RUSSIA

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 3 May 1923, Page 5

RUSSIA

TROTSKY REVIEWS TROOPS.

A GREAT DISPLAY

II OABLB— fBESB ASSOCIATION- COPy*lGH' MOSCOW, May 1. A great review of twenty thousani troops before Trotsky was a feature o the May Day celebrations. , While gian bombing aeroplanes flew overhead, th ' "red" soldiers of the Moscow garrison 5 with three thousand massed bands 5 marched past Trotsky outside the hig] ' Kremlin walls, their smart appearano ' proving that the Russian army is no ; a collection of ill-equipped and impo ! tent rabble. ■ The whole force paraded in new uni ■ forms and long grey-green overcoats with narrow red and yellow facings i and wearing picturesque green and ret Assyrian helmets. Here and there s uniformed young woman, who hac . earned distinction on some field o: . battle, marched proudly at the head o: .a, company. Each battalion was led bj a bearer of a standard of blazing rec and gold. One company had gas masks fixed in their breasts, and others were equipped with flame-throwers <anc ■ gas protectors. Unmounted cavalrj I swung past with sabres drawn. A battalion of political police had black leather coats and light green helmets, with revolvers at their waists. Armj oured cars and tanks accompanied th« troops. For two hours Trotsky stood, surrounded by his staff officers, his hand raised at the salute. As each battalion j passed he shouted out: "Long live the ! red army; long live the workers' re- ■ public." He received answering cheers . from the soldiers. Following the parade ( were thousands of students in white sweaters with a red badge and grey helmets, carrying rifles.