The Washington times., 1935-11-28
SOVIET MILITIA
TERR0R|zES
CITIZENS
ARTICLE XIII
BY MICHAEL BURSTEIN

Shock BrigGdieT of the FiUe-Yedr
Plan in Soviet Russia and For.
merly a Commander in the RED
Army
Our next batch of victims was
q group of working girls who had
attempted to board a packed
street car through the exit door.
The girls were led to the tenn
porary quarters Of our inspector.
They had broken the law and
were fined. But some of them
had no money.
The inspector demanded their
passports. Several had factory
and union cards, but did not
carry their passports to work with
them. The inspector insisted that
he must have their passports.
Every Soviet citizen, in addition
70 all other identification papers,
must carry passport.
Girls Arrested
Several of the girls we're led
away under arrest. In the mean
time, noticed crowd gathering
in another part of the great
square. rushed over and saw
a worker lying on the cobbleS
all in blood. He had been hang
ing onto a street car, when he
saw a militiaman running after it.
For fear of being fined, he
Jumped off and was run over by
q horse and wagon. Some of the
regular police came up and showed
the crowd aside, threatening to ar
rest them as counter revolution
lists for gathering in the street.
Asks Fare for Basket
A militiaman's whistle sounded
from another intersection. 1t was
the conductor of a standing street
car who had called the police.
who is making trouble here?"
asked the militiaman. The con-
ductor pointed to a woman pas
senger carrying a basket for which
she had paid no fare. The militia
man demanded that she pay for
the baggage"
Il have no baggage" pleaded
the woman. Il am taking this old
basket to the factory. 1t is empty" !"
Other passengers rose to defend
the woman. The militiaman cried
out:
"Shut up! I know my business. !"
Woman Has No Money
He demanded payment. The
working woman had no money.
She wanted to throw the basket
into the street. But the guardian
of the law would not let her. In
stead he dragged her off to the
inspector who was stationed at
the other end of the square. The
conductor went along. The street
car remained standing.
I'VE will be late to work! It's
not our fault! Let us be going!"
These cries came from within
the car. but no one needed them.
The police took their time. Then
they turned their attention to
those crossing the streets against
the traffic rules.
Whole crowds were corralled.
Many who did not even attempt
to cross the streets at the wrong
time paid fines just to avoid per-
secution. The order of the Soviet
policeman brooks no contradiction.
Cv-v;,SIInH Axy Skoraa
But when a citizen needed the
help of the militia, all appeal was
futile. There was the case of a
woman who came up to our in
spector with a complaint that she
had just been cheated by the
manager of a nearby government
store.
After waiting for weeks, she
came to receive 1917 pounds of
potatoes, for which she had paid.
She was given only 10 pounds.
Our inspector did not even turn
about to listen to the woman's pro-
test against getting short weight,
and he bawled me out for suggest
ing that a man be sent to the
store to check up on the alleged
theft.
Such Swindling is a common
practice in all the Soviet stores.
The militia work hand in hand
with the corrupt manager of the
government shops.