Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-04-27
Troops Landed Yesterday at
MarseiIles Only First of Great
Force to Be Sent to the
Western Zone.
EASY TO ARM THEM THERE
Gear Has More Men Than He
Needs - Coming Forecasts
Operations on Great Scale
on French Front.
TO ARM THEM THERE

London. April 22.-Great develop
nent are expected in France soon. The
arrival Of Russian soldiers to support
the French and English lines, and the
withdrawal of German troops from
Macedonia and Serbia, are taken to
forecast impending events of major i'm
portance.
The arrival OF the transports which
brought the Russian troops sent to join
the entente forces on the western front
had been expected since Tuesday, but
a heavy storm in the Mediterranean
delayed their reaching Marseilles.
Every precaution for their protection
had been taken up owing to reports
that hostile submarines We're operating
In the Mediterranean, but the voyage
was concluded without untoward in
cident.
250,o00 Russians En- Route.
The coming of Russian troops to the
western front has been talked of by
military people for two or three
months. The reason, as now explained,
is that it is easier for Russia to arm
and supply fighting material to Rus
sian troops on the western front than
on the eastern.
Russian still has many hundreds Of
thousands more men under training
thar she can use on her fighting lines
because the Russian problem continues
to be not how to get the men but the
munitions. The allies can obviously
provide complete equipments for Rus
slams more easily in France than by
shipping to Russia. Possibly $50, 900
men will be sent into France this
spring.
Paris, April 22.-The French contin-
ued to make progress in the region of
L OA1 4 NJ ON nil on tl1 Ny~rl,,1 c,~xt
in the fighting last night. The war of
flee announcement his afternoon re-
ports The capture of German trenches
and of four officers and $50 men.
East of the Meuse a fierce German
attack was repulsed. In the sector south
of Haudremont wood, the French made
gains.
MarseiIIes Is Gay.
Marseilles, Frances principal sea-
port was gay with bunting today in
honor of the arrival of the force of
Russian troops. the first public mani
festation of greater cohesian and unity
of the entente allies growing out of the
resolutions Of the Paris conference.
The Associated Press correspondent
who witnessed the Decentralization Of
the troops was informed in a high
quarter that the arrival of the Russians
was chiefly a demonstration of Russia's
friendship. The public attached special
significance 10 lne event. 1t KNOWS the
French army is not short of effective
ness; further it believes hat the Euro
pean war must be decided on the west
ern front and feels therefore, tina the
Russians have come so that all ele-
ments of the allied hosts may be repre-
sentad when that decision is reached.
Hence the Russians are ooked upon
as the heralds of happenings Of great
moment.
All Picked Men.
This feeling manifested itself in en-
t~husiastic statements as the drab mi
singing their characteristic national
air. A Moscow boy of 13 named Ig-
natieff, who has been adopted by one
Of the regiments, was the first person
to land. He received an ovation. He
has been eight months on the Austrian
front. The Russians are all pick ed
men. Most OF them are decorated with
the st. Georges cross. Som Of them
have o decorations. The men were
delighted to get to their quarters after
the sea coyage.
The Russian forces will be used to
fill in gaps on the western front caused
by the recent fighting. The arrival OF
the Russian troops is regarded here
as an event Of great Importance and
significance from both a military and
political standpoint. The Russians
came on a great flotilla of
Not a single word of their coming was
permitted to become generally known
until they had actually concluded the
journey and were landed on French
soil. No exact details as to the num-
Der of Russian troops are available.