The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1918-09-19

tentlOn Oh CROSSING siberia 10 Nldu-
ivostok. We were laughed at; the
Germans treated our intention with
contempt, because we were poorly
equipped even for a short campaign.
But in a short time we had more
rifles than we could use; In fact In
many cases three to the man. We
bought rifles from the Bed Guards at
from ten to 80 kopeks apiece. We
got machine guns from them for what
In your money would be 80 cents. One
of our regiments acquired 300 machine
guns In this way. We bought three
inch guns for ten rubles each. To do
this we had money of our own, which
we had saved up from working. Later
we received financial aid from a $20,-
100000 loan which was fioated- We
were thus able TO buy what we re-
quired, whether In arms or food.
"Soon the Germans ceased to treat
our intention to make our veg across
Siberia and thence from vladivostok
to France as a ~joke-after we had
a four days fight with the Germans
at Bachmach. q station on the railroad
s5cc. 100 miles from Kiev, and de-
feated them. We now found our
selves recognized first by the Austrian
emperor and then by the Germans
themselves, who had said that we were
nothing and had no real existence as
an organization.
"Word was sent to us In the name
of the Austrian emperor that If we
would cease fighting and surrender,
the autonomy of u country would
be recognized. We answered that we
knew no such person as the Austrian
emperor and no such country as Aus
tria-Hungary, and that we were de-
termined to cross Siberia to Valdi-
vostok. Then the recognition that we
were a force to be considered came
from the Germans In this way. The
German general asked US for a 48-hour
truce.
F~lfty-Seven Days on the Road.
w were about ten days getting
out of the Ukraine into Siberia. When
ever We needed food we bought 1t,
and We found enough to supply our
needs. W. came one day upon a beau
tiful train at a station, one evidently
that had been used by the car or one
of the grand dukes. We were told II
was occupied by the Red Guard com
mander. 1 was n of the group of
officers that visited him.
"tHOw large a force have you In
your commando one Of us asked.
1.-Two corps be answered.
"How many men are there In themy 2
"'Six hundred he had to admit.
(This will give an idea of the ridlcu-
lous character of the Red Guard organ
ization at that time.)
II was on the advance train, which
led the way across Siberia, and which
we had taken for our use. Other trains
we usually got hold Of In this way.
Wherever we found out there was a
train, we got hold of a locomotive and
put ten or fifteen of our boys, armed
with machine guns, on 1t, and sent IL
to meet the train. We told the boil
shevth that we would shoot II the
train was not turned over to US, and
that was all that was necessary. Then
we would I'LL the captured train with
our troopa
THE train In which / was took 81
days to make the journey from Penza
to V~ladivostok. Everywhere along
the route the German agents were try.
ing to get control Of the railroad By
Incorporating German soldiers In the
Red Guard organizations, and but for
our troops they would now control
his vastly important strategic line
from one end to the other"
Says kerensky 10 Stupid.
why did you not assert your eight.
Ing power under Kerensky and pre-
vent the collapse of Russia T.
"Kerensky is stupid" answered Cap
tain Hurban, "and." he continued. as
a sign that he is picking up slang Eng
fish, "a bad actor He is not a serI.
ous-minded man. We wanted to organ
lie our forces under his government
as we did under the car. The car
would not permit us to organize into a
large force because we were reyolu-
tionary against our home government.
but the Russian generals who knew
what good fighters we were permitted
US. without legal authority, to form
small units along the front. When
kerensky came into power we wanted
to bring these units together and Join
with the rest of our soldiers who had
surrendered to Russia to escape from
Austria-Hungary and to get on the
side OF the allies. There were 2OO.O 900
of as In Russia at that time. But
kerensky said that we were chauyin-
lists. and would not permit us to form
one large army. But when he saw how
we fought In small units, In the drive
which he undertook against us In July.
1917. he came to us and was ready to
kiss the earth under our feet.
but II was too late then. Who will
not say that an army OF 10000
Czecho-Slovak troops may not have
prevented the total eollanSa % Dro.4aa