The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-08-13
HUNS NJ { DIDN'T GET
UKRAINE n A GRAIN ! "A
Il Was v Burned g There by Rem
nants Of the y czecho.s |oyak
Retiring Army:
TOUCH IEUg IN sIoMacA!s
Food AIlowaneeS Reduced, and Star
Walton IL Some Places 10 Appar.
ent-Take Revenge Tor opprss-
iii gsivs Treatment Of Bohemia.

| NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. sGne many e3Sy
triumphs which enabled the TeutOns
this year to slice great sections from
the map Of Russia, like coupons from
8 bond, Germany anu Austria both suf-
fered one frightful disappotntmeilt.
And, the apQng was In the weakest part
Of their Political anatomy the collec.
tive stomach Of their peoples.
The grain Of which the two kaissfs
expected to plumber the Ukraine Vas
not there at least there was so little
Of 1t that Germany had q lower her
bread ration, while Austria continued
to starye bit more rapidly. The snp-
plies had been burned. .sg
These fires were lighted, with q kind
Of poetic Justice, by the remnants OF
the Czecho-S loWk army-deserters
from the Austrian ranks and invet-
crate enemies Of the Hapsburgs, who
had been reconstructed into Russian
military units under the Kerensky
regime and fought so splehdidly TOR
Russia before the whole, nation coli
lapsed from the gnawing of the Dol.
sheviki.
Fortunate for the Allies. :S
Until March Of this year this Czecho-
Sloyak army had been stationed in the
ukraine- 80, 900 men in lipe and $1,000
more in reserve. Then bolshevik rep
resentatives dissolved their organixa-
ton and took away their arms, though
about 10000 refused to part with their
weapons. They We're given promises
that they would be allowed to leave
Russia for the United States, but, t0f
course, no, means of transportation
We're provided. And, 50 they remained
where they were. i s.
1t was fortunate for. the allies that
they did. AS soon as they realized
that Germany's chief objective In
Russia was the Ukrainian grain sup.
ply they began q systematic campaign
Of pillage and burning, In. which they
were assisted by the peasants them.
selves, aroused at the thought that
the old landowners were to return tih.
der German protection.
vrhe evidence that the Czecho- Slo-
vaks were successful Is incontestable.
Count Czernin, Austro. Hungarian
prime minister until his little ex-
change Of pleasantries with M
Clemenceau, placed the, responsibility
for the bare Ukrainian cupboard on
the shoulders Of the Czecho. Slovaks.
German representatives in.fthe Aus
trian relchsrath repeated the charge III
greater details. ~ Magyar deputy In .
the Hungarian parliament recently de.
clared that the CzechO- Slovak5 army in
Ukraine had burned or taken 2away
everything OF value.
Had Their Revenge.
Not only did they destroy what they
could, but they. fought bitterly to pre-
vent the Teutons taking what was
left. Retiring and hamp BY their
lack Of equipment, they stopped TO
meet the advancing Germans repeat
eddy In the field, Their last battle,
'one Of those confused struggles which
get little space In the cable reports.
was fought near Bachmac, halfway
between Kief and Kursk on the road
to Moscow. After the fight, though
the Czecho-S loyaks had been armed
chiefly with axes, they themselves.
buried more than 300 Germans.
Certainly In Ukraine the Czecho-
Slovaks have had their revenge for
three centuries Of .sufrocation and
oppression in Bohemia. But through.
opt the war~they have launched shat.
tering blows against their Austrian
and German enemies and the whole
idea Of Mittel Europa.