The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-08-30
HOW ARMY Of CzECHO-SLOvAKS
WON ITS WAY TO vLADWOSTOK
0fncer Gives a Frst-Hand Narration of How They Crossed Siberia
Says Red Guard Of the BoIshevki Does Not Amount to
Anything, Real Danger Is From German Prisoners
], Who Have Joined Organization.

01QyUk lrOOP8 III 1uSahu nave IcSkStcu
the Germans and fought their way
from the Ukraine to vladivostok is
told below In detail for the first time
BY I Czecho-Slovak leader who made
the trip across Siberia with the troops
and who recently arrived In Washing
ton from vladivostok. He Is Capt.
Vladimir Hurban. member Of the
C~zecho-Slovak national council, dele
gated BY the Czecho-Sloyak army at
Vadivost0k to make 4 report to Prof.
Thomas g. Masaryk, president of the
council. who il now at Washington.
ssThe danger In Siberia Is from the
Germans" said Captain Hurban. 'The
Red Guards of the bolsheviki do not
amount to anything. Fifty good SOL
diers are the equal Of 1000 Of the Red
Guards. They do not want to fight,
but to 'f~raternize.' and IL their OPP
ponents insist on fighting and not
talking. they will leave the field. But
the Germans, from the large groups
Of German and Austrian prisoners,
are s~stiffening the Red Guards every
day. They 60 in as sinternationalists,'
promising to join In the campaign to
put nm end to imperialism and capital-
ism. and then carry out whatever or
oeEs tney recelse rom 1ne u n,an
government o. uerlnan senelais. Any
eoon are inaue onleels u
uuarus 2 mus arg au'c ~ ulu
the movements Of these forces In the
INTEREST," " uernany.
100000 Germans IN siberia
"How many German prisoners are
there IN Siberia"
According to my information not
Iees than 100000, perhaps 100000. 1t
d these. as Red Guards. that will form
the backbone Of resistance. They are
now the real force that holds that part
of the Trans-Siberian railroad which
separates the two bodies Of Czecho-
Glovak troops. There are about TO-
900 Czecho-Slovak troops at Vladivos-
tok. They also control the nearby rail.
road Junction at Nikolsh. where the
Nanchurian railroad connects with the
Trans-Slberian, and a short distance
beyond. From here to the neighbor-
hood OF Irkutsk the control Is nomin-
ally Red Guard. 1t Is In reality Ger
man, from the large number OF Ger.
man prisoners In the ~bolshevist or
ennixation. They are holding about
1900 miles OF the Trans-SiberIan rail-
road.
sFrom Irkutsk to Samara, in Rus
sia, the Trans-Siberian railroad is In
the hands OF Czecho-Sloyak troops.
They control practically every station.
They are In command Of fully 5000
miles Of road. Samara. at the western
end. II more important than most peo-
ne n this country realize. 1t Is on
the volSa. and thus controls that
river, but the chief Service that the
holding o. this point Is to the allied
Cnuse n that It prevents Germans
from getting badly needed cotton from
Iugkcetan.
The Turkestan railroad connects
witn he I-rans-Siberian at Samara,
an6 the 0uech0-Slovak troops thus
ho11 : ~ position the Germans would
11ko ~ much to take from them
The number Of Cxech0-Slovak troops
which holds this stretch Of the Trans
Glberian railroad IL not less than %,
QQo. and probably considerably more
Thoy are poorly armed, short OF sup
plies. and need help. 4 y importan'
70 reach them with relief as soon n
n00Gshln.