Evening star., 1918-10-13
|bOLSHEWM DAMAGE
WADNOSTOK GUNS
Allies May Make Use, Neverthe.
less, Of Great Russian
Fortifcations.
BY WILLIAM R. GILES.

BY WILLIAM II. GILES.
| Especial Correspondence of The Even.
ing Star and Chicago Daily News.)
PEKING, China, September THE
coming of bolshevik rule in Vladivo-
stok has meant ruin to the fine mill
tary fortifications erected there by
Russia. Hundreds of guns and mill
tary works have been wrecked, with
the exception of one or two of Tie
most important. Many of the guns
have had their breechblocks taken
away, most of them being thrown
into the sea, when the first uprising
occurred, and there is an absolute lack
] of desire on the part of those now in
power either to preserve the forts or
! to give sufficient care to the weapons
of war for subsequent use. Bolshevism
| was just as ruinous to Vladivostok as
| at military and naval base as it was
to the army in Russia. All discipline
| vanished, with the result that the
| whole system was disorganiZed. Mill
tary and commissariat supplies were
! stolen or burned. While one part OF
the former garrison lived most luxu-
| riously on plundered supplies, the
| other, not having been successful IN
| its depredations, was for months on
| the verge of starvation. The officers
\ who could have organized the issuing
of these supplies in such a manner
| that all could have been properly fed
| were either murdered or were forced
! to fly for their lives. The bolshevlkl,
WHO would not allow any of the ola
officers to assist them even when they
| wanted to. had no idea of system or
organization; and soon proved hope
| less failure, the result being that the
| civil municipal council eventually had
| to distribute the military food sup
plies.
| Allies May Use Forts. j..
| Now the allies will undoubtedly
make these forts part of their mil
tary scheme. They are relics OF Rus-
| sia's past military glory and engi-
| a striking testimony of the blightlng
| influences of bolshevik power and dis
ruption. 1t would have been a Sao
day for the far east and for the ailes
had Germany been able to secure con
troll of Vladivostok through the boil
shevik agents.
Russian Base Since 1851.
v1adivostok is the capital of the
maritime province which embraces
! the pre-Amurski Krai. or southern
i region Of the Amur, the Transbalkal
| and Amur provinces. and the RUSSIAN
half of Saghalien. The name "vladi-
| East" and, as the name implies, 1t
was obtained by the Russians in 1861
as a base for their developments in
| the far east.
| In fifty years the Russians mace OF
| this port one of the strongest fort
resses in the world, and the most
wonderful city in the orient. SO far
as magnificent buildings, wide streets
and imposing engineering construc-
! tional work goes.
japanese Found It Strong.
Aggression being the keynote of
Russian policy in the far east at that
of Vladivostok and Port Arthur two
! Gibraitars. The finest military engi-
! neers were employed and with infinite
| skill and a great outlay of money
practically impregnable. In the Rus
! so-Japanese war of 19O4-5 the Japa-
| nese. after numerous failures. gave
i the siege up in disgust.
| The line of Notifications extended
west along the Amur bay for many
miles, and to point ten miles away
| (Ussuri bay), where a series of forts
| guarded every possible entrance. 1t is
| estimated that the number of forts in
eighty, mounting 500 large guns and
many others of lighter nature.
| Two large docks were constructed to
| carry out repairs for the largest war
ships the Russians had in far eastern
| waters. Large warehouses were hid
den away in the most protected places.
| wherein were stored munitions and
supplies which would enable the gar
| rison to withstand a long siege.
Everything that human foresight and
military skill could do to make the
| place impregnable was DONE