The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-07-07

ever, at the appointed time, so Merri- man oied himself to the postoffice and met Miss Starnes. The couple then returned to the mayors office when plans for the wedding were arranged to occur at the Elks' home at 7:30 this evening. The Elks gave the newly married couple a warm send-off. Mer- rinan will go to Washington Mon-s day where he is to receive a commi is- sion as lieutenant before going to France
 part of the pre-nuptial agreement was that the groom was to assign in surance amounting to $1S,oo0 over to the bride, but Miss Starns would not insist on this part of the pact being carried out before the marriage cere- mony
 as an embarrassing fact that the Czecho- Slovaks are not themselves Russian citi-. zcns and so may be regarded as an alien element by the native population. Those who are counting upon the Czecho- -Slavs hope that when they have clearly defined their disinterested motives, the Russian people will we willing to join them in great numbers to free their country from the German invaders and establish constitutional and representa- tlve government.
 AMERICAN NAVY READY
 
 The American navy stands ready to meet any demand upon it in connection with the new plans and Secretary Dan- iels is said to have let it be known that adequate naval conveys are to be had whenever and wherever the army re- quireS them. The army men who op- pose allied military action point to the tremendous natural difficulties which would attend such an effort and the fact that if WnllId a division of a{fnrt subtracting from the influence the United States could exert on the major front in the west. T
 Difficulties of transportation might be overcome by the transferring of allied and the utilization of neutral shipping, but Che approach of the early and se- we're Siberian winter would throw a cam paign there far into 1919 Before then, experienced observers here argue, oper- ations in France will have begun to show definitely the mastering superior ity'' Of the allies, to which General March, chief of staff, recently referred. They contend that a decisive allied suc- cess on the western front would mean a beaten Germany, and would have as great an effect upon the population of Russia as the establishment of an allied front in Siberia for them to rally upon, without the chance of offending Russian national feeling.
 BY WAY OF PACIFIC
 If it should be determined by the Paris council, however, to dispatch consid- era ble expedition to Russia, there are available a number of or ganizations, which, in the aggregate, would make an important American force. Garrisons at Honolulu, Hawaii, and the Philippines could be drawn upon for the initial contingents, and these might be supplemented quickly by units from the recently augmented marine corps Several divisions of the national army now training on the west coast might be used if the necessary tonnage were obtained. It has been suggested that shipping facilities can be secured from the Chinese and Japanese lines, from the neutral shipping in the Pacific and from the American steamers plying between this country and the Philip pines.
 There now are about 300 Americans in Russia and Siberia, exclusive of Vladi- vostok according to the best informa- tion received by the state department. Of these 40 are United States officials, including consular officers in various parts of the country. The railroad engi- party, headed by John F. Ste- vens, numbers about 75, and is irf~ Man churia.
 Ambassador Francis, at Vologda, has four possible ways of leaving. But the route to the west is impracticable, for he would encounter Germans soon after leaving Vologda. To the north either toward Kola or Archangel, he would be by the Films and Germans. To the south is Moscow, where the bolshev iki, propably supporters by Germans. are in control. The Siberian route alone and the condition of the rolling stock of the road makes the time in which he might reach V1adivostok quite