Page:Emile Vandervelde - Three Aspects of the Russian Revolution - tr. Jean Elmslie Henderson Findlay (1918).djvu/132

 any travelling permit whatever. The general anarchy that reigned permitted them, moreover, to turn out from the compartments, if need be, civilians and officers, and take their place. During the first months of the era of liberty soldiers filled the stations and the trains in such numbers that not only did travelling become impossible for civilians, but the transport crisis was seriously aggravated. Even in the month of June, when the situation was considerably ameliorated, we still saw them jumping on all the trains, climbing on the footboards, the buffers, and even on the roofs of the waggons, which became like human bunches of grapes.

In spite of the discomfort and the danger of this method of travelling, it must have appeared very desirable to a large number of soldiers, for they left their garrisons simply to travel a certain distance by train, even when they had not at the end of the journey the prospect of a large city with its attractions and opportunities for spending money. We were told that enormous numbers of soldiers travelled thus during weeks over a great part of