White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1918-09-15
HOW ARMY or CzECHO-SLOvAkS
WON ITS WAY TO MADNOSTOk
Officer Gives a FHst-Hand Narration of How They Crossed Siberia
Says Red Guard of the Boshevik Does Not Amount to
Anything. Real Danger Is From German Prisoners
Who Have Joined Organization.

"a A. VA
Sloyak troops in Russia have resisted
the Germans and fought their way
from the Ukraine TO Vladivostok is
told below in detail for the first time
by a Czecho-S lovak leader who made
the trip across Siberia with the troops
and who recently arrived in Washing
ton from ~Vladivostok. He is Capt.
Vladimir Hurban, member of the
Czecho- Sloyak national council, dele
gated by the Czecho-Sloyak army at
v~ladivostok 10 make a report 10 Prof.
Thomas q. Masaryk. president OF the
council. who is nov at Washington
@The danger in Siberia is from the
Germans said Captain Hurban. The
Red Guards OF the bolsheviki do not
amount TO anything. Fifty good sol
diers are the equal of 1000 of the Red
Guards. They do not want TO hight,
but to ~.fraternize,' and if their OPP
ponenfs insist ON lighting and not
talking. they will leave the field. But
the Germans, from the large groups
of German and Austrian prisoners,
are stiffening the Red Guards every
day. They go in as .internationalists.'
promising 10 join in the campaign TO
put an end 10 Imperialism and capital
ism. and then carry out whatever or
ders they receive from the German
government or German generals. They
soon are made officers in the Red
Guards, and thus are able to direct
the movements of these forces in the
interest of Germany
100000 Germans in Siberia.
How many German prisoners are
there in Siberian"
According TO my information not
less than 100000, perhaps 100000. 1t
is these, as Red Guards, that will form
the backbone of resistance. They are
now the real force that holds that part
of the Trans-Siberian railroad which
separates the two bodies of Czecho-
Slovak troops. There are about lO,-
600 Czecho-S lovak troops at V1adivos-
tok. They also control the nearby rail-
road junction at Nikolsh. wherNn1he
Manchurian railroad connects win we
Trans-Siberian, and a short distance
beyond. From here to the neighbOr-
hood of Irkutsk the control is nomin-
ally Red Guard. 1t is in reality Ger
man, from the large number of Ger
man prisoners In the bolsheyist or
%ganization. They are holding about
1900 miles of the Trans-Siberian rail-
road.
From Irkutsk TO Samara, in Rus
STA. the Trans-Siberian railroad is in
the hands of Czecho-Slovak troops.
They control practically every station.
They are i'm command of fully 3,Ooo
miles of road. Samara. at the western
end. is more important than most peo-
pie in this country realize. 1t is on
the volga, and thns controls that
river. but the chief service that the
holding of this point is TO the alli4d
cause is that ii prevents Germans
from getting badly needed cotton from
Turkestan.
"The Turkestan railroad connects
with the Trans-Siberian at Samara.
and the Czecho- Sloyak troops thus
hold a key position the Germans would
like very much to take from them.
The number of CZecho-Slovak troops
which holds this stretch of the Trans
Siberian railroad is not less than 65.-
OOO. and probably considerably more.
They are poorly armed. short of sup
plies, and need help. 1t is important
10 reach them with relief as soon as
possible.
Hun Dominates Soviet.
THE German influence in Siberia is
also dominant in the soviet. big and
little. 1t has been easy for the Ger
mans. The method was this: A Ger
man officer prisoner announced that
he had become converted to interna-
fionalism. He was received into the
soviet as an 1nternationalist.' The
men in the soviet he became assoc
ciated with we're ignorant. many of
them m~iterate. 1t was simple for the
German officer, with a well-trained
mind and a disciplined will. to obtain
control of the soviet. Other German
prisoners In that district also became
Tnfernationalists,' so that the German
officer soon had confederates. Then
under the flag of Internationalism he
would direct the soviet in the interest
of Germany, and often In carrying out
direct orders from German agents.
The bolsheviki do not realize how
they are being used. They are too
ignorant: the smaller, better-posted
number concu because they know thai
without the support Of the Germans
the b0lshevildS could not resnaln IL
power. 1t IL my belief that there am
but few soviets In Siberia which hays
not thus been subjected to German
influence ard control An the Ger
mans have to do Ii to say that they
are willing to help against the WORLD
! Of Imperialism. No question as t.
whether the profession Is sincere