Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-05-10
Five Russian Contingents Have
Arrived at Marseilles after
Journey of 1880 Miles from
Moscow, via Port Dalney
is RECORD FOR SUCH
TROOP TRANSPORTATION
Contingents Made up of Men
Specially Selected from Every
Division of Cars Armies

Marseilles. April neutrality-suspicious.
of The Associated Press).-Five Rus
sian contingents for France have now
landed here today after a land and sea
journey of approximately 1850 miles
from Moscow to Port Dalney, Manchu-
ria. overland and thence by water trans
port.
The total number of Russian troops
now landed supplied with French ri
fles and sent on to camp Mirabeau, three
or four miles along the coast from Mar
settles for a two days rest before be-
ing conveyed to the large French depot
at Mailly, near Troyes. to prepare for
service at the French front is estimat-
ed at something like $4,000. The voy-
age of the Russians constitutes rec
ord in military transport history for
distance nd diversity of route. The
soldiers, as already known. are men spe-
cially chosen from every division of the
Russian army. They were concentrat-
cd in Moscow under the supervision OF
Gen. LochwitZky, who landed with the
first contingent last Thursday. and at
Moscow entrained for Carriage by the
Trans Siberian Railway across nearly
1900 miles of country, to Port Dalny
near Port Arthur. whence they were
to start on a sea Journey Of about TO-
900 miles. In times Of peace they
would have followed a route in an al
most opposite direction, via Archangle
and southwcstward by the North sea
and the Atlantic to the Mediterranean.
On this occasion they voyaged along
the coasts of half the old world, the route
being from Dalney around the Corean
coast, then through the Yellow and Chi
nese seas, passing Shanghai and Hong
Kong, and then reaching Singapore where
the transports entered the Indian ocean
by the Straits of Malacca. Here they got
glimpse of southern India at Ceylon
and made their way by Alden and the
Red sea to the SueZ canal and Port Said.
Once in the Mediterranean the run to
Marselles was as straight precau
tionary measures against enemy subma-
rines would admit. There was bad wealth
er at one or two periods of the voyage.
but on the whole the transit was un-
| marked by exciting incidents.
| The arrival of the Russians was a great
| surprise To tHe SelleTdl puDllC Ill
their coming being known only to Off
Gals and to only a few journalists in
Paris On the other hand the sending of
the contingent was in all probability per-
fectly known to the German authorities.
| Indeed, it is practically certain since, as
| the Russian general commanding the con-
! tingent. Gen. Lochwitzky, told the Asso-
ciated Press correspondents, two attempts
were made by the Germans to attack the
transports while on their way from Port
Daney to Marseilles.
| The first of the attempts was made
while the transports were in the
neighborhood of Shanghai, but failed
! it was said, owing to the non arrival
of the German heavy gun ammunition
The second attack was planned to take
place near Singapore. but warning of
the fact reached the Russians by wire
less from the British admiral in the
straits and the Russians avoided the
attack by changing their itinerary.
| An interesting feature of the con-
tingent is the fact that it arrived with
out arms, or indeed military equipment
of any kind, thus proving that the
French are in position to supply
them with what they need. The Incl
dent of the Russians, as they stepped
off the transports, being handed
French rifles with removable bayonets
| in contrast to the Russian fixed bayo-
nets. is if only a detail, enough to
suggest to the Germans that the
French have surplus of munitions.
| The sending of a Russian contingent
to France is more than the demonstra
ton of friendship which it officially
doubtless quite truly declared to be.
Its ultimate object is to try out the
question of further military aid to the
! French. The war. it is generally be-
lieved in all European countries, will
! be decided on the Western front so
that. keeping this probability in view,
it may we'll be that the Russian SOL
diers now landing on French shores are
only harbingers of more substantial
/ help to come.