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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (April 10, 1918)
THE MORNING OEEGOXIAN. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10. 1918. BLOOD-RED COFFINS BORNE 111 STREETS Young Giants of Russia Carry Bodies of Soldier Dead to Last Resting Place. ONE GRAVE HOLDS 500 Holy Spot t'hosrn Nrar Kremlin. Cn dcr Lone Row of Linden Trees Across from the Ikon of Our I-ady of Iberia. BT LOL'ISK BRYANT. yCkpnsht. 191. br Public U4m Company. PubU.hca by srrsDl.mvat. IV. I went to Mnjccw on the first train that entered the city after the six ' flghttnc. This was on the even ing: of the 2ttn of November. It waa o decrees b-low aero. so I continued Bit search. After about two hour I found a room at the National Hotel. "It la ex tremely dang-erous to be here. con fided an Knallshman I met In the hall and who did not approve of "lady" war correspondent. "You will probably be tnurdered before morning. My window looked out over the Kremlin and the Hed Square. Night had already fallen. Out of the dark itrn I could see a long;, mysterious row of fires. After dinner I walked over to - what they were. I had pases of Identification from the Bolshevist and also from the opposition. j Kresslta Weirdly Lit I . The first thine I realised after I had crossed under the jrreat arch was that the Kremlin was still standing. We had had reports In Petrog-rad that it had been raxed to the ground, but there It stood, beautiful beyond description. Jit up weirdly by a Ions; line of sput tering torches stuck up on poles beside the north wall. Kresslla Weirdly Lit To. The first thing I realized after I had crossed under the great arch was that the Kremlin was still standing. We had had reports In Fetrograd that it Jiad been razed to the ground, but there it stood, beautiful beyond de scription, lit up weirdly by a long line of sputtering torches stuck up on poles beside the north walL As I came closer a strange sight un folded before me. A huge trench, many tiundreds of feet In length, was being carved out of the frozen ground. The tall figures of soldiers and the smaller and more gaunt figures of factory workers cast distorted silhouettes across the snow as they bent over their task. A young student, who read over my passes, explained to me what they were doing. "They are digging the brotherhood grave. he said, "for the last martyrs of the revolution.' I stayed there nearly all night. It was trrrifylngly still and lonesome. There was no sound but the clatter of spades and the sputter of torches. There were no stars and the darkness hung down hesvlly like a great bell. Hal IMaco Holiest to Haaala. I asked the soldiers why they'chos this particular spot 'or the "Ked Burls aa they called It. They explained that It was the greatest honor they could bestow upon their dead comrades to bury them here under the long row of linden trees, across from, the Ikon of Our Lady of Iberia and the fantastically lovely, many-cupolaed aallt Blashanle; It Is the holiest spot In all Russia. About S o'clock I went with the stu dent over to the Soviet, which had headquarters In a large building only a few blocks away. The Covin hummed like a beehlvs with preparations for the funeral on the morrow. All night long women and girls were sewing nillra and miles of red cloth, cutting and trimming and fashioning it Into banners for the procession. They sewed with stern, set faces. Trrhaps women knitting under the guillotine wore some such expressions. After srranglng about my permission to attend the funeral we went back to the Bed Square. The trench by this time had become deep and long, and the mounds beside It had grown into little hills About & o'clock we climbed stiffly over the edge nd stratis'ed home. The task was completed. The gsping hole was ready to receive 500 bodies. Relaa of Terror reared. I drank my tea and ate my black bread at the hotel and got back to the Kovlet at 7:30. The procession began at S. The executive committee of the tMivlet was to head the procession, and they kindly offered that I march with them. Feeling ran high that day and no one unknown to the proletariat ventured out of doors All those with bad consciences monarchists, counter revolutionists, speculators hid behind drawn blinds, afraid of a reign of terror. From e?