FROM PRISON TO ARMY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 271, 12 August 1919, Page 7

FROM PRISON TO ARMY

TRAINING GAOL BIRDS FOR THE LINE

AN ARRESTING EXPERIMENT

A special correspondent of the London "Times," writing l'rom Archangel under date May 13, supplies the following story of an interesting experiment to convert tho Russian hoodlum into a respectable, law-abiding citizen. The pity of it i 3 that before tho scheme had had a fair chance of succeeding it will be hopelessly wrecked by the withdrawal of the British Army of Occupation from northernmost Eussia:—

I have just returned from a visit to an institution that owes its inception to the sympathy which General Ironside has shown, from the beginning of this expedition, towards; young Russia. The institution is on the fringe of Archangel. A fine example of tho wooden buildings that make up this city has bean tcken over, and therein an attempt is being mado to give boys a chance to rise out of the chaos and despair in which their fathers find themselves to-day.

General E. Ironside, commanding the Allied forcps, has no illusions about the average Eussian. He speaks the language perfectly, but he goes deeper than language in his studies; he seeks to understand the psychology of the native. Only a short while ago we were deplorably lacking in fighting men, and England did not appear to be in any great hurry to send fresh men out. The Bolshevists were well aware of the handicap under which the general waS placed, and events might have Bhaped themselves to the 'discredit of England if they had shown a littlo more initiative. The general resolved to make soldiers of the best .material he could find on the spot, have them trained by British and Eussian officers, and stand by the result: The Archangel gaol was full of men and youths. The majority of them were incarcerated because they were suspected of Bolshevik tendencies: many of them were undoubtedly scoundrels. The general came to an arrangement with the Russian authorities* wherebj hb was at liberty to visit the prison and select those men who were physically fit and willing to tnk« up arms against the enemies of their country.. These men were not coerced in any way; indeed, the general was almost too British in his fairness. They were told: "If you have any leanings towards Bolshevism you. now have tho opportunity to go over to the Bolshevists. We will assist you to cross the lines: afterwards you take your own risks. Against that proposition you have the opportunity of becoming a soldier, of being treated on precisely the same footing as a British soldier—food, clothing, and pay." To-day what is known as Dyer's Battalion is a kne example of what m.?-y be achieved by a little boldness. These men have been in action, and the records show that they have-fought magnificently. But for tho moment I wish to deal with the, subject of "Ironside's Battalion," as the school is called.

While going tho rounds of the prison the general made a mental note of tho large nhm'ber of boys in custody there; Their ages were from 12 to IG, and the. crimes of which they were accused ranged from stealing to sniping in the dark. The suggestion was made that thc-so boys might be made into good citizens if British methods were employed to bring about their reformation. The authorities were onlr too glad to act upon it t and a large building was taken on the fritge of the fown and converted into a sort of training rchool. To find the right tvpe of man to run the school was the next task, and the eoneral' selected the A.P.M., Lieuten-ant-Colonel H. L. Cautley, who has now been relieved of his dntir-3 as A.P.M. so that be may devoto his whole- timo to tho running of tho school. Ths institution is young—there are about 40 boys receiving training—but go there on any afternoou and you will see little vagabonds hovoring about the grounds awaiting 'the chance to ask their friends all'about the Toutine. Anally, Cautley is approached, and so a new recruit is obtained. .

A British n.c.o.—one of the old type, whose interest, in the work is as keen as that of the general—trains the bovs. drills them, and' lecture? to them, and he has 'tho assistance of'two other soldiers. The boys are put into uniforms, they ' are taught all the mysteries of keeping their kit clean and ready for inspection at a moment's notice. All orders are given in English, and it is amazing bow quicklv they assimilate tho language. Now and then the coirporal will fling in a word of Russian, but I think that is just a little touch of vanity on his port. The boys nro given four good meals a day, nnd ihey aro paid 50 roubles per month. Thcro is no molly-coddling about ihe 'business: they are under the fiamo rules nnd regulations that govern the life and habits of-tho British soldier, and there is a splendid atmosohern of health and discipline about tho place, uhe.psychology of the Russian "gamin" is very difficult comprehend. In his blood there_ is a peculiar animal-like taint; he is cruel—almost fiendishly cruei; 111 a quarrel with a comrade he will have recourse to any weapon thot presents itself. Colonel Cautlcv is removing that taint so far as this school is concerned—removing it in the oldfashioned typically British manner. Tofifty, iti tho central hall, six of tlto boys gave me a display of boxing, with the onlonel and his n.c.o.'s standing by. They taught splendidly, giving and tnlciiv pwiwith I,he stoicism of old-timo pugilists, and when the bout ended they shook hands like good little sportsmen. F asked: "What were tliese jol.uißste.r3 coins: m prison?" and I pointed toono jnteUigenwooking hoy who was buttoning un his tunic after having gone three rounds. The auswer was startling: "He was sentenced to death for participation in .1 shooting affray in .ArchanH.' JTo had been used as a tool bv Bolshevists. We managed to get 'him another chancu .and he is to prove one of our best boys. The little fellow standing near him is (or was) a' gambler and a swindler. You may smile, but the youthful vagabond out here is far in advance of the youth at Home when if comes to rice—he is of deeper hne. Tliis boy nroiurht his .gambler's tricks to the school. Within two hours of the hoys recemnp their first month's pay he had swindled them of nearly • 300 roubles. We took the money from him and opened a canteen with it."

Sin oiling is not allowed, if a bor 13 caught with a cigarette in his noutb"the cigarette is not. snatched Km his lips and he is not told that boys who smoke never attain stature. [Ta is taken into the office, and there the (■ ip»rnl fills a corncob pipe with strong Navy tobacco, and the boy is ordered to smoke, lie loves his tasto for cigarettes—and most other things. When the boys p.re old enough they will be givch the opportunity of joining the Slavo-British legion, and J should snv that ihey will "'I- V'T effluent soldiers. ' T*!'? 13 il n eflort to convince tho slowthinking Russian that the Allies are not merely soldiers.