CROSSING RUSSIA.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 January 1917, Page 3

CROSSING RUSSIA.

Many sidelights are thrown upon the war by the travellers who reach our shores by the mail boats. A lady visitor, who has just finished encirc'iDg the globe, told an Auckland “ Star” reporter in course of a casual conversation, that conditions on the Russian railways were -very strict. The tourist, a short time ago, left Shanghai to cross Russia en ronre to England, and found the journey very trying. One qf tha drawbacks crossing tha deserts was the dust. It penetrated every crack and crevice. All the wiudowa on the train were doable, yet the dust came in and covered everything. Another worry was the war regulations. These were very exact and harassing. The questions to be answered at every station occupied long sheets. They were couched in nine different languages, Luckily the lady was a linguist of ability. Then again, every bridge was guarded, and vary carefully guarded. The train approached with blinds down, and in some cssrs a soldier with fixed bayonet was on guard in the carriage, In oue instance the traveller had a laughable but disconcerting experience. When the train stopped she opened a window and started to brush the dust from her little sou’s coaf. A heavy disturbance behind made her look round to find a gigantio soldier menacing her with a bayonet and talking fiercely. The lady only knew a little Russian and could not make out what it was all about, when an agonised voice from the next compartment ehr-eked in French, “Shut tha window. Shut the window. We’re on a bridge ! ” Hence the hubbub. One of the difficulties was to convince the officials that the traveller was by no chance a missionary. She never had been one, nor ever expected to be thus emoloyed. It seems women epiea in ths Far East had traveled in that guise, and the officials were suspicious. The food on tho train was very poor and also very dear. In Borne of the towns the traveller saw queues of famished people waiting to be fed by charity. Tha food problem seems to be one of grave import in Russia. After various vicissitudes the lady landed in the Homeland only to find a very different and graver England. The value of a sovereign she fennd, was only ten shillings when it came to purchasing food. Whereas formerly housekeeping in England had batn cheap, she now found it woefully dear, It was this factor which de«

oided her to re-smbark and come to New Zealand until the war cloud has lifted in Europe, and things have been learranged on a mare satisfactory bugia.