The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1918-09-19
HOW ARMY or CzECHO-SLOVAKS
WON ITS WAY TO VLADW0STOK
Officer Gives a First-Hand Narration Of How They Crossed Siberia
Says Red Guard Of the BoshevN Does Not Amount to
ANYTHING, Real Danger Is From German Prisoners
Who Have Joined Organization.

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 CZ~echo-SlUvak 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-Slovak national council. dele
gated by the C~zecho-Slovak army al
Vladivostok to make a report to Prof.
Thomas G.. Masaryk, president OF ths
council, who is now 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 fight,
but to 'fraternize,' and II their OPP
ponents insist on fighting 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 1nternationalists,'
promising to join in the Campaign 10
put an end to 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
~ 80 fhaZa FaraaS In thu
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 TO-
600 Czecho-S lovak troops at Vladivos-
tok. They also control the nearby rail-
road junction at Nikolsh, where the
Manchurian railroad connects with the
Trans-Siberian, and a short distance
beyond. From here to the n~eighbor-
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 bolshevist or
ganization. They are holding about
1900 miles of the Trans-Siberian rail-
road.
n
From Irkutsk to Samara, in Rus
STA, the Trans-Siberian railroad is in
the hands of Czecho-Sloyak troops.
They control practically every station.
They are In command of fully 5000
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 thus controls that
river, but the chief service that the
holding of this point is to the allied
cause is that 1t prevents Germans
from getting badly needed cotton from
Turkestan.
"The Turkestan railroad connects
with the Trans-Siberian at Samara.
and the Czecho-S lovak 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.-
600, and probably considerably more.
They are poorly armed, short Of sup
plies. and need help. II ID important
to 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. II has been easy for the Ger
mans. The method was this: A Ger
man officer prisoner announced that
he had become converted to interna-
tionalism. He was received into the
soviet as an 'Internationalist.' The
men In the soviet he became asso-
ciated with we're ignorant. many Of
them illiterate. 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
'Internationalists,' 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 concur because they know that
without the support Of the Germans
the bolsheviki could not remain in
power. 1t is my belief that there are
but few soviets In Siberia which have
not thus been subjected to German
influence and control. All the Ger
mans have to do is to say that they
are willing to help against the world
Of Imperialism. No question as to
whether the profession is sincere
seems to enter the mind Of the bolshe-
Wiki.
"Outside the soviets the bolsheviki
have no strength In Siberia. All class
,ac - raaAu 20 .nnIto auotzc& A. III