The sun., 1918-08-08
GRAVES HEADS
SIBERIAN FORCE.
Two Philippine Regiments
Will Make Up Nucleus of
Expeditionary Army.
vLADIvOSTOK THE AIM
Open Hostility Of the BOlshe-
Wiki Indicated in Seizure of
Official Cable Dispatches.
Special Desrdfeh TO The Sun.


WARRINGTON. Aug. I, Major-Gen
William s. Graves will command the
American Expeditionary Force to be
sent to Siberia. Announcement to this
effect was made to-day by Gen. Peyton
| c. March. Chief Of STAFF. at his confer
ence with the newspaper correspondents
The American force. which Gen.
March describes as relatively small. will
have two regiments OF regular infantry
as its nucleus. These regiments. the
Twenty seventh and the Thirty-first
! will 60 from the Philippines to Vladi-
vostok. They are commanded by Coils.
Styer and Taggart. Other troops sent
from the United States will supplement
these regiments and bring the force
up to SUFFICIENT strength to carry out its
initial purpose.
Gen. March declined to state what the
size Of this initial force will be. as au-
thoritative comment on that score might
give information to the enemy. Specu-
lation here Is that the initial force will
be approximately 10000 with arrange
ments made for increasing 1t II necss-
sary.
Provision for Full Division.
Major-Gen Graves will be relieved
Of his present duty in command OF the
Eighth Division. Camp Fremont. Cal,
In order to take over his new command,
Should II become necessary in the near
future to bring his force up to full divi-
sion strength. this can be done speedily.
as the basis for a force Of this size will
be provided in the initial makeup and,
by his rank. Major-Gen. Graves will be
logically In a position to command a
division.
No announcement will be permitted as
to when the American troops depart
from tbe Philippines or from the United
States for vladivostok. Gen. March
however. will announce the fact as soon
as Major-Gen. Graves reaches Vladi-
vostok.
There will be no announcement con-
cerning the prospective movements OF
Japanese troops or their number until
these troops reach Siberia, 1t !s as
sumed that Japan will have a force at
least equal to that OF the United States
at the outset 1t was noted here to-day
that the Japanese Government officials
in Toxic have made 1t known to their
own people that Japan will increase her
military forces in Siberia as expedi-
t!ously as circumstances require.
Watching BoIsheviki Leader.
1t is admitted here that the military
phase OF this programme may be affected
by developments resulting from the
threats and open acts of hostility OF
Nikolai Lenine. the Bolshevik leader.
Should Lenine make a declaration OF
war against Japan or seek to stir up
hostility against the United States and
the Entente the course OF prudence
might necessitate increasing the size of
the forces which the United States,
Japan and the Entente Allies are send
ing to aid the Czecho- Slovaks and the
Russian people. But the object OF the
expedition would, 1t Is explained. be the
same.
The purpose of organization OF the
expedition" Gen. March said. has been
announced by the President through the
State Department and l need not refer
to that further. The force Is relatively
small and is not for the purpose OF es-
tablishing an eastern front in Russia,
Out LOT tne purpOse set IOrtn III tHe fTeS-
ident's memorandum and no other"
Further indications of the open hos
tility of the Bolsheviki leaders reached
the State Department to-day in official
advices. Felix Cole. the American Con-
sui at Archangel, reported TO the state
Department that he had received no
message from the Government since July
7. AS the State Department has been
cabling him frequently and as Ambas-
sador Francis has likewise been sending
him kilograms, this information from
Mr. Cole was taken as proof that this
official correspondence from the United
States Government to its representative
has been tampered with for a month by
The Polsheviki
Mr. Cole reported that he has been
under arrest by the authorities In Arch
angel, who acted presumably under
orders from the Bolsheviki. Upon the
arrival of American and Entente forces
he was released by the people.
These new Developments, marking new
affronts to the dignity OF the United
States, have brought no official comment
and the general assumption in diplomatic
quarters Is that the United States now
regards the acts of the Bolsheviki rs be-
meath notice and fully expects to carry
on any dealings It may have with Rus
sia through other channels.