162 THE ZEMSTVOS DURING THE WAR 
refugees. Railway transport was already breaking down, and the 
railwaymen, utterly exhausted and exasperated by the demands 
which were pouring in from all sides, were beginning to feel indif- 
ferent toward the fate of the passengers. The supply of the re- 
quired rolling stock was utterly inadequate. Packed into goods 
‘rains, or on open trucks, the refugees traveled at a snail’s pace, 
sometimes not more than thirty miles a day, often compelled to wait 
five or more hours at some out-of-the-way place where they could 
obtain nothing in the way of food, and frequently passing during 
the night, without halting, stations which were well provided with 
necessaries, thanks to the foresight of the Zemstvo Union. Under 
these chaotic conditions it was impossible to predict the exact time 
of arrival of a train, and often, just as the refugees sat down to 
their meals or as they were being examined by the doctors or being 
registered, their train would move out of the station without any 
warning. 
Relief in the Front Area. 
When the congestion of refugees in the war zone became such as 
to endanger the movement of the army itself, an order was issued 
for the compulsory transport of the refugees into the interior. How- 
ever, the exhausted and emaciated horses were barely able to move, 
and, in order to put the refugees on board the trains, it became nec- 
essary to “relieve” them as quickly as possible of their horses, cattle, 
vehicles, and other “superfluous” property. Under pressure from 
the authorities, all these objects were hastily disposed of at prices 
ridiculously low, falling into the hands of the speculators who made 
their appearance in large numbers. Frequently property had to be 
merely abandoned. Under these conditions, the work of the guides, 
who tried to protect the interests of the refugees, proved exceed- 
ingly useful. The guides were selected from among the refugees 
themselves, being either their priests, teachers, or village elders, and 
sometimes university students were asked to act as guides. 
The zemstvo committees of the front undertook to look after the 
refugees mainly in the areas adjoining the trenches. But even within 
this comparatively limited territory the work to be done was con- 
siderable. The following figures may afford some idea of its scope: 
on the southwestern front, the number of meals issued during the 
period June-December, 1915, by the zemstvo canteens, of which