BOLSHEVIK HORRORS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 162, 3 April 1919, Page 6

BOLSHEVIK HORRORS

WELLINGTON LADY'S SISTER SEES THEM

DREADFUL SCENES

PRAYING FOR BRITISH TROOPS

Miss Bercsford Wood, of Slaftord Street. Seatouii, has had n load of anxictv lifted from her mind by the news that her sister, Miss Beatrice. Beresford Wood, of Kowtow*, near Shrewsbury (Eng.), has returned Home eafo alter uvo years' residence in Russia. The Misses Wood are the daughters of Mr. Beresford Wood, manager for Price, Jones, and Co. of Lynu-on-Newtown (Lnglunu), and are bisters of Mr. Wood, genera manager of the British corporation that controls the gas companies m Milan, Genoa, and other largo cities in the North of England. Every member oi the family is fond of travel, and Mil* Beatrice Wood has profited «o much by hor soiourns abroad that sho is a highl - Rifted 'linguist, vith seven her tongue-tip. Prior to going to KusSfo brfore thenar in HI4,JI«s Wood »n, attached to the personal etafc «M Hemm of Bopal, whom she met -it lSrot. Later .he was attached .to tho person of the Princess Kadsiwi I, ■ and ia her employ took up her resale nco ai nmch of the great national tragedy rfPriilU^wilHtatMi-Woodtaok: l.e» an outline of her grim experiences, which were fairly horntying. to war against Germany and Am«, nod and hi"hly-traiiwd army such a<, ?W nf Germany. The Engliah people no th shambles without a chance "rrikiii" a blow for themsehea. 1 hat KonixsberK and Galicia.

The Tsar a God, BBS* skevisin.

The Bolshevik Resolution. •'My most exciting «i»riencM *etato HI of which were seen in all tor toidJ.orrorinandjofmdM^lako Hβ everyone, and placed it ia the^soup the guise of progressive Socialism Such people were summarily turned out o the Homes to make room for the poorest. If they escaped with then 6.™ t'hev were fortunate. '■Tho revolution did not .come suddenly We eoulfl sense it rising in the d stance as one can hew the coming of n thunderstorm, but we entertained the tho "lit that it would <*ta down teforo eached our district We were sadly disillusioned. Twico before I leit Min.-.k on November 25 there were senous out 'races Into oue house, occupied by a Sand, wife, and little ml a P«ly of eight men entered and demanded money. 'Wo h»vo none,' said the husband but finally tho gang turned to the Sri and gave her the option of dedariV where tho treasure ws or of seeing her parents put to death before Tier eye. She disclosed" the location o the house hold treasurc-everyone had to keep their own valuables-mid ihc robbers got off with 30,000 roubles. That happened at G o'clock in flte evening in a m-ni I street. Another like robbery of 60.W10 Toubles took place the same week. A personal friend of mine hud her house invaded by a Bolshevik gang, who made all the inmates, including a baby, kneel with their heads on the floor, and threatened to kill anyone who looked up as. tho house was being rifled. No ,one dared to look up.

Neutral Attitude Towards the English. "As to their attitude toward me, all I can say is that if they did not care for tho English they did not molest us. For instance, when I went on a visit to the Princess Kadziwill in 1917, the Bolsheviki raided the place with the object of securing all the family jewels. Most of tho princess's valuables were transferred to my room, and when in due course the raiders bade me make way, I told them that I was a British subject, and that saved a robbery of tha princess's belongings. "When I left Russia, (in November, 1!)18), the people were praying to the British to send troops to put down tho revolution. If they are not sent I fear there will be terrible massacres of the civilian population. In some parts tho Bolshcriki are burning houses and slaying as a pastime, and oiio house I stayed at was simply shot to pieces by guns. It seems to be that the whole of the peasautry have been indoctrinated with tlie idea that the riches of the land must bo shared, but the principle operates in two ways. Some peasants wiio have more than others are naturally opposed to the Bolshevik movement, fearing that they may be stripped of part of their holding. A'redivision of the laud would not suit them. Prior to the revolution the iiiissian peasants were peaceful, but, of course, wero being kept in the background, which was tho best place for them to judge by the results of their plundering. They arc a very ignorant class, a large percentage being unable to read or write, and such uninformed people were not difficult to mislead by tho crafty leaders of tho revolution. Once the Kinperor and Koyal party wore overthrown all was chaos, disorder, and bloodshed.

