The Washington times., 1935-11-29
SOVIET POLICE
PREY ON POOR,
HELPLESS
ARTICLE XIV
Bv MICHAEL BURSTEIN

Former brigddier OF the ttue-yeGr
plan in Souiet Russian and TOR
n,erly commander In the Red
army.
When I was called to duty as q
d~outy policeman in Leningrad 1
was supplied with a long list OF
oftenses for which people were
liable to arrest.
I was also furnished with a book
of receipts for fines collected and
was told that the sooner my book
was exhausted the quicker would
receive a premium as well as
share of the fines, ranging from
10 to is per cent Of the amounts
levied.
I noticed that most Of the mi
litiamen were interested In collect
ing as much as possible and were
eager to pile up q record Of many
arrests. -
= Arrest Woman
We descended upon the great
Leningrad market, where sus-
picious traders were offering for
sale to milling crowd articles
such as old clothes. smelly cheese,
rusty nails, and the oldest aSSort-
ment Of food. Our inspector got
busy at once. He arrested a
woman carrying q chunk Of butter
Of abominable appearance.
Three rubles fine!" thundered
the representative Of the Soviet
law at the food "profiteer."
The woman swore that she had
no money. He dragged her away.
She broke down and declared that
her husband was q worker in a
munitions factory, that he had re
ceived q three months supply Of
butter, and that she had gone out
to sell it so as to be able to buy
bread.
Butter COnfiscated
The butter was confiscated and
the woman fined, although she
screamed that her husband would
kill her if she returned home
empty handed.
Then a new victim was brought
up, a girl Of IS or 16, with bleed
ing hands.
The girl was a "speculator" in
sugar. The police found Is Jumps
Of sugar one her. The sugar was
eonfiscated, but the girl tried to
break away, and she was dragged.
kicking and biting, over the pave.
ment like a sack Of cement.
II don't want to go to the sta.
tion," she screamed. Take all I
have, but let me 60" It appeared
that the girl had no parents in the
city and was living with an aunt.
Then you must be q kulak
who escaped from a collective" 4"
announced our inspector. The girl
was led away to be sent back to
her native village by the notorious
prison route over which gangs Of
criminals are transported.
Boy Taken in Raid
There was long procession Of
victims caught in our raids at
the police station. One, Of boy Of
Is, all Smeared in blood, had
been seized "speculating" in ciga-
rettes. His wares consisted Of
three packages. He was Jailed.
A woman had been found ped
ding some old wire and keys.
This illicit hardware" was con-
fiscated and the woman fined
25 rubles.
Another woman, with a jar of
milk, was seized at the market.
She cried that she was q widow,
that she had an infant. that she
bought the milk from peasants
and sold 1t so as to keep her
child alive. The milk was con-
fiScated and the woman informed
that the revenue collector would
be sent to her place to collect
taxes from her business.
Needed Sugar
A man with Q loaf Of bread
was brought in next. where did
you get the bread?" demanded
the police inspector. The man
grew pale He explained he was
a workingman, that his wife was
a workingwornan, and that their
two children also worked, and
that they all received bread on
their cards, but could get no
sugar. e.,
He had gone out to trade
bread for sugar. so that his wife
could have some real tea. The
bread was confiscated and the
"Speculator" fined. He had no
money, but was informed that
the fine would be deducted from
his aoSy az %ha fant0pv