-ly morning I stood on a mound of newly turned earth watching an Immense sea of people pouring through the white arched gateway of the old Tartar city flooding all the lied Square. It was bitter cold. Our fret froze to the ground and our hands ached under our gloves. But the spec tacle before us was so magnificent that It made us forget everything else. In by the gateway, out by the house of the Romanoffs, the crowd passed endlessly In one huge Interminable fu neral procession, slowly, rhythmically they moved along like a great op eratic r&eMnt symbolizing the long, bluer struggle of the Russian masses throughout the vast, intricate fabric of hutory. Fine-looking young giants of sol diers wtarlng towering gray shapkies bore the rough wooden coffins, which were stained red as if In blood. After them came girls with shawls over their heads and round peasant faces, hold ing large wreaths of artificial flowers that rattled metallically as they walked. Then there were bent old men and bent old women and little children- There were cavalry regiments and mil itary bands and people carrying enor mous bunnera that floated out in long, red waves over the heads of the crowd. Great bannera hud been suspended from the top of the wall and reached down to the earth. On all the banners were Inscriptions about the revolution and the hopes of the workers. Above the wall the golden domes of the four churches Inside the Kremlin shone out dizzily against the pale sky. The dark bell tower and the house of Boris Cor dunoff seemed to be frowning. Services Moat I preset ve. All the churches In the city and all the shrines were closed. How Impres sive it waa! No ceremony, no priests; everything so simple and so real! Sometimes the Lettish band would start suddenly to play Its funeral hymn and the soldiers, the Red Uuards and even the little boys and the old men j would take off their hats; the ano coming down in big flakes, fell on their bowed heads like a benediction. Troops of cavalry rode by at full sa lute. The martial note of the hymn stirred our blood and the long walling. Oriental notes were full of hopeless sorrow. Women all around began to sob and ons near me tried to hurl herself after a coffin aa It was being lowered. Her thin coating of civilization dropped from her In a moment. She forgot the revolution, forgot the future of man kind, remembered only her lost one. With all her frenzied strength she fought against the friends that tried to restrain her. Crying out the name of the man In the coffin, she screamed, bit. scratched like a wounded wild thing until she was finally carried away moaning and half unconscious. Tears rolled down the faces of the big soldiers. Crewe 9lags Fstaeral Soag. Sometimes the procession varied by great untrained chorus singing the Revolutionary Funeral Song. No peo ple In the world sing together aa well aa the Russians. No people lovs so to express themselves by song. The chorus rose and swelled, rich and resonant In the thin winter air. like a great organ in soma fins old ca thedral. Twilight began to settle, softening everything. The sky grew warmer and the snow took on a rosy tinge. All the wreaths had been hung in the trees and they swayed back and forth like some strange, multicolored fruit. It was 7 o'clock when the last coffin was gently dropped Into that long, long grave and the dirt began to be shov eled in. 1 had other acquaintancea In Mos cow a merchant family turned specu lators since the war maradlors the Russians call them grave robbers. They had Invited me for dinner and the table groaned with food. The warmth and light of the room stunned me sfter the thin bitterness of the Red Square. Moaey Bays Freedom. The three sons of this family were all fit for military service, but had bribed their way free. All three car rted on Illegal businesses. One some how carried on an Illegal trade Belling gold from the Lena gold mines to mysterious parties In Finland. One gambled In food. One owned a con trolling Interest In a chocolate factory which furnished the co-operative tores on condition that the co-opera tive first supplied his family with everything he wanted. So, while the people round the corner starved, they had an abundance of everything. And they were charming and cultured and very pleasant to their friends. While we were at the table the talk turned to the Red Burial and then to the army. One of the men ahowed me Pitiful little appeal sent to the rich families by the Soviet Government beg crlng for extra clothes for the sol diers at the front. The company laughed uproariously at the notice. I couldn't help thinking of our own peo pie at home, of my own brothers fight ing In France, and 1 was snocKea a the difference between us. How aulckly we would have answered appeal of that sort! No wonder there such class bitterness In Russia! A discussion of the i.erman followed and most of the company expressed themselves In favor of an