MILITIA OF PUBLIC MORALITY.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3135, 18 September 1922, Page 7

MILITIA OF PUBLIC MORALITY.

From Moscow comes the statement that the Soviets have taken an extremely virtuous turn. They have taken it with characteristic violence. The latest decree is to organise a "militia of public morality." The decree aims at immediate and complete suppression of social evils. The main duty of the "militia of public morality," in which all householders are forcibly enrolled, will be to keep an eye on all persons leading a dissolute life and report them to the police. Social evils have increased enormously throughout Russia. The Soviet now plans to establish a "vice reservation" to which all who are denounced for infraction of moral law will be exiled and there confined. Presumably they will be allowed to carry on there in their pleasure, but the rest of Russia will be purged of all persons offensive to the new-born moral conscience of the Bolshevists.

If ever a serious attempt is made to carry it out it will lead to an almost total clearance of the population of whole quarters in Moscow and other towns. Moscow is busy gossiping as to who will be the heroic commissar to be placed in charge of the vice reservation.

The penal provisions of the law include a long series of fines and imprisonment for failure to report or infractions of the moral laws.

A similar move to get the country a light by force is found in the Soviet decree providing for a forcible return to their own homes of the thousands who fled from the famine. Fully onethird of the rural population has returned to the nomadic life of centuries ago, and alter fleeing from famine, plague and disease are pouring into the cities in utter destitution. Plans are now being worked out to put the return decree into execution, but as in many cases a return would mean death from starvation there i.s sure to be a. violent resistance if it is enforced, and Russia's many other horrors will pale into insignificance before what will happen in such an event. The inevitable consequence of throttling foreign trade has been the growth of smuggling and brigandage. Hence the Soviet are taking means to suppress both, the efforts to suppress smuggling almost leading to trouble. The border States through Soviet demands have put officials on trains from Baltic ports. The most romantic feature of this campaign, however, was the suppression of the great robber band headed by the brothers AntonofF. For the last two years great, well armed bands of merry men under thoso two terrorised tno central provinces until a a whole Robin Hood legend was built up around them. They were utterly without mercv toward the rich or Soviet officials and delighted in holding up consignment of foods, etc. But full consideration was given the humbler peasants and they shared most of their ill-gotten gam's w...i them.

Eventually a special Soviet commissar was sent to arrest the Antonoffs and break up the bands. On the way he himself almost fell a victim, being held up, his papers taken from him and his secretary killed. He demanded cilitary help, and several living columns of Red soldiers were sent alter the brigands, 15ul they were invariably sent wild goose-chasing by friendly peasants, despite the large' rewards that were offered. Finally the comnnsar .succeeded in trapping them. It was well known that any peasant who had been abused by the Soviet could appeal for the chivalrous help of the band, so the comnnsar sent one of his own men to the leaders to say that he was beaten by Red soldiers. The man told a pitiful tale m a village and was advised to get the Antanoifs to avenge him. Peasants willingly gave him directions as to where lie could find the chivalrous chiefs. As a result the commisar surrounded the village where they were lying with a few followers, and, after sharp lighting, the leaders were arrested, tried and executed.

Smuggling on a growing scale is bringing to light unsuspected quantities of hidden gold, in winch the smugglers insist payment be made. There is now a recognised gold oxchange value quite independent of Soviet decrees, and brisk business is being done, with the price of gold rising 20 per cent, in the last lew weeks.