RED TERRORISM IN RUSSIA

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 304, 12 September 1918, Page 5

RED TERRORISM IN RUSSIA

A DREADFUL PICTURE GRAVE FLIGHT OF FOREIGN RESIDENTS BOLSHEVIK CARNIVAL OF HORRORS New York, September 10. Mr. Arno Dosch-Flourot, the New York "World's" correspondent at Petrograd, has just arrived a.t Stock-holm from Petrograd and Moscow with a party of Allied refugees. He cables that ho is afraid to tell the truth about tho horrors in Russia, because tho Bolsheviki may take vengeance on tho remaining subjects of the Allies; whose lives "hang on a thread." "Executions in Moscow by order of the Bolshevik tribunal are so frequent that Maxim silencers aro used to prevent the sounds reaching the masses. The Lettish executioner in the Army refused to shoot any more victims, and Chinese troops are now the executioners for theliolsheviki. There are similar scenes in every Russian city. Conditions are even worse in tlie provinces. The Bolshevik Government has been abandoned by the peasants, and the Government realises that unless it rules by terror it will be unable to govern the people. Tho struggle is past the stage of class, conflict. Every other Bolshevik is now at the throat of every other man. Tlie scenes are only comparable to the reign of terror in Franoe. In some respeots they aie worse. The peasants are in revolt everywhere. Weeks before I left Pettrograd there was constant sanguinary fighting between tho peasants and the Red Guards fifty miles south of the city. The Red Army, howover, is so weak that it is only able to hold tho front against the Czesho-Slovaks because the latter are advancing slowly and reorganising. the country as they advance. Thousands of soldiers aro deserting tho Red Army, which is hopelessly disorganised. Everyone, in Russia knows that tlie Allies or the Czechoslovaks with twenty thousand men could capture Moscow with little diffi-culty."—Aus;-N.Z. Cable Assn. HUNGER-MADDENED GHOULS ROADS BANNED TO FOOD SUPPLIES. London, September 10. . Mr. Ransome, in a dispatch to the "Daily News," says: "The Bolshoviki, believing that if they go under the resolution will strangle itself or be strangled by forces from without Russia, now take les« account of human lives in what they regard as a sacred effort to save the intellect of the revolution from approaching delirium. If the Soviet Government has a proscribed list of opponents, they have another. So murder on 'one side meets with executions on the other. While this bloody drama is being played in the towns tho dreadful search for food continues. All tho Moscow restaurants are closed. Scraps of salt fish and other substitutes replace bread. Czechs, Cossacks, and Germans bar the roads to the National Food Supplies. The Sonet's internal enemies blow up bridges and organise disorders, hampering the distribution of what little food the Soviet possesses. Tlie Germans, while tlioy can, are trying to wring money from a desperate Government, which struggles to keep, control. Perhaps the Germans know that Russia cannot pay, and want to strengthen their hold on their unfortunate debtors."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. SOVIET PROCLAMATION TO . THE WORLD. Copenhagen, September 10. The Soviet Government has issued a proclamation to the whole world, _ accusing England and France of instigating tho attempts against the People's Commissaries. The Government intends to publish documents seized in the British Consulate.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ANARCHY IN ITS MOST HIDEOUS FORM RUINED NATION CAST TO THE WOLVES (Reo. September 12. 0.40 a.m.) London, September 11. One of tho most complete pictures of Russian anarchy terrorism is contained in an' official document issued by the Austrian Propaganda _ Department, with a view to_ warning the Austro-Hungariaif public of tlip daugors of heeding anarchist agitation. The document begins with a cynical confession that tho Central ■ Powers used Lenin as an agent in order to divide Russia, dissolve* her political instittuions, and destroy her _ army. "The highest Stato officials," it says, "wero chosen, not for their capacity, but because their Bolshevism reaches a sufficiently high pitch. Soviet rule is based on bayonets, worse than Taarism ever was. Those' grasping power under the Soviet standard do so either because they want to tyrannise, or aro inspired by corrupt motives. 1 ■ Even tlie highest Bolshevik leaders accept bribes, while the officials reek with corruption. The troops are destitute of discipline and don or doff uniforms when tlioy please. They go home when tlioy like, and only return to barracks when they find their food insufficient. Tho Fortress of Dunaberg in the meantime is held by two hundred thousand, who aro living, on rations extorted from the population. The only soldiering coiisists of firing rifles in order to terrorise tho inhabitants. The polico force is non-existent. Anyone professing Bolshevism may safely commit any crime witli impunity. Murders and ivnehings are common occurrences and are almost a Bolshevik pastime. They attack vehicles, rob the passers-b.v, and strip their victims naked. Tho so-called administration- of justice rccalls the French reign of terror. Mobs invade tho courts and throw the judges out if tlioy aro dissatisfied, and try the cases themselves. Savago scenes are often witnessed. An old admiral, sentenced to death, was shot outside the court because ho was too weak to walk to tho placo of execution. The Bolshevik sailorsat Sebastopol murdered tho '.train-drivers because they would not start tho_ train to their orders. Meanwhile all industrv, commerce, and social life has been ruined. The great textile factories in Moscow wero ruined after five, days of Bolshevik management. Then the blame was cast on the directors and engineers, tho majority of whom were murdered. Tho huge steel works at Petrograd— the famous Putilolf works—are similarly ruined. The postal service is anarchic. Letters from Petrograd to Moscow often take six weeks. The railways are in a ruinous condition, The Confessed Wreckcrs, A document which confesses that the Central Powers intrigued to reduce Russia to this state of helplessness concludes by saying: "It is questionable if the Central Powers any longer have any motive or interest for sustaining tho Bolshoviki, whose poison must not bo allowed to penetrate Austria-Hungary."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