Invasion. Just for a test I asked them to vote on what they really would rather have the soldiers and workers' govern ment or the Kaiser. All but one man out of the ten voted In favor of the Kaiser. I rode home In a Jingling sleigh across the Red Square. It was silent and deserted. (Continued Tomorrow.) U. S.MAY MELT. COIN Conversion of Silver Dollars Into Bullion Planned. PRICE-FIXING IS PROPOSED CITY OBSERVES BABY WEEK Stwrlat Programmes Kvery Afternoon to Be Given Druggist Tells Dyspeptics Best Thing to Use Baby week, the first week of Chil dren's year, started auspiciously lion day with a special programme ar ranged by the Oregon Congress of Mothers snd presented at the Meier A Frank auditorium, where a pro gramme will be the order of every aft ernoon this week at 1 o'clock. The Visiting Nurse Association had charge, and Miss Kmma Grittlnger and Ir. C. u Booth gave the talks. The Mactowell Club arranged the musical numbers. Yesterday afternoon at o'clock there was a programme under the auspices of the Portland Woman's Club, with Mrs. C. B. Simmons presid ing. Mrs. L. T. Newton spoke on "Healthful Clothing for Children" and Ir. J. W. Hill gave an address on dis cipline. All meetings are open to the public In reply to an Inquiry as to what waa. In he opinion, the best all-round rem edy for Indigestion, dyspepsia and stomach troublea generally. J. H. How arth. a druggist of many years experi ence snd widely known In his profes sion, says: "As a druggist I have filled thousands of prescriptions for the best physicians In my city, and naturally know what they think Is best: I hsve also talked with hundreds, yes thousands, of stomach sufferers, and know what has given them most relief. Therefore, it Is with an Intimate knowledge of both stiles of the question that I unhesl t.ttnclv eav: Nine times out of ten The best thing for pain In the stomach, be It Indtgestlon. gastritis, dyspepsia, or whatever you Wfh to call It, is to lake a tea.poonful of Bl-nrsla or two or three of the S-graln tablets In a lit tle hot water right aftrr eating or whenever pain Is felt. 1 know that many physlrtans mike It a practice to keep a supply of Bi-nesla tablets on hand to dispense to their patients, and 1 have read many letters from people wno voluntarily state that Kl-nesla gave Immediate relief and comfort after al1 other means had failed. So you can e-e why 1 have such confidence In Ht-nesia. Moreover, and this appeals particularly to those who have spent .arse sums without getting relief, you can try Bl-nesia without risking a cent for every package, either powder or tablet form, contains a binding guar antee contract of satisfaction or money back: and the rirusKiat you buy It from stands back of u.i guarantee." Adv. GODDESS OF LOVE FICKLE Mike Charley Accuses Emma Kra mer of Stealing Suitcase. Mike Charley, operator of the Ice making plant or the Multnomah Hotel, has found that the goddess of lovs Is fickle He told the poli-e yesterday that the object of his affection. Emma Kramer, who had promised to marry him on March 15. not only neglected to keep the engagement, but heaped more troubles upon him by taking his suitcase containing about $100 worth of clothing. He said that during the last few weeks he had spent about I ITS for fancy apparel for the woman. He confided his worries to special policeman Morak and steps were taken to apprehend Miss Kramer. A war rant for her arrest, charging larceny, has been Issued. FISH COMPANIES TO UNITE Seattle Firm Buying; Union Fisb Company of San Francisco. SAN" FRANCISCO, April . Negotia tions for the sals of the Union Fish Company of San Francisco to the Northern Fish Company of Seattle are nearlng completion. It was announced here today by W. J. Eraklne, of the Alaska Commercial Company, repre senting the Seattle concern. The I'nion company is engaged In cod fishing and operates five vessels. Dollar an Ounce for White Metal Mentioned In BUI Introduced In Senate as Emergency War Measure. WASHINGTON. April t. Melting into bullion of not more than 150,000,000 silver dollars now In the Treasury for sale .and export to pay trade balances, snd re-purchase of silver at fl an ounce Is proposed In an Administration bill introduced today by Senator Put mann as an emergency war measure. Sliver certificates would be with drawn from circulation as the dollars are taken from the Treasury and Fed eral Reserve Bank notes of new II and $2 denominations substituted. If enacted, the measure virtually would fix a standard price for silver at 1 an ounce, several cents above the present market and stabilize the world market, since the United States