New-York tribune., 1918-09-19
Hun Must Weaken
Army i'm West or
Give Up Siberia
Allies Plan to Combine
Lines at Samara, East
of the Volga
Means 8OO-Mile Line
Experts Say Teutons Will Not
Balk Entente Unless Re-
inforcements Arrive
By Carter Field
ISpecial Dispatch to The Tribune)

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18.--Germany
must weaken her manpower on the
Western front to a degree which would
court disaster or witness the Juncture
of the Allied forces now moving south
from the Murman coast with the
Czecho-S -Slovaks on the Volga River, in
the opinion of army officers here.
1t was disclosed to-day for the first
time that it is the plan OF the Entente
for the joint expedition, including
American troops and marines, with
British and French troops. which orig
inally landed at Kola, on the Murman
coast, to move southeasterly until 1t
effects a juncture with the Czcchs hold
ing the Transsberian Railroad, near
the town of Samara, just east of the
Volga River, and about $50 miles east
of Moscow.
The Czecho-Slovaks now hold the
Transsiberian Railroad from Samara
to the point where the road is IN the
hands of the Japanese, who have
moved inland from the region around
Nladivostok, so that the road is IN
Entente hands from European Russia
to it's Pacific terminal.
Line Is 500 Miles Long
As the crow flies, the distance from
Archangel, the nearest point on the
White Sea, to Samara is nearly 500
miles. SO that the project of having
the Murman expedition join the Czechs
behind the Volga River is one of ex-
traordinary difficulty. This Is thor
oughly appreciated by army oflcers
studying the situation, but they point
out that its difficulty is not compare
bic with what has been already ac-
complished by the Czecho-Slovak army.
Once united, the Entente army, which
will be reinforced whenever needed by
Japanese troops coming over the Trans
siberian Railway, viii not be entirely
denendent upon that railway for sup
plies, since it has already been demon
strated that the Russian people are
eager to help the Entente, despite the
Rolshevikl, as evidenced by the fact
that the Czcho-Slovak force has not
been starved out.
Poles to Help Allies
Tho Entente. force which Will thus
reopen the Eastern front for Germany
will be further reinforced by the army
of Poles now being organized IN 81
IBERIA. so that by the time the long
march has been made and the Juncturc
effected the man power of the Allies
on that front will be considerable.
There is strong confidence In addition
that the Russians will rally TO the En-
tente banners. hoping not only to throw
off the German yoke designed for them
by Lenine and I rotzky, but to end the
~ |,
The opinion of army officers is that
Germany could by sending large eX-
peditionary force to attack the Thurman
coast Entente expedition, or to oppose
it's southwark march, prevent this
iuncturc planned by the Entente gen
eral stafs. But the huge distances of
Russia aid the plans of the Entente by
making this of extraordinary difficulty.
The German interfering expedition,
should one be sent, would be COM
pelled to move not less than 400 miles
northeast of Petrograd, so as to cross
the normal southeasterly line of march
of tho Murman expedition.
People Are With Czechs
Because of the evident temper of the
Russian people and their sympathy with
the Czechs, the Germans would be
obliged to hold the line of communca-
lions closely. SO that to put an army
capable of defeating the Thurman ex-
petition into the fight would require an
expenditure Of man power which Ger
many, it is confidently believed. would
not dare to spare for such move.
Gcrmany's only hope. it is declared,
lies in the Bolsheviki. If they can
maintain a sufficient grip on the Rus
sian situation to interfere seriously it
might be possible for them to serve
(,erDNopy yroli Rut army cffjrarc Io
clare that they do not believe, from the
tone of recent dispatches from Rus
sia, that such aid to Germany could be
extended by the Lenine Trotzky group.
Once the union has been effected
the officers point out, all of Siberia and
Il third of European Russia will lie be-
hind the lines of the Entente army, and
the possibilities for its plishment
will be almost limitless.