formerly had before the courts under the
Czar. It is worthy of notice that for crimes
against property compulsory labour is nearly
always imposed ; for all other offences fines
predominate, except in the case of murder,
where of course a fine is never imposed.
There have been, I am told, a few cases where
persons found guilty of murder have only been
doomed to loss of freedom and to compulsory
labour.
For those who have been found guilty of manufacturing and selling intoxicating drinks, eighty per cent. are fined and eighteen per cent. imprisoned. The death penalty for any person either in the army or in civil life has been abolished, and this I understand is being rigidly adhered to.
As to general maintenance of order, what struck me was the absence of any paraded authority anywhere. I am well aware that authority was present, probably in every big road, but it did not obtrude itself. One had to look to discover the man or the woman who was exercising the duty of policeman. In Petrograd I saw the women police paraded, and very smart indeed they looked in their uniform. In Moscow the work is mainly done by what appear to be ex-soldiers, but I should think it was the easiest thing possible to preserve order in either of the big cities.
