The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1918-08-20

everything we could carry to prevent il
from falling into the hands Of the Ger
mans, Each OF our regiments had 100
to 900 machine guns and nobody IN
Russia, 10 say nothing OF Moscow,
could have at all contemplated an at
tempt at opposition. Moscow. more
over, would have received IN with open
arms. But we were determined TO leave
as the arm OF friendly, brother ua-
tion, with an army which ~ spite OF
all bad experiences, wished Russia the
strengthening OF real democraCy Az
though we could not sympathllc with
The bolsheylk government We as guests
reirained from all action against it.
and remained absolutely loyal to it.
"1o prove indsputably our loyalty,
we turned over 10 the bolshevih every
thing, all our arms with the exception
ol a few rifles which We kept for our.
50 TO say personal, safety (lO rifles
lOr each 100 mem. The cQulpmen, we
turned over to the bolsheviM including
arms. horses automobiles arplducs.
rublcs, and il was legally in our po,
session for We took it away from the
Germans. TO whom il had been aban-
doncd by the fleeing bolshcyki This
transfer of their equipment was Oi
course preceded by an agreement made
between us and the Moscow govern
ment, by which we were guaranteed un-
moleStcd passage through Siberia 70
which the government pledged to give
IT'S unconditional support
Germans Uneasy.
ALREADY there were signs that the
Germans were beginning to be uneasy
about orr movement Today We have
documentary evidence Of the fact that
IN March the Germans considered our
progress as a grave adventure. which
soon would end in failure When they
saw, however that the "impoS,ibllty'
as they called II, was becoming
reality, they began TO do their best 10
Illustrate our efforts, and organized
an army against rs. As ! had said, |
the bolSheyikl, though not exceptionally |
friendly 10 us, restrained so far from
all direct action against us Their |
only desire IN that respect, 10 which |
they devoted much money was 10 per
'uade our volunteers 10 join their Red |
Guard, We did practically nothing tp |
oppose II, but We knew our men Our
people are too well educated politically |
in every other ray. TO be carried away
by the methods Of Lenine and Trotzky |
More dangerous was the work OF |
German agents who. under the mast OF |
nternationaism found their way into |
the sovlctS In every soviet there was a !
German who exercised a great inilu- |
cncc over all its members.
Soon there came the news that the |
German ayd Magyar prisoners Of war
were organizing in Siberia and were
being armed by the boisheviki under
the pretenSc that they were going to
tight against world Imperialism" We
have proved now that the Germans were |
planning to provoke our conflict with !
the bolsheviki and TO destroy Us piece
meal with the aid OF the armed pris
onerS OF war
80 Trains Start East.
Under such circumstances VIC began
our pilgrimage east was in the frs, |
train (thcre were then eighty trains OF
us). which was to prepare the way We |
were determined 10 leave Russia with
out conflict Notwithstanding IT, |
fact that we kept our word. that we
surrendered all arms with the exccp- |
ton OF the few necessary. our progress |
was hindered and unending negotiations
had to be repeated in every seat OF a
local soviet We were threatened by |
machine guns. by cannon. but we
patiently stood it all, although the Dol
shcyik Red Guard could have been
BY few OF our volunteers
After fifty-seven days of such tire
some travel our first train arrived in
where we were enthusiastic
rally received by the allied units sta
toned there.
when the Germans saw that we.
all their intrigue. were
nearing Vladisvostok, they exercised
direct pressure on Lenine and Trotzky;
Tor the things that were later COM
mltted by the soviets, cannot any fur
'her be explained away by ignorance
The trains were stopped AZ different
stations so that they finally were sep
irated by distance OF over iiity miles
from one another. Provoking Incl
dents OF all kinds we're the order OF
he day. The arming of the Germans
and Magyar prisoners was begun on a
arge scale. One Of the orders OF
rchitcherin. the bolshevik foreign min
ster reads; Dispatch all German and
Magyar prisoners out Of Siberia, stop
he CIecho- Slovsks.' Three members
,f our national council who were sent
% Moscow for an explanation of the
stopping OF our trains, were arrested.
At the same time our trains were at
lacked in different stations by the so
Wet troops, formed mostly of German
and Magyar prisoners.
Guards Attack Trains.
II will recall the lrkutsk incident
Dur train--about 400 men, armed with
en- rifles and twenty hand grenades,
vas surrounded by few thousand Red
.uaVda arrsd ,u;th ,,,arb;o. ,,,,n. .nd |