File 1341/1921 Pt 1 'Khorassan Intelligence Summaries 1921-1922' [‎406r] (459/1080)

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stated that when the military authorities called up all youths who had finished
the second year’s course at secondary schools the result was exceedingly
meagre.
The character of Bolshevik military administration is undergoing a
V bhange and instead of regular formations they hope to create a Peasant and
Workmen’s army entirely on a territorial basis. The ideal they are aiming at
is that every physically fit young man shall be trained in arms before he is
released to the vocation he has chosen, or the State has chosen for him, so that
he will be able to turn from the plough or the workbench for instant recourse
to the rifle if the country’s needs demand it. Their programme goes even
further than that. They aim at training every man as far as possible in the \
functions of all the fighting arms—infantry, cavalry, engineers, and artillery.
When formed these territorial units will be grouped round a common centre—
that is, the principal town of the particular territory. How far this organiza
tion has proceeded has not been determined owing to the secretive ways of the
Bolsheviks and to the reluctance of all arrivals from Russia to give any
evidence on military subjects. Moreover, there is no reason to disbelieve that
the famine is holding many measures in abeyance.
The fact that the old titular numbers still persist assists to confuse the
issue, though one witness has emphatically maintained that they have been
done away with. This individual, who claimed to speak with authority, stated
that each territorial regiment is to consist of four battalions of four companies,
each company, or not, to number 300 men. Thus, the total of the regiment
will be 4,800 rank and file. He added that the brigade was to be the highest
formation and that divisions were to be done away with. He was confronted
with references in current Bolshevik papers to “—the Turkestan Rifle Division ”
and to “—th Turkestan Rifle Regiment ” but maintained he was right and that
the Bolsheviks maintained these formulae in order to deceive investigators!
In justice to the man’s statement it must be admitted that the only unit-
titles found in Bolshevik newsparers published in Turkestan are: Turkestan ;
Transcaspian ; frontier; Independent ; heavy and light divisions of artillery,
etc. Their references to cavalry are “ th Cavalry, or Reserve Cavalry,
Regiment, ” or, abbreviated, “ Kavpolk
This last quoted informant stated that a mass of orders and instructions
was issued, emanating from Kuropatkin, to inaugurate the new organization.
When asked to give further information of all he knew, for which he would be
suitably rewarded, he at once became secretive, pleaded fear of counter
espionage, but promised to go to some remote frontier place and to send in the
information from there.
What would seem to correspond to the pre-territorial depbts of Britain up
to the first decade of the present century are these foci of Bolshevik territorial
units. Dor instance, Askhabad is the depdt of the Transcaspian territorial
units and there, too, is found what they call the “ shtab ” (meaning more
“ administrative headquarters ” than “ staff ”) of the 1st Frontier Brigade.
All witnesses agree that Turkmen are not being forced to serve.
Economics .—Despite the great influx of Persian barley and wheat, food
conditions do not seem to have improved appreciably although one witness
stated that the Bolsheviks have risen somewhat in the estimation of the public
by reason of their successful negotiations with Persia.
The general opinion among refugees is that unless the foreign powers
intervene Russia must perish. Admissions as to instances of cannibalism are
not wanting, children being the victims. The dreadful argument is advanced
that since the child must die what difference does it make if its end is hastened
for the benefit of those who survive ?
Clothing and footwear remain as scarce as before, the troops in many
cases being quoted as barefooted in which condition they wander off to the
villages when off duty to beg for bread.
Chintz and other cotton goods are bartered by Bolsheviks for wheat, but
at a very high rate of exchange—about a yard of cotton cloth, or twenty boxes
of matches, for thirty-six pounds of wheat.
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