The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-07-13
WAIT FOR ALLIES.
CZECHO-SIlOvAKS PREFER TO
FIGHT GERMANS IN WEST.
Edicient Forces Desire TO Avoid In
ternal Complications and Go Speed
lily To France.

New York. July 1o.--Leaders OF
the czecho- -Slovak movement to es-
tablish an Independent state and
whose troops now are lighting against
armed German and Austro- Hungar-
Ian former prisoners OF war an
against the Bolsheviki in Siberia, are
waiting to see what action the allies
Will take regarding intervention in
Russia before determining their own
policy there. They believe. however,
their place Is In the battle line on the
Western front.
This announcement was contained
In statement given out here tonight
by Charles Pergler. an attorney, who
Is the American delegate to the
Czecho-slovak council e.s who is
acting as secretary 10 I.of. T. G.
Masaryk, president of the council.
Dispatches from London today
quoted Vladimir Hurban as declaring
In Toyko on behalf OF the Czecho-
slovak council that the troops now
In Russia do not want to become in
volved in Russian internal affairs. and
that orders already issued for trans
porting them to France could be mod
ihed only by Professor Masaryk in
agreement with other members OF
council.
Professor Masaryk. who is in New
York and who is expected soon TO
sail for France. would make no for
NAL statement tonight, but Mr.. Per-
gier confirmed the dispatches credited d
to Colonel Hurban.
The memorandum presented at
Toyko to the Japanese foreign min
lister and allied ambassador by Col.
Hurban expresses with exactitude the
attitude of the Czecho- -Siovak nation
al council and our troops have ad-
hered TO 1T with regard TO Russian in
ternal offairo. said Mr.. Pergler. 1t
must be remembered that the
are not Russians, that
when they are authorized to organ
lie their Independent forces In Rus
sia and given the opportunity TO fight
the central empires. they were the
guests OF the Russian nation. and
could not with propriety mix up with
things purely Russian. When Rus
sia dropped out OF the war. our troops
and the national council TO whose po-
litical control they arc subject had but
one thing In view-to transport these
troops TO the Western front, there to
give such aid to the allies as they are
capable of and TO fight for an indie
pendent statehood for the Czecho
Slovak lands.
Professor Masaryk, the president
OF our council. who was then I'm Rus
STA, reached an agreement with the
Bolshevik forces that our men
would be permitted to proceed un-
molested TO points from which they
would embark for France. IL was also
agreed with the entente powers, es-
pecially France. that these troops
would be transported to the western
front. Professor Masaryk endeavor-
ed to secure ships while in Japan and
has taken up this matter also in
America.
The present activities of the
Czecho-Slovak troops i'm Siberia were
obviously caused by the Germans.
Austrians and Magyars. for it is
clear that IL is to the interest or the
central powers TO prevent such large
number OF as efficient troops as ours
are from lighting against them. AS
yet II is not quite clear whether the
Eolshevik government violated its
pledge or whether merely the local
soviets were simply made tools OF
by German agents.
IF the Bolshevlk violated their
agreement, the changed situation may
call for an entirely different policy Oh
the part of Czecho-Slovak national
council. now recognized officially by
France as the supreme representa-
tive OF the future Czecho-s o-slovak gov
eminent. But as TO what this policy
shall be am not I'm position at tn
present time to say The fact is We
are waiting for the allies TO decide
what course they themselves intend 20
pursue I'm Russia our forces are part
OF the allied troops. TO us General
Foch IL also supreme military author
Ifv