Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-01-29
Ex-StaIin Bodyguard
Warns West Against
Undertaking Russia
By jones Wakefield Burke
North American Newspaper Alliance


and one time personal bodyguarc
to Joseph Stain, now lives here
In Munich.
He is no longer the same avio
Communist he was in the mid
'30s, when he was head of the
guard troops at the Kremlin
Now a disillusioned ex-Commu-
mist, DR.. Bigi seeks to open the
eyes of the world and to reveal
the true facts about his former
master-Joseph Stain.
DR.. Bigi still keeps a close con-
tact with Russian emigrants and
underground groups working
against communism. found
him quiet-spoken and sensible,
and willing to talk freely. !
wanted to know all about the
Russian strength in manpower,
industry, and armament posi-
bilities.
Notes Edge in Population.
He began by pointing out that
Russia had more than 40 million
more population than the United
States. He said Russia had a
surplus of % to "a million in
the age group between % and IS
years, in spite of the million lost
by the Soviets during World War
II. Some sources. DR.. Bigi said,
figure surplus of 25 million for
the age group up to Is. But this
figure is impossible, ne stated,
because the birth rate in Russia
went down since 1884, due TO in
creasing poverty following total
state control.
AS to quality. DR.. Bigi said it
would be vast mistake to assume
that Soviet manpower is not
equal to the American. The RUS
sian soldier may not be as highly
educated and as adversely trained
as the American. but he can exist
and fight under conditions which
the American would not even be
expected to do.
Concerning the most important
weapon, the atomic bomb, DR.. Bigi
said it would be shortsightedness
to believe that Russia has only 20
or Is of them, as against several
hundred in the hands of the
Americans. He said Russia con-
structed its first atomic bomb in
1947. and has possession of more
uranium than America. The
brutal and relentless exploitation
of uranium mines in the Soviet
zone of Germany leaves no doubt
that all other uranium mines
under Russian control are being
subjected to the same intense
treatment.
Army Considered by Divisions.
DR.. Bigi said the Red land
army consists of ITS active di-
visions of an average of $500 men
each. totaling at least 1.670,G00
men in arms. After mobilization,
however. each division will have
about 1890 men, as called for in
the Russian manual of war, and
even can be as strong as 10000.
OF these ITS regular divisions,
125 are infantry. he said, with
many Of them motorized. The
other so are tank divisions.
In addition to these ITS land
army divisions, DR.. Bigi believes
that another 125 divisions exist
in a nucleus form and can quick
ly be expanded to full strength
in a few weeks. which would make
a grand total of 6 to million
Red Army troops, organized in
300 full-sized divisions of 10000
wartime strength.
DR.. Bigi urged that the West do
not underestimate the capability
of the Russians to build long
range bombers. While it is known
that Russia copied the B-29, he
reminded that Russia built the
ANT-25, long-range transport
plane. which flew to America in
1887. The present TU-4s, he said,
is a development of the ANT-25.
All long-range Russian bombers
are the design of principally one
man, he said-Andrew Nikola-
jevich Tupolev. who gave these
planes their series names.
Could Attack U. S. Cities.
DR.. Bigi said these planes were
capable of attacking American
cities, Of delivering the A-bomb
to American territory. He also
said the Russians did not neces-
sarily need the help of the Ger
man scientists to start their build
ing of jet planes. The first Rus
sian jet, the Yak-15, was born
before the Russians conquered any
part of the German industrial en-
pire. Nevertheless, the Soviets
made full us of all German jet
scientists captured by the Rus
slams or induced to go to Russia.
He believes that the Soviet has
10000 disable planes on hand now
and is capable of producing as
many as she can supply with fuel.
DR.. Bigi says Russia has six big
battleships, three of them old 49,
000-ton ships of the Russian i'm
perial navy, but three are modern
battlewagons of $4,000 to $4,000
tons. He said Russia had about
$50 submarines when the war
ended which she had not brought
into use. The loot she got from
the German submarine pens is
anybody's guess, he stated.
DR.. Bigi said it would be an
other mistake to believe that 95
per cent of the Russian iron ore
lies west of the Urals. Actually
he stated, only So per cent can
be found west of the Ural ranges
In European Russia.
Comments on Weakness.
Finally, DR.. Bigi pointed out, on
paper it is easily proved that
America can outproduce and out
mobilize Russia. as she did Ger
many, even after a slow start. He
said it should be remembered