have brok
en- away from great Russia, such as
Poland, Armenia, and the Ukraine,
none has won more real sympathy
from visitors. In its capital of Ii
fills, tidily nested in the Caucasian
foothills, beside the little river Ku-
ra, there was always a hearty wei
come to strangers. Like all the pro
vincial capitals of old Russia, the
life was delightfully."- democratic and
free from the sober restraints of
more highly organized and CONNER
cialized communities.
Tiflis had its opera, its music halls
its central club house, its pictures
que drinkers, its old-fashioned ma
tional costumes and dancers, both
men and women. 1t had its society
of princes and princesses and counts
and countesses, who lived in their
town houses and extended hospitali-
ty almost to all corners. as in the
South before the war;. Russians
themselves, before and since the
great war, loved to visit Georgia,
because of its climate and its YER
dant richness. The Gar and hosts
of Petrograd and Moscow mobiles
and wealthy people had their villas,
their hunting lodges, and summer
resort places scattered through
Georgia.
One cause of the occupation of
Georgia by the Bolsheviki was prob
ably loot. This was the last por-
tion of Russia which still retained
some of old Russia's vast treasurers
of art, of paintings, of tapestries
and rugs, of silver and old ware, of
arms inlaid with precious metals and
jewels of silver r-ornamented har-
nesses, of diamonds and valuable
oriental stones the very name of
which is hardly known in Western
countries.
A more general cause of the oc
cupation by the Bolsheviki has beer
the systematic attempt of Moscow
to reincorporate into Russia its olC
provinces.
During its three years of indepen-
dence. Georgia had on paper is mo
bilizations of troops and IA wars.
all to protect frontiers. All of these
newly-formed republics in Europe
occupy some strategic transport po
sition which their neighbors need
and this generally brings on trou-
bic
Georgia held the railway up from
Batum on the Black Sea to Baku
the oil center and also one Of the
ways into Persia. Tho Bolsheviki are
said to have wanted Georgia as .
base for their campaign into Persia
and to give better ccntrol Of Ar
menia, all for the purpose Of an at
tack on the British. and also for
closer contact, either offensive or
defensive, with the Turks.
The attack Of the Soviet army was
made on February 1S. The fight
about the city continued until In
day, February 25 when the Geor
g:ans were obliged . flee. Their IN
telligence service was bad, there was
no Iubricating oil for their brand
new airolanes, everything went
wrong.
The lootIng of the city bega"
from the inside. When the Bolshe
Wiki came, more of rahbic than
a soldiery. they were permitted 10
loot. after the manner of armies
in this part of the world. The Allied
and Amer rican missions and officials
got away by train, together with the
Georgian government. Offlcla ~
President Jordania and his govern
ment will continue at Constantine
ple. hoping for another chapter to
omen in this struggle for freedom.
Because Of lack Of unity and sym
natbv among the five republics OF
the Caucasus, the Bolsheviki were
able to play them one against the
other. The Tartars and Cossacks who
helped overrun Georgia had been
fighting for national freedom IN
their republics.
The Bolsheviki who formed the So
,,;e+ Government at Tiflis have pro-
claimed that now Georgia i free 70
work out her destines, without I'M
perialistic influences.
WEATHER FORECAST