Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-08-19

| S. Hurban. an officer I'M the Szecho-
Slovok army which JAPAN and the
United States have decided to aid in
Siberia, has come to Washington from
| yladivostok to make a report to Pro-
lessor Masaryk, commander in chief of
the Czecho-Slovak army and president
OF the national council. Captain Hur-
ban has given to the Associated Press
his story of the experiences of the
Czecho -Slovaks from the time the army
of escaped prisoners fought their way
eastward from Uirainia.
THE history of the origin Of our
army, ofsits operations on the Russian
front, and it's march around the world
to the French front will some day read
like a fantastic romance. before which
the imagination fades into the prosaic,"
he said.
Our army in RUSSIA was organized
from CZecho and Sfovak prisoners of
war under almost insilrmountable diff
ficult!es. We were cooperating with
the Russian army, and since the sum-
ner 1917 were pre- ctically the only army
on the Russian front capable of any
military action in the proper sense of
the word. In July, 1917. during the
first revolutionary offensive under Ker-
ensky it was only our army that really
attached and advanced.
when the bolyhevl.i soviet govern
ment signed the peace treaty at the be-
ginning of March. our army. of $4,000
men, was in Ukrainia, near Kiev The
former Ukrainian government, to es-
cape the bolsheviks. threw themselves
t.,t. ia
for German help. When the Grenian
and Austrian armies began their ad-
vance into Ukrainia. the position of our
army was almost desperate. We were
| in a state which had concluded peace,
into which, however. the Germans were
| advancing and occupying large terri
tories without resistance. The Red
Guard offthe soviets did not represent
any real military power
1.-THE Germans advanced against us
in overwhelming numbers and there
was danger that we would be surround
| ed. Our rear was not covered and the
Germans were liable to attack us there.
| We had no lines Of communication be-
hind us, no stores Of materials and no
Preserves: everywhere there was disor-
ganization and anarchy. and the boil
! shevik Red Guards seized the locomo-
| tives and were fleeing east in panic.
Turn Down Offer Of Charles.
Under these circumstances Emperor
Charles sent us a special envoy with
the promise that II, we would disarm we
| would be amnestied and our lands
| that we would not negotiate with the
Austrian emperor.
| las we could not hold front. we
| bean a retreat to the east. Already
then in agreement with the allies. (our
army had been proclaimed part of the
ICzecho- Slovak army on the western
front. and thus allied with the French
army it was decided 10 transport our
!army over Sieberia and America to
/ France. We began the difficult retreat
from Kiev. The Germans IN an over
whelming force were trying to prevent
our escape. About hundred miles be-
hind US they seized the important rail-
road junction at Bachmac, which we
Were obliged to pass in our trains on
our retreat to the east.
when We arrived at Bachmac the
Germans were already waiting for us
There began a battle lasting four days
in which they were badly defeated, and
which enabled us to get our trains thru
! The commander of the German detch-
ment Offered us a forty-eight hours
truce. which we accepted, for our duty
was to leave Ukfainia; but. the truce
Was Cancelled by the German chief com
mander. Lnsingen. but too late: our
trains had already got Away. We lost
altogether about 800 men in dead
wounded and unaccountable, while we
buried 1000 Germans in only one day.
Could Have Overthrow 5oisheviks.
I'm this manner we escaped from
4 Ukrainia. Our relations with the Dol
sheviks were still good. We refrained
from meddling with Russian internal
ahairs and we tried to come to an
agreement with the bolshevik govern
ment with respect to our departure, o,
passage thru Russia But already, signs
were visible that the bolsheviks-eithe.
iunder German influence or because we
then represented the only real power in
Russia-would try to put obstacles in
our way. 1T would have sufficed to or
der one of our regiments (our army was
ithen. in March near>Moscow) to take
Moscow, and in half day there wotld
have been no bolshevik government;
Tor then we were we'll armed. having
taken from the front everything we
Gould carry. to prevent II from falling
into the hands Of the Germans. Each
guns and no body in Russia, to say
nothinf of Moscow, could have at all
contemplated an attempt at opposition
Moscow, moreover would have received
us with open arms. But we were de-
termined to; leave as the army of a
friendly, brother nation, with an army
which in spite Of all bad experiences
wished Russia the Strengthening of real
democracy. Altho we could not sym
pathize with the bolshevk government
we as guests <refrained from all action
against it, and remained absolutely
loyal to it.
| ITO prove indisputably our loyalty
we turned over to the bolsheviks every
thing, all our arms, with the exception
of few rifles which we kept for our
SO to say, personal safety (ten rifles fol
leach. 100 mem. The, equipment we
turned over to the bolsheviks, includ,
ling arms, horses, automobiles air
| planes, session, for we took it away
from the Germans to whom it had been
abandoned by the fleeing bolsheviks
This transfer of the equipment was OF
course preceded by an agreement made
between US and the Moscow govern
ment. by which we were guaranteed I'M
molested passage thru Siberia, to which
the government pledged to give it's un-
Unconditional support.
s Germany Wakes Up.