Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-01-25

dangers endured by American engineers
now i'm Russia for the purpose Of re-
constructing and rehabiltating the
famous Siberian Railroad and an in
torcsting insight into political and in
dustrial conditions i'm that revolution
torn country are contained in a letter
received i'm Philadelphia from a pcnnsvI.
vanan attached to the Russian railway
service corps, an experienced railroad
man, who Is member OF the corps.
The letter. which the EVENING PUBLIC
LEDGER submitted to the Committee on
Public Information for censoring. fol-
lows:
The United states army trans
port arrived safely in harbor at vIadi-
vostok Russia II carried tho Russian
railway service corps an engineering
contingent made up Of frst-glass OH
gineers and experienced railroad men.
Colonel Emerson who is in charge Of
the party, Is the former general mani
ager Of the Great Northern Railroad
and has the reputation of being able to
make railroads operate. and operate
successfully under almost any condi-
tious. Ills value is realized when we
know that he left $4,000 Job TO
undertake the rejuvcnatng Of the
Siberian Railroad
The corps Is composed Of two units.
ono made up Of railroad men represent
ing all tho large ralro IDS Of the United
states and these men are under Colo
mel Emerson the other unit is tho
Baldwin Locomotive Company's aggrc-
CATION, under Lieutenant Colonel Jasper
sen. Colonel Jaspcrseu was the con-
sultiug engineer for the Baldwin Loco.
motive Company and also the engineer
in charge Of docks and wharVes for the
Reading Railway Colonel Jaspersen's
party Of specially selected men will re-
main in Nladivostok until they have
erected approximately two thousand
locomotives for the Russian Gov
ernment. The work is expected to take
about two years. Colonel Emcrson's
/ party will be scattered along the Siber-
ian Railroad anywhere between Nladi-
vostok and pctrograd.
/ INTERPRETERS CAUSE TROUBLE
"Thc transport, besides carrying the
members Of the contingent, had also on
/ board forty-two Russian interpreters who
/ had been selected by the Russian Com.
mission from the vicinity Of New York
/ These caused their first trouble at Homo.
lulu. They split up into Cliques, some
/ favoring tho Bolshevik government.
/ others we're for Eerensky and still Others
were worrying about wnat reports they
/ should make TO their labor unions upon
I arrival at Nladivostoll.
THE situation came to q climax while
in port at Honolulu One Of them made
. the statement among his colleagues that
/ the boat would be sunk two days after
/ leaving port. lie was under the influence
/ of liquor at the time, but was promntIy
arrested. Nothing further developed until
two days later. November 20. Thanks.
giving Day, and the day of leaving port
/ Then there was a meeting of the coloncls
and in the meeting, after listening to the
/ evidence Of the United States Secret
Service men, who, unknown to all except
Colonel Emerson. had been with us since
leaving San Francisco, it was decided tc
leave eight Of the interpreters at Homo.
lulu. The work of the United States
Secret Service men proved some to bc
aGitators. some Socialists with disagree,
able ideas. and one was a full-nedget
German citizen. They were left bag and
baggage at Honolulu under the wing o
the United States army stationed there.
Two days after leaving port bound
for Nladivostok further excitement was
. created when wireless news was re
ceived ordering the arrest Of the head
butcher as a German. At tho hearing n
/ Honolulu of the Russian cases one OI
the erstwhile interpreters. to save him
self, had told of the butcher being 2
German. The result was that a very
meek little man was hauled out of bee
Al a. m. and put under guard. The
charge was later proved unjusttied ant
he was permitted to resume his duties
"The contingent received a cold re-
CeptiCn at Nladivostok I'm both senses o.
the word. The harbor was partly
frozen over and a heavy snowstorn
was going on The transport was no
allowed to dock and nobody was al
lowed TO go ashore. The terrible cole
got worse by morning and a sheet o
ice surrounded the boat on all sides
Ice-cutting boats were steamng con
tnuously baci and forth, and it wa
only through their efforts that the har
Dor was kept open. The American con
sui advised against our landing, ant
il was only after a whole days session
with colonels and Russian authorize
that It was decided to carry out tn,
original intentions.
"The Russian authorities and bette
class of people of Nladvostok welcomed
us and were glad of our arrival Blu
the working class were against OF land
ing. and trouble from this source is beinl
guarded against. Nladivostok, thougl
far from European Russia, is rife will
u