produces almost half of the total. The bill la also Intended to stimulate silver production and to use the Treas ury's reserve stock of that metal. In stead of gold, to settle this country's commercial trade balances In the Orient and elsewhere. In anticipation of action by Congress. Raymond T. Baker, director of mint, has formulated an agreement with silver producers and dealers to sell to ths Government at the fl rate. The probable result would be for the Government to absorb the country's entire output, about 74,000,000 ounces last year. Officials have stated they would make arrangements to supply quantities of silver to jewelers and manufacturers requiring it. The bill would permit the Secretary of the Treasury to fix the selling price f the government's silver, but It is assumed this would be not less than Jl. The treasury now holds 491.000.000 silver dollars, containing about 376,000, 000 ounces of silver. In withdrawing silver certificates based on this coin an effort probably would be made to take bills of demomlnations of 15 and more, leaving the 11 and $S bills, which are now in great demand. To guard against contracting circulation. however. Senator Pittman's bill would provide for issuance of Federal reserve bank notes. of which only $11,670,000 are In cir culation. in smaller denominations than the present $S minimum. Federal re serve bank notes are virtually the same as National bank notes, but the spe cial notes would have a slightly dif ferent basis, consisting of treasury cer tiflcates of indebtedness, or one-year gold notes. Arrangements would be made for the Federal Reserve Board to force withdrawal of these when the silver is replaced in the treasury. No more could be issued at any time than the face value of silver taken from the treasury. - No silver dollars have been coined since 1904. For half dollars, quarters and dimes Uie Government this year needs about 21,000.000 ounces of silver. AUTO SPEEDER FINED $75 Herbert Fletcher, Reckless Long shoreman, Stays in Jail. The next time Herbert Fletcher, a longshoreman, drives an automobile, lie says he will be careful not to run his car too fast In the congested dis trict and will keep to the right side of the street- He found yesterday that Municipal Judge Rossman is not lenient with reckless drivers when the court fined him $75 and sentenced him to serve one day in Jail. Because of his Inability to pay the fine, Fletcher will be required to serve out his sentence. Fletcher, in company with T. P. Leer, drove his car south on North Eighth street at about a 36-mile clip Saturday afternoon and collided with two auto mobiles at Couch street. Leer, who was intoxicated, was fined $2S. Knights DriTe Gets $4,500,000. NEW YORK. April 9. Instead of $2,500,000. which it was the purpose or the Knights of Columbus in its drive to collect in the archdiocese of New York, the amount contributed to aid in welfare work among soldiers of all creeds at the front and In Army camps aggregated $4,500,000, it was announced yesterday at the meetings of the heads of the various committees in charge of the drive. ' VOUNG MEN: a part of your bit in the winning of the war will be to get the utmost wear from your clothes. I am trying- to do my bit by putting- the utmost one-hundred-cents-on-the-dollar value into the clothes I sell to you. Young- men's suits are now dis played at these prices: $15, $18, $20, .$22.50, $27.50, $30, $32.50, $35, $37.50, $40 Young Men, Second Floor Bert Selling Morrison Street at FourtiiV Haberdashery Traveling Bags re u Save Fat. Animal Fats. Use Vegetable Substitution will do more for food conservation than the strictest economy." Y'OU have probably been told of the world's shortage in fats animal fats particularly. Has the force of this condition come home to you? Our fighting men need fats for their energy. Our Govern ment needs fats for munitions. Millions of devitalized women and children abroad need fats for life itself does this appeal fall on deaf ears? Does so much as an ounce of lard or, butter steal its way into your cooking? If so, there is not the slightest necessity or excuse for it. Do you realize that this country produces vast quantities of pure, nutritious cooking fats U. S. Food Administration derived from vegetable sources ? From these fats Cottolene. we make When you use vegetable fats in place of lard and butter, you are doing a patriotic duty. You are sacrificing nothing in whole someness, economy and good eating. You are simply making an easy change in the way you cook for your own good and the good of your country. 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