The labor world., 1922-07-15
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zky-and Trotzky Is probably now
the most powerful individual Of the
Soviet regime-(since the illness Of
Lerine).
Bolshcvist Terror shown in Two
Phases,
In the Social Revolutionary in
dictment the Bolshevist terror is d.
vided into two phases. During the
again. Indeed one of the leaders now
on trial. Gotz. was member OF the
first period the masses were stirred
on the every form Of violence by
Bolshevist propaganda and were then
uniformly exonerated by Bolshevist
tnbunals-although the massacres
which occurred in a great many OF
the towns, such as Cebastopol. Sim
feropol and others were carried out
in accordance with the Bolshevist
'proscription lists" Lurinc' the Sec
ond period it became "a state ter
ror, organized and centralized by
special body of professional spies
and executioners.'
Among tie firs+ Socialists and La
Dor Unionists to be executed by the
reorganized terror, under the noto-
rious "Che-ka," were of course a
number of members of the only pop
ularly elected legisla ure Russia ever
had, the anti-Bolshcvist Constitu-
tional assembly. One of these was
also the leader Of the National Peas
SAINT Soviet. another was president
Of the Metal Workers union at AS
trakan, etc. At Astrakan tho entire
executive committee OF the Social
Revolutionaries were shot. At Petro-
grad a number Of SO :ialists were in
cluded on the famous barge which
was loaded with six hundred prison.
ers and then sunk on the way to
Kronstadt.
The Bolshevists remind US that
the Che-Ka admits having shot eight
thousand prisoners but describes the
others 'as the immediate victims OF
the civil war" These latter killings,
the Social Revolutionaries show.
were far more numerous.
How Bolshevists Dealt With Strike.
After referring to a number OF
Soviet mass murders" the Social
Revolutionaries give the details of
one of the principal instances. Dur
ing March, 1919, the working men
OF Astrakan went on strike to secure
two rights" both of which had been
denied by the Soviets-the right to
fish and the right to purchase food.
The Bolshevists attacked meeting
OF ten thousand of these unarmed
working men with grenades and ma
chine guns, They were surrounded
again and again by a Gordon and
fired upon until nightfall. The pop
ulation was so terribly enraged
against the Soviets that the local
commander became alarmed and
telegraphed Moscow for further or
ders. Trotzky replied, settle mer-
ci,essly' The local Soviet COM
nander then proceeded to orga nize
the slaughter in a more deliberate
and systematic mann sr. There were
wholesale executions in the various
headquarters and courtyards, and to
save bullets prisoners were bound
hand and foot anC with stones
the Volga. A third stage in the mas
sacre began when the Bolshevists
realized that they had been slaught-
ering' workingmen exclusively. In
order, therefore, to cover up their
traces and to present the whole az
fair as part of the "class struggle
systematic execution Of the bour.
geoise was then begun. Within q
few days there was hardly a house
in Astrakan which did not count 8
victim. There can be no doubt as tc
this stage Of the proceedings since
the Bo!shevists themselves publish
lists containing the names of hun.
dreds Of bourgeois" shot-all in {
small provincial capital.
Appeal From Socialists.
The Social Revolutionaries add tn,
following pregnant comment: y
may appear strange that the usua
scapegoats for everything-the Men
sheviks and Social al-Revolutionarie
were not held responsible for thi
rising. The reason is that the So
cia!istic parties had been complete
ly destroyed by previous repression
in Astrakan."
After brief summary Of indi
dlvIdual mass murders carried OF
Dy the judges and accusers at tn,
MOSCOW trial the Social Revolution
aries proceed to discuss :'the un
speakaole tortures at the prisons.
AN Example of Red Methods of
Torture.
The Moscow Political Red Cros
received report from a peasant o
the kursk government as to excru
clat1ng torture by flogging and fore
ing needles under the finger nails
At Ekaterinodar, among others, tn,
officer Terchoff, the burger Axiuti,
and the ex-Communist Potolya wer,
tortured in the following way: tw,
lusty Checklists seized them by tn
shoulders and two other by the hea,
while fifth struck them on tn
neck with the handle Of a Nora,
or Browning pistol. Under this treat
ment the victims necks swelled uu
blood flowed from their noses an,
mouths, and they suffered incred
IDLY.
I'm the Cossack ettlement, Kav
kaska. the instrumer.: OF torture use,
, was the iron glove a massive piec
OF iron bristled with small nails
Among other subjected to this form
OF torture was the burger Won Eff