THE DESERTERS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1717, 25 January 1905, Page 69 (Supplement)

THE DESERTERS.

TALES TODD BY RUSSIAN REFUGEES. OFFICERS AND MEN RUN AWAY TOGETHER. (‘•'Daily Chronicle.”) If you want to make a Russian deserter laugh till his very sides creek say “Kuropatkin” ! After that the subject that appeals most to Ivan’s sense of humour is the Japanese war. A representative of “The Daily Chronicle” made this discovery whilst talking, through an interpreter, to several great hulking fellows, who along with some hundred) others are being sheltered at a lodging-house in Toe ley street, b.R. Within a radius of about two miles are quite a couple of thousand refugees from the Dittle Father’s army, some of whom have been in the country for six weeks, whilst others have only just landed. As the mobilisation goes on the deserters grow m number. Taking the •figures for the first six days of this month alone, the record of the comparatively small proportion that arrived at tlie London Docks makes significant reading:—Thursday 62, Friday 217, Saturday 328, Sunday 227, Monday 22, Tuesday 225 ; total 1111. With the exception of two or three cases, these men were smuggled across the frontier and shipped over from Hamburg, Rotterdam, Biremen, and Amsterdam. From the figures it will be readily understood that their bare accommodation has presented a serious problem. Apart from the hundred who ere sleeping at the Toolcy street- lodg-ing-house, large numbers have been similarly quartered elsewhere. About 800 are fed every day at the Jews’ shelter in Leman street. They are accommodated in two large rooms, one of which, in the day-time, serves as an eating-place. In that down below they stand about exchanging experiences. For hours they will chatter to one another, till the noise becomes deafening, though a single word, and in a moment they are silent-. MOUJIES IN FUR CAPS.

Every kind of Russian is represented .—the Greek Catholic with a medal hung on a cord of ribbon round his neck, the Pole, the pure Russian, and the Russian Jew.’ For the time being one might indeed be in the heart of Russia. The most familiar figures from the very streets are here—moujiks, shop assistants, clerks, and what not, with fur caps, top-boots and overcoats —if they were fortunate enough to be able to save such a luxury out of their wrecked fortunes.

“Fine material, all of them,” says the interpreter, as he goes from one to the other. “But as you see them now, they are, most of them, little more than human beasts. All the l-’fe has been knocked out of them. With a little care they would be the finest fighting material in the world, as brave as lions. As they are, a push or a pat on the back is the language to which they are most accustomed.”

Indeed, to see them making their evening meal reminded one of nothing so much as feeding-time at the Zoo. About sixty of them were wedged into seats on both sides of a long narrow table, over which their arms sprawled ready to clutch at great hunks of bread that would last most people a whole day. These they count as nothing. They pull their portion to bits or cut it up with knives, and wash the whole down with a mug of soup. After that they are ready to talk, as the following interesting narratives show.

At first it was a little difficult. They were suspicious of the- stranger. Realising that something was afoot they had risen from their seats, and a curious hush fell upon the gathering. “I want some of .you to tell me, said the interpreter, “how you got away from Russia. ’ No reply.

“Come, my brothers! There is nothing to fear.” Still silence. “What, afraid? There is no- Ivuropatkin here !” That was sufficient. At the mention of the name they grinned from ear to ear. Some of them la-ugho lend and long. It was such a joke, this r u nni n g-a wa y busin e ss. HOW 85 GOT “LEAVE.”

Could anything, for example, for genuine humour, beat the l following story of lion eighty-five men left the army in a body? It was told by a squat little Jew with a pair of sharp, merry eyes that peered from beneath a slouch hat.

“It was at "Wibensk, the great- forwarding station, that ve made up our minds to get away —nearly a whole company of us. There wore' too many of us to openly desert, s'o we had to have recourse to strategy. My comrades therefore deputed me to go to our captain. He knew what we wanted. He even put the words into my mouth. “‘So yon are very ill?’ lie began. “ Yes, captain.’ “ ‘And you want to go away to be cured ?’ SUiel.y. “ ‘How would you like to- go to Germany ?” “ ‘Ah. captain, if I could.’ “‘Well, we shall see.. And yom friends, are they all ill ?’ “ ‘All of them.’ “‘And they all want to be cured? Very well then. You may go.’ “That- same night,” continued the little Jew, “we all went- off. In numbers of cases men have got away in a simiiar manner by bribing the officers. They even make collections so as- to have money enough. High officials they gen erally have to pay about thirty roubles” — £3 —“but two are quite sufficient for the frontier guards. Sometimes they are just as pleased with a- drop of vodka.”

Here is another man's story : “I was at home when the soldiers came for me. In the middle of the night- there was a knock at the do-or, and up they came to my bed. ‘Get up at once,’ said the officer. I slipped on my things and was marched to the barracks. They gave me my equipment-, and the next morning I was put into a train with many others. “When wo had passed about- lour railway stations I made up my mind to escape. At the fifth I slipped away, and, dressed just as I was, managed to get to the Austrian frontier. A count of roubles got me over the border whore I was able to sell my uniform an accoutrements for six roubles, receiving in exchange the- clothes I am now wearing.” DODGED THE ESCORT. Another young fellow, who had keen & draper’s assistant, told how he, toe-, had started on Ids way to the front before he managed to elude the esc cad. “Happily not far away I had friends who sheltered me. My uniform, rifle and all the rest of it, I flung down a well. Next I found one of tne smuggling agents, paid him thirty roubles, and here I am.”

East week there passed through. Eondon a captain who actually fled from Manchuria, bringing with him forty four of his men. They started fortyfour m number, but eight were shot on the way. The remainder safely readied Eon den and are now in America. Such episodes, said the interpreter, were quite common. He had personally met officers w ho had run away with their men, and in many cases paid their passage money, so unpopular is the war. “But in the majority of cases the funds are found by the deserters’ wives. As soon as a man arrives here he writes home to his wife instructing her to sell all she has. This the woman faithfully does, sends her husband the proceeds of the sale, and is content to live upon charity until she is sent for from America.”

Let it not lie supposed that, rough as they are, the men are' generally “wasters.” “There are good and bad, of course. Now there is a man. You can see him supervising the others, and putting them into their places. ft When he came here he declared that unless he was allowed to work for his food and shelter he would prefer to starve in the streets. And very hard work he does- Every day he scrubs the floors, along with half a dozen men he has picked out for the task. Hie is never idle. When there is nothing else to do he carries parcels. “How many of his stamp do you come across? Of course, many of the deserters arc too weak to do anything—that boy ovca> there,” pointing to a lad with a worn, ghastly face, who sat in a corner by himself. “Your army wouldn’t look at such as he. But the Russians take him, and many others as bad. They just serve as targets m the trenches.”