The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-09-06
CZECHS, 0UTNUMBERED, AMBUSH REDS,
WIN BATTLE WHICH FREES SIBERIA
Turn Railroad Gulley Into Sham
bles in Which Dead Laid Un-
buried for Days, Says knisely.
by BURTON kNISELY
(Stafi Correspondent, Newspaper En-.
terDriSe ASSOclatiOn.)


(Staii Correspondent, Newspaper En-
terprise AssOclatiOn.)
Nikolsk, Siberia, Sept. 6.-This is
allies try to close the fan of soviet
ism. ..
The little remaining Bolshevik con-
troll in Siberia spreads over the coun
try in the shape of an open fan, with
the east tip on the Ussuri, the center
OF the base at Manchuria station. the
west tip at Lake Baikal-the base ly-
ing along the Trans-Siberian and the
curved border pointing north.
There are three battle-fronts-at
each tip and at the center OF the base.
Allied strategy is to close this fan.
and shut the Bolsheviki up inside of
it as it closes, driving them from Hab-
arOvsk in the east and Chita in the
west--their greatest strongholds-into
q center of nOthingness.
And most Of the troops and sup
plies In this maneuver go through
Nikolsk. 1t is busy place.
The last time | passed through Nj
kolsk before the Bolsheviki were
overthrow at VladivOstOk there were
no warlike signs. The soviet govern
ed the city, but there were no guards
at the station and few soldiers in
sight.
But in Nikolsk, as in VladivOstok,
the sOviets still had smooth sailing.
Then came the blow-up. The minute
the CZechs had taken Vladivostok
they started westward toward their
comrades in the interior.
The BOlshevik troops from erode
kovo, and some from up toward Hab-
arovsk, hurried to reinforce theNo-
kolsk garrison. But the CZechs NOV
ed too fast for them. Within week
after taking VladivOstok they captur
ed NikOlsk.
The real story of that battle prob
ably has never reached the world.
There was no corps Of war CORE
spondents. Gable communication
with Vladivostok is about as good as
none. The fight was bloody. Per-
haps 200 CZechs and 1000 BOlsheviki-
prisoner troops were killed or wound
ed.
The CzeclS lacked both guns
ammunition. They won by STRAIT
egy. They advanced, Sccreted
what machine guns they had on
hiIIsides over Il gully along the
railroad track in their rear. and
then pretended to retreat down
the track. When the pursuing
Boisheviki damned the gully the
hidden CzechS cut loose, like
whirlwind OF death.
BOlshevik bodies lay on those
hills almost week. Women,
from NikOlsk and nearby towns,
arrived daily to hunt their dead
husbands, brothers. sons.
The capture of Nikolsk seemed to
spell the Bolsheviki's early end. The
city is an important railway junction.
The direct Trans-Siberian runs
through Chinese land--Manchuria.
Here branches north the Amur line,
circling Manchuria, rejoining the
Trans Siberian west of Manchuria, so
Russia in war would have a through
line on her own soil.
But the Bolshevik resistance in this
sector stiffened. Through Nikolsk
troops, guns and equipment now go
north to the Ussuri front. At Nikolsk
supplies, Red Cross outfits and hospi-
tai facilities pile up. To Nikolsk are
constantly returning wounded Czech
allies from Ussuri.
At the other Mancnurian front. the
center Of the fan, Japanese-Chinese
reinfOrcements to Semenoff's troops
are causing the Bolsheviki to dispense.
Only 5000 are said to be left.
At the west tip OF the fan-Lake
Baikal-the Czechs from the interior
advance steadily toward Vladivostok.
though they need help.
/. But at the east tip of the fan, U.s.
surf, the Czechs. though expecting to
take Aabarovsk in couple of weeks,
have already been eight weeks at it
vainly, and several times have had to
retreat.
Now that crisis is past. Within the
last two weeks trainloads Of japanese
have CINE notrh from Nikolsk. Cen
eral Otani now has a force heavy
enough to start the drive toward the
inevitable end At Chita or Haba-
rovsk. or somewhere between. the Boil
sheviki will make their last stand.
Four unfavorable results from
Intervention were thought posi-.
bic:
l. Russian consolidation be.
hind the attacked soviets.
2. More complete submission
Of the sOviets to German inilu.
ence.
;. Suspicion In Russia and
China Of Japan's motives.
4. Friction between Siberian