Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1934-02-08
it would have spared him much mis-
ery he said

crippled it. He was sent to the hos
pital at Kahrkov where sympathe-
tic German nurse cared we'll for him.
He said that perhaps he was better
looking then for she kept him there
three months when the finger could
have been healed in shorter time.
However he did not object to be out
of the trenches. After checking out
from the hospital he spent months
furlough at home and then returned
to the front. The soldiers got no let
ters from home but they got used to
everything.
Afraid of Jews.
To prove how illiterate were the
Russian people in those days, Mr.. Mil
grom said that his comrade with
whom he spent much time, one day
asked what was his nationality. The
answer was "a Jew" His comrade
could hardly believe it for his mother
had taught him to be scared of Jews
and he was greatly surprised.
One day when Milgrom and his
buddy went to a swamp to get pail
of water they found on the ground
slip of paper on which was scrib-
bled the following words in German:
why don't you fellows go home?
The car is gone They both de-
cided to keep still about it or they
might be killed.
The news got around however. The
soldiers threw up their guns and am
munition and scurried for home, the
quicker the better, and over any
available means of transportation.
The officers tuned down, and would
say: "Comrade, let me have some
thing to eat" There was an immed-
late change. The revolution of 1917
was on.
The speaker said that Alexander
Kerensky, president of the Duma at
that time, was a big man but he failed
because he tried to continue the war
without help from the Allies. The
privation suffered by the Russian sol
diers meant plain murder. One of the
mistakes of Kerensky was to set free
all prisOners-nOt only political pris-
oners, but all others.
Leon Trotsky, one of the big leaders,
and who was born in Russia, returned
from the United States, having pub
lished newspapers and magazines in
New York City.
Troublesome times followed the
revolution. People worked against
Kerensky, and the churches, formerly
under government rule and super
vision, were turned into museums and
amusement places.
Lost Possessions.
In the Brest-Litovsk treaty of 1918
Russia lost Poland, Finland, Esthonia,
Lithuania, and Latvia.
In 1924 Lenine, a leader of great
intelligence, died. The Russians made
shrine of the tomb and saint of
his body, said the speaker. Thou
sands of people visit the tomb at
Kremlin in Moscow, day after day.
Civil war started in Russia on July
16, 1919, and lasted year and half.
The conditions were terrible, indie
scribable. The Bolsheviks cleaned up
on the old military regime and that
was when the present day govern
ment of Russia was founded.
The demands of the militarists of
Russia was awful, said the speaker.
They stole, ransacked and killed.
Maxim Litvinoff, foreign minister
at PetrOgrad, is very able man, said
Mr.. Milgrom. He was eXiled for
few years at the time of the Russ-Jap
war. He was a member of the Duma
in 1905 and 1906, and in 1905 was
leader of the Third International
when they tried to overthrow the
ROmanoff dynasty. The ROmanOffS
were in power in Russia for 800 years
but finally also took the journey to
Siberia where they had sent so many
enemy citizens from their country.
Masses Got Little Schooling.
Mr.. Milgrom explained that prior
to the World war 20 per cent of the
Russian people were illiterate, 80 per
cent could read and write, but only Is
per cent were quite well educated and
most of those got their schooling in
other countries.
In conclusion the speaker who said
little about modern Russia, expressed
hopes for the future of the country,
but added that he was glad to be liv-
ing in the United States.
Mr.. MilgrOm enjoyed much better
schooling than the average Russian
youth in the days of the Romanoff
dynasty. He was married in his ma
tive country in 1920 and, as before
stated, came to America in 1922. They
have two sons. He became a citizen
of the United States six years ago,
and is now looking forward to the trip
this summer to his native country to
visit relatives for three months. He
will be accompanied by Fred G.. Bran
des, former Finlayson school superin-
tendent, and expects to leave Pine
City on June 2.
The speaker was introduced by Mrs.
Richard Gray at the Methodist church,
following an oyster supper. Don
Spickler sang three Russian songs, one
of them the national anthem, and was
accompanied on the organ by Mrs. F.
P. Gottry.
ANY abnormal children in your
class?" asked a welfare worker of a
school teacher in a neighhOring TOWN.