The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-08-10
RESCUE OF RUSSIA.
PLANS BEING WORKED OUT FOR
MOVE IN SIBERIA.

MOVE IN SIBERIA.
Chief OF Staff Will be Able to Tell Of
. Development of Program at His
Next Conference Officer
Will Probably Command
Washington, Aug. 5.-Plans for the
organization and dispatch of the
American military contingent to Rus
sia to cooperate with the forces of the
Allied nations in support of the
Gzecho-Sloyaks at vladivostok are be-
ing worked out by the army general
staff. Beyond the statement issued
Saturday by Acting Secretary Polk
that the American forces would be a
few thousands in number. no 1ntl-
nation as to the size of the contln-
gent has been given.
At the war department today it was
said thae-by next Wednesday General
March, chief of staff, would be able
sto give out a statement Of as much
of. the plans as safely may be dis
closed at taaC stage
y. Meanwhile the rules Of censorship
regarding the actual movement OF
troops do not permit Of any specific
statements at this time Of what is be-
ing, accomplished but there is a good
reason to believe that when General
March makes his statement it will dis
close that it follows rather than pre-
: ~, nfS fEot hac deter
mined upon, at least in some OF It's
leading features.
Meanwhile there is no objection to
the statement that if the military laws
. which govern joint action by interna-
tional, military forces are to be OBJ
served In the case Of this Siberian
operation and there is good reason
20 believe they viii, the senio, officer
s.of the international force will be In
supreme command. This rule pre-
walls even where the different nation
al forces making up the joint expedl-
ton work, on concurrent lines, though
I'm that case the national. commanders
having complete control Of their own
forces, are bound TO obey the general
rules of the campaign outlined by the
supreme commander.
In this case it is assumed that ia
pan will supply the largest single body
of troops III the undertaking, and
therefore following military rules,
would naturally assign to their com
mand an officer of higher rank than
those in command of the smaller
American and entente forces. In the
opinion Of officials here this officer
will be General Baron Vyehara, chief
of staff of the Japanese army.
~ The fact is recalled that the only
notable violation Of this international
rule of courtesy was on the occasion
of the joint expedition against the
Boxers In China more than q decade
ago. Then the German emperor though
the others, rushed field marshall all
the way from Europe to China in Or
der through his superior rank. to be
ablesto claim Germany's right to COM
mand the expedition. No such small
statesmanship is expected to be dis
played on his occasion. however
he Bed eSfoss has prepared for the
participation IN the Siberian enter
prise and already had arranged for
Thu. shipment to the Far East Of large
quantities OF supplies in addition to
the usual hospital service which falls
to the Red Cross.
Though acting Secretary Polk's
statement made it appear that only
America and Japan were in position
tor render immediate military assist
ance to Siberia, information has
rached Washington, that responding
TO the state departments appeal for
aid, the British already have landed a
battalion of troops at VIadivostok
while a similar force Of French troops
from Tonquin is due; there at any
moment.
Admiral Knight, comanding the
American naval forces on the Asiatic
Station, already is at -uadivostok on
his flagship and is in communication
twice each day with the navy de-
partment here. He will cooperate
with ethe military authorities. It is
not permissible to indicate just where
the American troops are to come
from, but the principal American
tCTcS l1uSt De drawn 1IOU1 d olStduI
point, which would seem to place the
initiative in military sense upon the
japanese forces. There vii: be no
armed resistance at Vladivostok, as
the port practically is dominated by
the japanese and British naval and
military forces already there, though
so far these have not interfered with
the functions of the local authorities.
Assurance that no trouble is to be ex-
pected on this account has been re-
ceived by the Russian embassy here
in the shape of returns from the re-
suits of the municipal elections.
These showed that the burgeoise and
moderae Socialists polled So per cent
Of the votes while the Bolsheviki re-
ceived only 81 per cent.
The embassy also gave out a state
ment that everywhere the population
Of different classes and political
groups has manifested visible inter
est and sympathy with the efforts Of
the United Siberian government in
cooperation with the Czecho-Slovaks
I>1s sc1,