MORE VICTIMS TWO OP THE EX-TSAR'S MINISTERS, (Ecc. September 11, 8.40 p.m.) London, September 10. A Russian wireless message announces a further thirty-seven executions, comprising White Guards officers, live of the Into Tsar's ex-Minis-ters, including M. Khostofl', M. Protopopoff, and the priest VostorgolF.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. hun-bolshevhTqffensive treaty , AGAINST THE ALLIES AND NORTH. RUSSIA. New York, September 10. The Washington correspondent of the United Press reports that the State Department lias received advices that Germany and the Bolsheviki have signed an offensive treaty against the Al-" lies and North liussin.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. .. THE WARIN SIBERIA THE CZECHOSLOVAK COUP London, September 10. . The sudden appearance of the Czechoslovaks at Chita is regarded as one of the dramatic surprises of the war. It bad been previously thought that only an extremely rapid advance by the relieving army from tliß Far East could save the force, but few thought relief could be afforded before the winter, in. which case the plight of the Czechoslovaks would have been regarded as hopeless against the great odd 6. Tim capture of Chita means that the Gwcho-Slovaks liavo advanced six hundred miles. The leader is Colonel Ghaida, a man of strong, personality. Great hopes are roposed in his leader-ship.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. STRATEGIC SITUATION VERY GOOD. Nov; York, September 9. The United Press Agency's correspondent at Vladivostok states that ac- ■- cording to information reaching the . Japanese military authorities the Czecho-Slovaks control the railway from Olovyanna to Penza., which are more than 1500 miles apart. The situation gives the Allies. opportunity to move into tlie heart of Russia from 6trategio posits held by the Czecho-Slovakß.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. MAGYAR CASUALTIES. (Rcc. September 11, 7,80 p.m.) Tientsin, September 10. In a big fight at Lake Haaitfi, the ' Magyar casualties totalled 4200.—Au5.N.Z. Cable Assn. REPORTED BOLSHEVIK CAPTURE OF SAMARA (Rec. September 11, 8.40 p.m.) New York, September 10. The New York "Tinieg" states that official dispatches from Irkutsk say that Samara has been _ reported captured hy tho Bolsheviki—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. DISORDERS ON THTKOBEAN BORDER CITY ATTACKED BY BANDITS. • New York, September 9. The New York "Times" correspondent at Peking states that bandits attacked Changsin, on tho Korean border, and set fire to the city. The inhabitants aro fleeing to Korea. Tlie Chief of Police and other officials have been mado prisoners. Tho Japanese police are pursuing the bandits. The correspondent adds that tlip Al-. lied Ministers and the military authorities have dispatched troops to Harbin, as the continued successes by the revolutionists in Southern China endanger Fukien and Amoy.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.