"TELL THIS TO YOUR MATES.”

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume IX, Issue 172, 7 July 1919, Page 3

"TELL THIS TO YOUR MATES.”

A RED GUARD ON BOLSHEVISM.

SMUGGLED LETTER. FROM RUSSIA. The following letter from a sol- ' dier of the Red Guard to a friend in England (says the London ‘'Sunday Times”) ha’s been smuggled uncensored outs of Russia, and contains facts which should open the eyes of those who are inclined to listen to those who have been preaching Bolshevism in this country. In order to protect the writer and his family from the fate he predicts all names have been omitted. —Battalion, Red Guards, Petrograd. My Dear P.—, You will, no doubt Ire surprised to get this letter from me, but a friend has promised to smuggle it through uncensored. I received your letter last week. Yes, as you say, life here is just too terrible, and I am afraid, good friend, that you cannot help me. You are lucky to get demobilised so soon. I have been claimed by the Red Guards. You know nothing about conscription in England. Under Bolshevik rule there arc no appeal tribunals and no separation allowances. CHILDREN AS HOSTAGES. I am forced to fight. My dear little kiddles are held as hostages, and if it were as much as dreamt that J had written this I< tier my eldest boy would undoubtedly be shot. You tell me in your letter that your friend who has been preaching Bolshevism in your works demands ‘'Hands off Free Russia’” AH that I pray for your sake is that Bolshevik Russia will keep her hands off Free England. TYRANNY IN THE WORKSHOPS.

Tell him from me that conscription in Russia is inhuman, and is nut confined to the army, but is established now in the workshops. There is no eight-hour day here, and if you were even to talk of a strike you would be either starved ot shot.

Tell your friend also that wage; may be high, but money is valueless. One pound of bread costs 30.-, that, is if you can get it ; for the la.s* three weeks the civilian population have been unable to do so.

The che.west meat is £2 per lb., pork .t’s per lb. A pound of tea, wh 'Ti obtainable, costs £lO 10'-. T<-il this to your mates when next they are listening to the lies uttered By the paid agents of Bolshevik Russia, where the cheapest suit, of clothes costs £5O. And because one Socialist recently had a shot at l.enin. and unfortunately failed to kill him. 5,000 Socialists were condemned to death. Yet your friend says. "Hands off Russia!” and advocates the same methods in England. Bolshevism does not mean Socialism. Quite the contrary. .Socialists are considered the worst, enemies the Bolsheviks have, and are ‘treated as such.

FIENDS WHO RUINED RUSSIA. May God forgive these men foi all thev b.ave done. If your mates knew what. 1 do th<y would lynch your Bolshevik agitator friends for having ruined Russia. These inhuman fieno« van) to make you slaves so that, they will be able to spend *your wealth. l.eiieve them. For there •- no religion here now. The churches artused as dancing halls, and the pri”sts and clertry are murdered. I cannot wriic more, but when anvon.. suggests Bolshevism to you, in Heaven's name. P , show them this letU‘r.--Yours,