RUSSIANS IN FRANCES MUTINY.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 February 1918, Page 2

RUSSIANS IN FRANCES MUTINY.

SURRENDER UNDER FIRE FROM ARTILLERY. AN OFFICIAL REPORT. The following account of .mhtiny, among the Russian troops in France is taken from the Manchester Guardian, which states that the matter is drawn from the official report, presented by the Russian Miiltary Mission in France 1)o flhe Provisional Government, and recently published by the Provisional jGovernijieiit in the Russian press: ■ Soon after the revolution had broken out in Russia, there appeared in Paris a number of newspapers of the most extreme views. These papers reached the Russian troops in France, and here began a frantic Maximalist propaganda. So it was not surprising that serious agitation sprang up among the troops, which vented itself in unpleasant hostility* towards their officers. Einally, a mutiny broke out. On the order of M. Kererisky,' Minister of War, Commissary Rapp proceeded to the Russian troops on May 18. He reviewed the different units, and made some changes in their organisation. But the ferment continued, none the less. It was conducted by the '"Regimental Committee \o. 1." which began, to publish bulletins of a Leninist'character. On June IS Russian troops from, different encampments assembled at the camp at La Courtine, and here there began a aeries of inctings, in Rgiment No. 1 and its leading lights assumed the principal roles. The "Detail)-, ment Committee," which had been formed of the most experienced soldiers, opposed as much as it could the work of disorganisation upon which Regihient No., 1 had embarked, and set to work to calm the men's minds and to reinstate a, respect for discipline.

A meeting of Regiments Nos. 1, 2. 5, and 0, however, passed a resolution deposing the "Detachments Committee,'' and at the same time the First, Brigade refused to go on manoeuvres, explaining that it was useless ■to go through exercises when they had decided got to fight any more. ARRIVAL OF GENERAL ZANKEVITOH. Later, the dispute between the First and Second Brigades threatened to develop into a bitter conflict. The. soldiers of the Second Brigade insisted on being separated from the mutineers of the First Brigade, . and threatened to leave the camp if their demands were not conceded. That is why General Zankevitch, arriving' with Commissary Rapp, ordered the soldiers who qbeyed the Privisional Government to leave the La Courtine Camp, taking their equipment with them.

This order was executed on Jujie 25; and only those soldiers who refused to obey the Government remained in'.the camp. The extremely malevolent attitud of these men to their officers obliged General Zankeviteli to rempvt the officers from the camp, and he left there only a few men, who were charged to' look after the administration. On. ,M. Bapp's initiative, political envoys visited La Courtine camp several ,times, in order to bring the soldiers to , a better ,vipw of things, but all efforts were in vain. Even MM. Roussanof, Goldenberg, Erlicli and Smirnof, the delegates of the Soviet, were received with hostility. • Finally, General Zankeviteli was advised frozn Petrograd that it was not intended to bring 'back to Russia troops stationed in France, and that it was urgent that order should be re-established among them, even if it was necessary to have recourse to armed force. He went to La Courtine, and posted up a notice to this effect, enjoining the troops to put down their arms and to jr&'foj Claivvaux. This order was obeyed by only •2500 men, who left La Courtine. The others, 8600 in number refused to obey. Then further measures were resorted to in order to bring the mutineers '.■> their senses. Their rations were reduced to a suitable allowance. Their paxwas suppressed. French sentries I .barred the roads leading to the neighboring towns. Such measures dismayed the rebels, but at the same time tiiey only' increased the influence of the agitators scattered among them. They assaulted the. French soldiPrs. They kept tinder arrest for six hours a Frencli officer and two non-commissioned officers who had been ordered by the French authorities to post up a telegram from the Generalissimo in the camp.

FINAL APPEAL IN VAIN. On August 1!) General Zankevitph made a final appeal to them to put down their arms, but in vain. On September 1 their provisions were stopped, but they had taken care- to prepare a big reserve for this contingency. jThe next day Russian artillery took up allotted positions, and an ultimatum was delivered to the Camp Committee under a threat to open fire in the camp if they did not lay down their arms before 10 a.m. on 3rd September. No notice was taken of the order, and in due course tho artillery opened fire. The rebels were warned that the fire would be intensified [if they continued to resist! In the night [ 160 men gave themselves up. On the 1 4th of September, after about 'thirty, shells had been dropped oil the camp the rebels waved white flags and came out, throwing down their arms By tho evening 8300 had given in. They were taken in charge by French troops. On sth September an intense artillery fire was opened on the camp. The mutineers—of whom 160- still plied with a violent nmclihie-gim fire, hut by fitli September the whoV camp was occupied. The Russian losses were eight killed and forty-four wounded. The French casualties' were one killed and one wounded. Of the Russian loyal troops one was killed and five ■wounded. In the course of disarming the rebels eighty-one arrests were made. Then the rest were formed up in battalions, two of which, composed of -the agitated elements, were sent to Bourg, the other to the Isle of Aix. The others will remain at La Courtine until the end of the enquiry ordered by the Provisional c—ernment. •