New Britain herald., 1918-09-05
SLOVAkS PLEDGED
 TO HELP ENTENTE
Gallant Little Army Making
 History in Russia

the OnlteO states nave decided to ala in Siberia has come to Washington from Nlad!vostok to make a report to Professor Masaryk, commander-in- 1 chief of the CGecho- -Slovak army and president of tho National Council. Captain Hurban has given to The Associated Press his story of the eX periences of the Czecho-SlOvaks from the time tho army of escaped prlS- oners fought their way eastward from Ukrainia.
 "The history of the origin of our army of Its operations on the Russian front, and it's march around tho world to the French front will some 1 day read like fantastic romance, be- fore which the ina GinatOn fades into the prosaic," he said.
 Mainstay of Russian Army.
 Our army in Russia was organized from Czecho and Slovac prisoners of war under almost insurmouutable difficulties. We were cooperating with the Russian army, and since the summer 1917 were practically the only army on the Russian front capa ble of any military action In the proper sense of the word. In July, 1917, durng the first revolutionary offensive under Kerensky it was only our army that really attacked and advanced.
 'When the l3olshevik Soviet gov ernment signed the peace treaty at the beginning of March, our army, of about 50,000 men, was in Ukrainia, near Kiev. The former Ukrainian government to escape the Bolsheviks, threw themselves into the arms of the Germans and called for German help. When tho German and Austrian armies began their advance into Jkrainia the position of our army was almost desperate. We were in a state which had concluded peace, into winch, however. the Germans were advancing and occupying large terri tories without resistance. The Red Guards of the Soviets did not repre- sent any real military power.
 "Gcrmans advanced against us in overwhelming numbers and there was danger that we would be surrounded. | Our rear was not covered and the Germans were liable to attack us there We had no lines of communi- 1 cation behind us, no stores of ma ; terials and no reserves; everywhere 1 there was disorganization and an- | archy, and the Bolshevik Red Guards 1 seized the locomotives and were fleeing east in panic.
 Turn Down Austria's Plan.
 Under these circumstances Elm peror Cha rles sent us a special envoy with the promise, that if we would disarm, we would be amnestied and our lands would receive autonomy We answered that we would not negotiate with the Austrian Emperor.
 
 began a retreat to the east. Already then in agreement with the Allies, (our army had been proclaimed a part of the Czecho-Slovak army on the western front, and thus allied with the French army) it was decided to transport our army over Siberia and America to France. We began the difficult retreat from Kiev. The Ger mans in an overwhelming force were trying to prevent our escape. About a hundred miles behind us they seized the important railroad june ton at Bachmac, which we were obliged to pass in our trains on our retreat to the East.
 Germans DecisiveIy Beaten
 ''When we arrived at Bachmac the Germans were already waiting for us. There began a battle lasting four days, in which they were badly defeated, and which enabled us to get our trains through The commander of the German detachment offered us AS hours truce, which we accepted for our duty was to leave Ukralnla; but, the truce was cancelled by the German chief commander, Linsigan, but too late; our trains had already No lt a 600 men in dead, wounded and un- accountable, while we buried 2,000 Germans in only one day.
 "In this manner we escaped from ITkraina. Our relations with the Bol- sheviks were still good. We re- trained from meddling with Russian internal affairs and we tried 10 come to an agreement with the BO1shevtlt government with respect to our de parture. or passage through Russia. But already, signs were visible that the Bolsheviks-either under German influence or because we then repre- sented the only real power in Russia [ would try to put obstacles in our way. | IL would have suffiCed to order one of our regiments (Our army was then, in l March, near Moscow to take Moscow, 1 and in half a day there would have l been no Bolshevik government; for 1 then we were we'll armed, having 1 taken from the front everything we could carry, to prevent 1t from falling 1 into the hands of the Germans. Each of our regiments had 200 to 300 ma ] chine guns and nobody in Russia, to say nothing of Moscow, could have at all contemplated an attempt at Op- 1 position. Moscow, moreover. would
 
 | But we were determined to leave as i the arm of a friendly, brother nation. ! with an uImy which in spite of all 1 ....,ao..i Lnns.s. wished RuSSia Lhe