Arizona republican., 1916-04-23
A Russian Myth?

We have received communication from resi- dent of Phoenix former officer in the German relative to story Of the arrival Marsees France of large masses of Russian troops for operations on inc front In his opinion the Russians not there at all, and that opinion is based upon certain statements in the dispatches concerning the arrival oi the troops their journey and his knowledge of the conditions they would have had in mak- ing such voyage It stated, rather, suggested that they had come in a large number of transports from Archangel, by route divulged, but which must necessarily have lain north of the Scandinavian peninsula the British Isles and far out in thesAt- lantic thence eastward through the Strait of Glib ralter to Marselles which is about midway on the Mediterranean of France
 Our correspondent who is familiar with northern Russia it is impossible that the troops could have come that way. They would have had the White Sea which this time of the year and until about May lst Is not open to navigation. He quotes also from Nelsons Cyclopeda:
 WHITE SEA--A large gulf of the Arctic Ocean penetrating Archangel province, North Russia. Its length from northwest to southeast is 300 miles, and its area 365oO sq miles It is frozen from October to May. The fisheries of considerable importance Archangel is the chief port Vol. XII page 572).
 The correspondent estimates that the journey would occupy from forty-fve fifty days that the troops have left Archange in the latter part feDruarN, something rldicul0uSly impossible. It mentioned in the dispatches that the troops might have embarked Kola, the head of the gulf of the same name but that is four degrees farther north than Archangel
 On account of winter conditions therefore it is impossible that the troops could have travelled from Archangel any other European Russian port They could have crossed the Scandinavian peninsula without discovery and mention has been made in disi from Berlin any other German point of large bodies of armed Russians passing through that country, though that is the direct from Russia to the western front. There several Russians in Germany at the present time, about mil lion of them. but they not armed and they moving through the country. Their movements are known every instant the German military authori- ties. They engaged in the useful occupation of preparing the ground for sugar beets crops under the direction of German soldiers and German scientific farmers
 There are other fishy facts regarding the Russian troop movement. Assuming that the was open in February and that the voyage was actually made it may be asked why the landing effected at Marseilles rather than at Bordeaux some point on the Bay of Biscay whence they could have been transferred to the front a great saving time and voyage of more than 1000 miles
 Also it seems impossible that such a troop ment could have taken place from any point without some hint of it having been obtained Also at first glance, it would seem impossible that such hoax could be perperated without early discovery. But when we consider the means by which com municaton in all the warning may be closed against the transmission facts and opened to the transmission of falsehoods easily see why no denial of the presence of the Russians at MarseIes could reach the outside world the great of the French people themselves. The latter having heal rd hat he moral effect of their presence French and they would be heartened.