Evening star., 1939-12-17
HaIf-Starved Russians
Resemble Soldiers in
Napoleon S Retreat !
Finns' Coptives Most
Miserable Wretches
Seen in Uniform
By LELAND STOWE.

SeeH III OnIIOTm
BY LELAND STOWE,
Chieaso Dsily News Torsisn Correspondent
WITH THE FINNISH ARMY ON
THE KARELIAN ISTHMUs, Dec.
l6 (by radio) 1.-The Russian troops
which the Kremlin high command
has thrown against the eastern side
Of the Karelian bottleneck are prob
ably the most miserable looking
creatures seen in uniform in this
part Of Europe since Napoleon's
half-starved tatterdemalions strag-
gled back from Moscow.
The only differences seem to be
that Bonaparte's men were largely
excellent soldiers, whereas Stalin's
conscripts have struggled up from
Leningrad to fight the Firms with
out . shadow of adequate training
for their very tough job.
This may 60 far to explain the
extremely unf1attering showing
which the Soviet forces have made
against the Firms in II days Of war.
It is also possible that it does not
apply to all the Red infantry en-
ployed on the 75-mile front. But
there Is no denying the testimony of
your eyes.
Other Reports Are Similar.
Repeatedly we have seen and
talked with Russian prisoners at
the moment they were brought in
from the front lines. My fellow
correspondents have conversed with
other Scnet infantrymen at two
other points on the western side OF
the isthmus. In all important de-
tails these Red prisoners were iden-
tical as to appearance and condi-
ton. 1t is impossible to describe
them otherwise than as helpless,
tragic wretches.
These were samples Of the army
which Moscow sent up to conquer
all Ffnland-as one Of them later
explained-by December %, as a
birthday present for Stalin.
The Finnish colonel let US into
the room where the prisoners sat-
heads bent forward like typical hobo
derelicts in a borough court. These
are the men who are supposed to
bring US culture" he said curtly. All
wore steel helmets with the Soviet
red star painted on them. All but
. few had the faces Of men who had
never had q chance in their lives,
of simple workmen who were
minuscule parts in a gargantuan,
incomprehensible machine. The
twisted features of six were def
nitely subnormal. The seventh's
eyes cleaned continuously with a
wild. fanatical light.
The Russians wore army over
coats Of a cheap part-wool mixture
and uniforms of quilted cotton
the latter peculiarly suitable for
pneumonia traps at 60 degrees.
North. in mid-December. None OF
the men we saw possessed high
boots. They wore ordinary shoes
and several Of them, as q result,
had feet 50 frozen they could
scarcely walk. Other Red prisoners
seen by our colleagues had shoes so
shabby that their toes stuck out.
Told Firms Began War.
One Of the correspondents uues-
toned the prisoners in Russian and
without any interpreter. None of
them admitted belonging to the
Communist Party. All said that
they were reservists, mostly Of the
class Of 1925, and had been called
up only three months ago. AL
though from different points in
Russia, by birth, they all had been
employed in the Leningrad district.
They said they had been told that
the Firms had attacked the Soviets
and that they must fight to pro-
tect Leningrad from the capitalist
invaders.
One prisoner told us what the
Red soldiers are being fed as fight
ing rations in this bitter Northern
winter. Once a day bowl of bar
ley porridge, he said, and about "a
pounds Of bread for five men, or
half a pound apiece per day.
They told us we would get IS
grams of meat daily, but we never
got it." he said. The man still DOS
sessed a tiny bag of tobacco, two
thirds empty. He said that he had
been issued four such rations of
tobacco during his three months in
the Russian Army.
What about pay? One of the
prisoners declared that he had been
earning 145 rubles day as a steve
dore and that when drafted he had
been promised half that amount.
Il only got 10 rubles," he said
duly.
We pried out of him the fact that
he had left wife and three children
In Leningrad.
The Red prisoners said that they
had been well treated by the Firms,
nor was there any indication to the
contrary. They were simply pitiful
human wrecks-nearly without hope
creatures who obviously had been
cowed long before they ever crossed
the Finnish lines. They were pain
ful to look at, painful to converse
with-surely among the most dis
crediting articles any government
could export in its army.
(copyrisht, 1889. by Chicago Daily