Evening star., 1937-06-12
EIGHT GENERALS
co TO SWIFT DEATH
dogs Die Like Dogs"
Shouts Soviet Press, Hail.
ing Purge in Army.
By the Associated Press.

MOSCOW, June l2.-Soviet Russia
sent to the firing squad today eight
men who once were the flower Of the
mighty Red Army and proclaimed
through its press Dogs die like
dogs!"
The eight generals went to certain
swift death on confession and con.
viction Of treason. There was no ap.
peal from the verdict Of the military
collegium Of the supreme court, which
branded them traitors in the spy
service Of foreign enemy.
The newspaper On Guard said
THE execution Of these dogs will
cleanse and purify the air Of the
Soviet Union"
Pravda. Communist party organ,
said
Dogs die like dogs. There Is no
place for such murderers in the Soviet
scheme OF things. The mighty wrath
Of the people will wash OF the face Of
the earth any traitor or spy trying to
weaken the Red Army by plotting
against conquests OF the socialist rev.
olution and against wealth seized and
belonging to the people
Calls for Death Immediately"
The nations highest tribunal an.
E. 8. T., Friday, condemning Mar
shall Michail N. Tukhachevsky and
seven generals, including important
figures in the military hierarchy. 10
death Immediately" Soviet custom
dictates that such sentences must be
carried out within "a hours.
The swift-moving military trial
was deemed by foreign observers Al
probably the most important Of the
Soviet Unions treason trials. since It
disclosed disafIection In the army's
topmost ranks.
Previous trials, which sent . total
Of 20 men to firing squads, were con.
cerned with charges the defendants
plotted with Leon Trotsky for tas
overthrow Of the Soviet regime.
Marshal Tukhachevsky Included.
The secret trial stripped the eight
Of all military rank, including the
title Marshal Of the Soviet Union"
accorded Tukhachevsky two years ago
when the rank was established. Only
four others in the Red Army navc
achieved that designation.
Two marshals sat on the tribunal
in judgment Of the generals and Tux
hachevsky, the brilliant 44-year -old
strategist. who was vice commissar for
defense until q month ago. Six gen.
q Vo ell
OF the dread court, were also judges.
A curt communique said: The court
has established that the accused were
In the service Of the military service
OF . foreign state carrying on an
unfriendly policy toward the U. s. 8.
r.; that they have systematically
supplied military circles Of the country
with spy information; carried on
wrecking action In order to break the
power Of the workers and peasants
Red Army, and in case Of military at.
tack on the U. s. s. r. to prepare for
the defeat Of the U. s. s. R.; rat they
aimed to aid the disorganization Of
the q. s. s. r. and the restoration Of
the landlords and capitalists in the
U. S. 8. r." ~
Germany or Japan.
1t was generally understood tho
unnamed foreign power was either
Germany or Japan. Previous trials
have accused the defendants OF con.
spring to deliver Soviet Russia into
the hands OF both those neishboring
powers.
The ofncial statement CHARGED tho
late Gen. Jan Gamarnik, former vice
commissar Of defense, with equal
guilt. He was reported to have killed
himself June l after being exposed
as = traitor
The death sentence was passed
against these men in addition to
Marshal Tukhachevsky:
Gen. Kazimirovitch v. Putna, for.
mer military attache in Rome, Ber.
lin and Toxic.
Gen. A. I. Kork, former comman-
dant OF the Soviet West Point, Frunze
Military Academy.
Gen. I. E. Yakir, former commander
Of the Leningrad garrison.
Gen. I. P. Uborevitch, former COM
AoAANSA VI VIC Army III WnlCS RuS.
STA
Gen. Robert p Eideman, former
chief Of the army branch for training
reservists and civilians in aviation
and gas defense.
Gen. B. NJ Feldman, former chief
OF the personnel section Of the gem
eral staff.
Gen. v. M. Primakod OF the Khark.
on military garrison.
The Soviet press was filled with
resolutions passed at mass meetings
OF workers calling for complete de-
struction Of all oppositionists such a.
Tukhachevsky and the other army
leaders condemned with him.
Details Of the execution Of the sen.
tences will probably not be made
known, for the place time and manner
usually are kept secret.
News Of the death sentences them
selves was published inconspicuously
on the second pages of Moscow news
papers under the headline THE Su-
preme Court Of the U. s. S. R."