The Cordova daily times., 1918-08-20
REMARKABLE STORY OF
CZECHO-SL0VAK FIGHTERS
Continued from Page Onc)


OF materials and no reserves; every
w. mere there was characterization and
anarchy. and the Bolshevik Red
IGu1rds seized the locomotives and
were fleeing east in panic
"Under these circumstances En-
with the promise that if We would
disarm We would be amnestied and
our lands would receive autonomy We
answered that we would rot negotiate
with the Austrian emperor
AS we could not hold front. we
began retreat to the east. Already
then in agreement with the allies tour
army had been proclaimed a part Of
the CzeCho- Slovak army on the west
ern front. and thus allied with the
port our army over Siberia and Amer.
lea to France. We began the diff
cult retreat from Kiev. The Germans
in an overwhelming force We're trying
to prevent our escape. About a hun
II dred miles behind us they seized the
important railroad junction at Bach
mac. which were were obliged to pass
in our trains on our retreat to the
east
when we arrived at Bachmac the
/ Germans were already waiting for
US. There began battle lasting four
days, in which they were badly de,
feated. and which enabled us to get
our trains through The commander
of the German detachment offered us
a forty eight hours truce, which We
accepted. for our duty was to leave
Ukrainia; but the truce was Cancelled
by the German chief commander, Lin
singer. but too late. Our trains had
already gotten away. We lost alto.
gether about 500 men in dead. wound
ed and unaccOunted for. while We
buried 2.000 Germans in only one day.
In this manner We escaped from
Ukrainia. Our relations with the Boil
| sheviki were still good We refrained
from meddlnG with Russian internal
affairs and We tried to come to an
agreement with the Bolshevik gov
eminent with respect to our departure
or passage through Russia. But al
ready signs were visible that the Boil.
Sheyiki-either under German infiu-
ence or because we then represented
the only real power in Russia-would
try to put obstacles in our way II
would have sufficed to order one of
cur regiments tour army was then.
in March. near Moscow, to take Mos
COW, and in half a day there would
have been no BolsheVik government,
Tor then We were we'll armed, having
could carry, to prevent it from falling
into the hands of the Germans. Each
of our regiments had POO to 300 ma
chine guns, and nobody in Russia, to
say nothing OF Moscow, could have
at all contemplated an attempt at OPP
position. Moscow. moreover, would
have received us with open arms. But
we were determined to leave IA the
arm of a friendly brother nation. with
an army which, in spite of all bad
experiences. wished Russia the
Strengthening of real democracy Al
though we could not sympathize with
| the Bolshevik government, we. as
guests, refrained from all action
against it. and remained absolutely
loyal to it,
ITO prove indisputably our loyalty,
we turned over to the BOlsheviki
everything. all our arms. with the eX-
ception of few rifles, which We kept
for our, so to say. personal safety
| (ten rifles for each 100 mem. The
| equipment We turned over to the Boil
/
mobiles. airplanes, etc, was worth
more than l,00O, 100000 rubles. and it
was legally in our possession. for We
took it away from the Germans. to
whom ii had been abandoned by the
. fleeing Bolsheviki This transfer of
the equipment was, of course. pre-
coded by an agreement made between
s IuN and the Moscow government by
which were were guaranteed unmo
Tested passage through Siberia, tc
q (which the government pledged to give
q IFS unconditional support.
"Already there were signs that the
Germans were beginning to be uneasy
about our movement. Today we have
documentary evidence of the fact tina
N in March the Germans considered on
. progress as naive adventure which
soon would end in failure Whel