The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-08-08
TWO REGIMENTS FORM
SIBERIAN EXPEDITION
VIII Be Sent from Philippines to Co.
Operate With Japanese
Forces.
GENERAL GRAVES TO COMMAND
Intention Continues to BE to Aid
Russian People to Obtain Control
of Their Own Country.

Washington, Aug. 7.--G e
March, chief of staff. today declared
the American military expedition to
Russia would be just as the president
portrayed it in his memorandum.
There will be no eastern front In
Russia" he added
Two regiments of regular troops
from the Philippines will form the
vanguard of the expedition. General
March said. Later they will be rein
forced by troops from the United
States. The Philippine regiments are
now of war strength and aggregate
probably not more than 2.500 men,
General March's statement follows;
The United States has organized
an expedition to Siberia. The officer
selected to command this expedition
is Major General Williams s. Graves,
who is now in command of the Eigpth
division, Camp Fremont, California
The nucleus of the American force in
Siberia Will come from the Philip
pines and will consist of the Thirty
seventh and Thirty-first regiments OF
regular infantry. That force VIII be
supplemented by other troops sent
from the United States. The purpose
of organization of the expedition has
been announced by the president
through the state department and /
need not refer TO that further. The
force is relatively small and is not for
the purpose of establishing an eastern
front in Russia, but for the purpose
set forth in the presidents memoran~
dunn and no other"
Colonies Styer and Taggart will be
in command OF the two regiments. the
general said. He also said he would
announce the arrival of General
Graves in Niadivostok as soon as he
reached there. General March was
unable to confirm the report that
American troops had been landed at
kandalaska,
"kandalaska is south OF kola on
the Thurman railroad where II touches
the kandalak gulf on the White sea"
he said, and the only dispatch l have
seen does not say that American
troops were there, but that troops
had landed at ArchangeL / have seen
no dispatches anywhere that Ameri"
can troops are at kandalaska. and so
far as l know they are not there"
He said that whenever American
troops arrive at Murmansk and the
facts are reported to the war depart
ment he would release them for pub
LEGATION.
The question of command of the
inter allied troops in Siberia will be
settled, 1t was said informally, in
much the same manner as was the
selection of General Foch as supreme
commander on the west front. There
is no present indication of undue haste
in any particular with regard to our
plans In Siberia. nor will there be any.
In one respect, General March $
statement of today-which constituted
only a slight amplification of the
president's-was taken to indicate
that the campaign for allied inter
vention on huge scale in Russia was
at an end He made it perfectly plain
that the president meant what he
said--that only few thousand
troops were to be used and that our
intentions We're in reality designed to
aid the Russian people to obtain con-
troll of their country.
The state department this after
noon was without any word or COM
muncation from Ambassador Francis
although a message had been expect
ed, according to Acting Secretary
Polk. The department is anxious to
learn the gist of contents of the state
ment issued to the Russian people by
AMBASSADOR Francis and other allied
ENJOYS before they left Vologda. Mr.
Polk said the department had heard
nothing from the American consul at
Archangel for nearly a month.