The New York herald., 1922-07-16
SOVIET INAUGURATES
MILITIA OF MORALS
| FOR PUBLIC HEALTH
National Vice Squad to Run
Down Persons Of Dis
solute Character.
ALL TO BE SEGREGATED
HOuseholders Made Resp0n-
sible for Conditions of
Their Dependents.
ALL TO BE SEGREGATED

Special Gable to THE New YORK HERALD.
Copyright, 1923, by The NEW York HERALD.
Moscow. July 15.-The Soviets have
taken an extremely virtuous turn.
They have taken 1t with character
istic violence. The latest decree is
to organize militia of public moral
ity." The decree aims at immediate
and complete suppression of social
evils. The main duty Of the militia
OF public morality" in which all house,
holders are forctbly enrolled. will be
to keep an eye on all persons, leading
dissolute life and report them to the
police
Social evils have increased enor-
mously throughout Russia. The So
Wet now plans to establish "vice
reservation to which all who are de-
nounced for infra.tion of moral law
will be exiled and there confined.
Presumably they will be allowed to
carry on tn. re as they please. but the
rest OF Russia will be purged Of all
moral conscience Of the Bolshevists.
Strange Consequences.
If ever serious .ttsmpt is made to
carry 1t out 1t will lead to an almost
total clearance of the population Of
whole quarters in Moscow and other
towns. Moscow is busy gossfping as to
who will be the heroic commissar to be
place in charge Of the vice reservation.
The penal provisions of the law In
clude long series Of fines and impris-
onment for failure to report or in
fractions Of the moral laws.
A similar move to set the country
Alright by farce is found In the Soviet
decree providing fol forcible return to
their own homes OF the thousands who
fled from the famine. Fully one-third
of the rural population has returned to
the nomadic life OF Centuries ago, and
after fleeing from famine. plague and
disease are pouring into the cities in
utter destitution. Plane are now being
worked out to put the return decree into
execution, but as In many cases re-
turn would mean death from starvation
there Is sure to be q vio'ent resistance
II It Is enforced, and R,:ssia's many
other horrors will pale into insignifi-
canoe before what will happen In such
an event.
The inevitable consequence of throt-
Ting foreign trade has been the growth
Of smuggling and brigandage. Hence the
Soviets are taking means to suppress
both, the efforts to suppress smuggling
almost leading to trouble. The border
States through Soviet demands have put
officials on trains from Baltic ports.
Antonon Brothers Suppressed.
The most romantic feature of this
campaign, however. was the suppression
of the great robber band headed by the
brothers Antonoff. For the last two years
great, we'll armed bands of merry men
under those two terrorized the central
provinces until whole Robin Hood
legend was built up around them. They
were utterly without mercy toward the
rich or Soviet officials and delighted in
holding up consgnments of food, &c.
but full confederation was given the
humber peasants and they shared most
Of their Ill gotten gains with them.
Eventually a special Soviet commissar
was sent to arrest the Antonoffs and
break up the bands. On the way he
himself almost fell a victim, being held
I'D, his papers taken from him and his
secretary killed. He demanded military
help, and several flying columns Of Red
soldiers were sent after the brigands.
But they were invariably sent wild
goose chasing by friendly peasants. de-
spite the large rewards that were offered
Finally the commissar succeeded In trap
ping them.
1t was well known that any peasant
Who had been abused by the Soviet
could appeal for the chivalrous help OF
the band. so the commissar sent one OF
his own men to the leaders to say that
he was beaten by Red soldiers. The
nan told a pitiful tale in village and
was advised to get the Antonoffs 20
avenge him. Peasants willingly gave
him directions as to where he could find
the chivalrous chiefs. AS a result the
commissar surrounded the village where
they were lying with a few followers
ard. after sharp fighting. the leaders
v ere arrested. tried and executed.
smuggling on a growing scale Is grad
ually bringing to light unsuspected quan.
titles of hidden gold, in which the snug
gers insist payment be made. There is
now a recognized gold exchange value
quite Independent of Soviet DEGREES. and
brisk business is being done. with the
price of gold rising 20 per cent In the
II.