Lenin and Trotsky German Jews. "There is little- doubt as to where Iho revolution originated. It was the work of the Germans, of course. Leniu and Trotsky aro German Jews, as are nearly all the Bolshevik leaders. 1 had no feeling against the .lews when I went to Russia, but now, my goodness! "The last news I had from home was ,i piipi-r of December 8, 1917. No news came from home after the letter dated November 15, 1917"Though trade and everything else was topsy-lurvey, you could get almost: any-tliin?-nt a price. 1 remember a friend of mine purchased a loaf of Waok bread for 50 roub'.e*, Urn minimi value of which would be JCS. H was discovered to he simply a block of wood covered with n layer of paste. Another Indy was offered tea at W roubles Hie pound. The pedlar woman who wished to sell the ten actually tore on' a coiner of Urn package to show that tho genuine article was inside. Later it was dis-. covered that the tea was merely a veneer round a body of hay.

When the Germans Came. "Tho Germans arrived at Minsk ou February 21, 1017, and w< ro well received. I went myself to receive them, feeling conlideut tiiat their arrival would bo somo guarantee of personal safely and protection from plunder. And let me say, as a matter of personal experience, I have nothing to say against them. Although 1 continually wore the British badge until the day of the armistice, when 1 did not wish to flaunt it, and although I iiuulo no concealment of my pride of British birth, they treated me with respect. Many German peoplr; or people of l.icr.man origin came to visit the Princess Uadziwill, and they were quite respectful in their attitude. Ncverthclftvs, there could 1)0 no doubt that the Germans fired the Bolshevik revolution, and they boasted they would do tho s.-inie in Britain. At length, however, the Germans came to fear the Bolsheviki at Eig-i. Homeward Bound.

"I tried to leave the country before the Germans came, but was tokl that a ticket could bo pronired for '2750 roubles (.£i7h), and even then 1 would have to take my chance in getting through Petrograd. Last November, when I returned to Minsk, I received a note from tho Gorman police asking me to call on them. I did, and thev informed-me Hint

T might be able to' quit tho country if I wanted to. Needless to say, I wanted. At that time I got a kind not? from ii German officer advising me lo leave on tho morrow on account of the Bolshovik peril. You see, the Germans wore leaving Russia after the armistice, and there was no telling what the wilhdraiwa} of protection to the civil population would prompt the Bolslicriki. lu do. Getting to l!iga I spent ten days hunting tho consuls in qiie*t of the necessary passport, and eventually the Danish Consul secured me one for a journey through Berlin, begging me at the Giinio ti-mfl to write to the London papers describing the perilous condition of affairs. Accompanied by an Irish lady I reached Berlin in a day and a half. We Tvero the only two women on a train filled with German soldiers, who behaved very well indeed. Berlin wo found highly decorated. Goodness knows irliat it would be like if it were dressed for a victory. We stayed in Berlin eight hours, and after procuring a passport from the Dutch Consul made for Holland."

Miss Wood wrolo that Russia was a splendid country to live in, when settled conditions returned she would be only too delighted to- return thsvi , . Of the Bolsheviki she wrote bitterly. They took a special delight in degrading rfnyone who had moved in classes of society al»ve thorn. They were like mad- children ip the delight they took in tearing the epaulettes' and honours from persons of age and honour in the land. .Miss Wood had seen mine generals of the Imperial Army wi-e-p over •the downfall of their country. Distinguished and even titled folk wore now to be. found keeping small restaurants and sweeping the streets. •