Communists In Riga

Waikato Times, Volume 111, Issue 18619, 23 April 1932, Page 11 (Supplement)

Communists In Riga

ONLY TWO NON-RUSSIAN countries (if New South Wales be excluded/ have experienced Bolshevik rule— Hungary and Latvia. Neither has allowed a repetition of the experience, but the world, being at the time busily engaged with other post-war troubles, never heard an adequate description of these Communist experiments. Of what happened in Latvia, and particularly in its capital city, Riga, an excellent account has just been published. Riga is an ancient city. It was (and probably is again) a wealthy and prosperous city, and, in addition, “an active centre of thought and education," with a culture centuries old. Before the Bolshevik Revolution Latvia formed a province of Russia. Socialist Working Class State. Into this city, on January 2, i 0 marched a disreputable and dilapidated Russian army. Immediately Die people of Riga learned that their Government was now “ The Workers’, Peasants’ and Soldiers’ Government of Latvia," that private landed property in town and country was abolished, that ihe right of private ownership of all other means of production, and of business, banks, etc., would 1,0 gradually abolished, that all food would be taken over by the new Government; in short, that the construction was beginning of " a new Socialist working-class State." The people also learned that their new President was one Peter Stuckka, a man little known; he had been one of the leaders of the extreme Socialists in Latvia. Within a few days the people learned that the seemingly fantastic decrees were to be ruthlessly enforced. First they wore compelled to give up their arms—excepting members of the working class, who were armed to the teeth. A great many shops and businesses were forced to close and their employees thrown out of work. The gaols were opened and fifteen hundred criminals were released. The people (i.c., the "hourgeofsie") were ordered to give up clothing, linen and footwear, except a minimum quantity.

Reign of Terror. Al Ihe end of (he second month the oily was anilely short of food. All citizens wero on rations, hut the Government then divided the population into llirec categories, the first of Communists, the second of Communist sympathisers, the third of the “bourgeoisie." Members of the last category received half a loaf of had rye bread per day; the others were hotter treated. On the third month Ihe reign of terror became an orgy, im some days hundreds of people were thrown into prison, on un-

Taste of Bolshevik Rule.

proved accusations, or on none. Usually those arrested were dragged from their homes at night. Riga took on the appearance of a dying city with streets empty, windows nailed up, markets silent, trafllo stopped. Starvation and winter weather prepared the ground for disease, which increased rapidly. Meanwhile, the “Reds" lived in the best houses and ate and drank gluttonously. More and more of tho “bourgeoisie” were shot. A “Whit©” Aeroplane. One day in March a ’plane (lew over tlie stricken city. It was a “White" aeroplane, and tho people were secretly joyful, for it was a sign that the anti-'Tted" forces were reorganising. Perhaps Riga might yet be saved. It' was not until May 22, nearly five months after the occupation, that the "Reds" were driven out. Tho conditions meanwhile had become steadily worse, for the Bolsheviks, threatened now by defeat, seemed to be possessed by a lust for blood and vengeance. " The ‘ bourgeoisie,’ ” declared the president, “must not only be degraded; it must be annihilated as a class." On March 21 about fifty people w’ere taken to a wood and shot dead by Communists—not men, but women, armed with revolvers. Early in May no fewer than 20,000 people were ordered to leave their homes and interned on Islands in the River Dvina. The order was enforced by “Red" soldiers and “gunwomen." But at last, on May 22, the "White" army arrived, having defeated the Bolsheviks outside tho city, and Riga was saved. Before the “ Reds " fled they massacred thirty-three prisoners, 'lncluding ten women, in the courtyards of a prison. Central Europe Saved.

The “White" army was a volunteer force consisting of Letts, “While” Russians and Germans, commanded by a German general. Jls exploits were remarkable, for the- “Red" forces if defeated were numerically far stronger, 'i’lic author says that it "saved Central Europe from the horrors of a new Run invasion.” Tho popple of Riga greeled their saviours willi an enthusiasm that en.i he imagined—and then all turned to Ihe limiting down and shooting of the "Rods” who remained in the city. The net result, of ihe experiment which was lo establish a “heaven on earth ” was—--5000 people murdered, 8500 dead of starvation. 8000 in prison, 20.000 Interned. “To Hits should lie added millions upOn millions uf material damage through devastation, plunder and robbery”—and all lq five months^