The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-08-21

the CZeCho-S -SlOVak army, Whlcl
Japan and the United States hav
decided to aid in Siberia, has com,
20 Washington from Vladivostok II
make a report to Professor Masaryk
commander-in-c chief of the Czecho
Slovak army and president of the
National Council, Cautain Hurbar
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 Ukrainia
"The history of the origin of our
army, of its operations on the Rus
sian front, and its 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 organ
lied from Czecho and Slovak pris-
oners of war under almost insur-
mountable difficulties. We were CO.
operating with the Russian army
and since the summer of 1917 were
practically the only army on the
Russian front capable of any mill
tary action in the proper sense of
the word. In July, 1917, during the
first revolutionary offensive under
Kerenssy it was only our army that
really dstacked aud advanced.
"When the bolshevik soviet gov
ernment signed the peace treaty at
the beginning OF March, our army,
of about 10000 men, was in Ukrai-
MIA, near kicv. The former Ukrai-
nian government, to escape the boil
shcviks, threw themselves into the
arms Of the Germans and called for
German help. When the German
and Austrian armies began their
advance into Ukrainia, the position
of our army was almost desperate.
We were in a state which had con.
cludcd peace, into which, however
the Germans were advancing and
occupying large territories without
resistance. The Red Guards of the
Soviets did not represent any real
military power.
The Germans advanced against
us i'll overwhelming numbers and
there was danger that we would be
surrounded. Our rear was not coy
cred and the Germans were liable TO
attack us there. We had no lines OF
communication behind us, no stores
of materials and no reserves: every
where there was disorganization and
and the Bolshevik Red |
Guards seized the locomotives and
were fleeing east in panic.
Refuse Austria's Offer.
Under these circumstances En-
peror Charles sent us a special envoy
with the promise that if we would
disarm we would be amnestied and
our lands would receive autonomy
We answered that we would not ne
gotiate with the Austrian emperor.
"As we could not hold a front. we
began retreat to the east. Al |
ready then in agreement with the I
allies (our army had been pro-
claimed a part of the Czccho- Slovak b
lrmy on the western front. and thus q
allied with the French armv). it was /
lecided to transport our army over q
siberia and America to France. We ]
)egan the difficult retreat from a
Niev. The Germans in an over i
force were trying to pre- I
'ent our escape. About a hundred !
niles behind Us they seized the i'm !
'ortant railroad junction at Bach Il
nae, which we were obliged to pass 5
n our trains on our retreat to the y
asst. S.
w hen we arrived at Bachmac the II
Germans were already waiting for
S. There began battle lasting n
our days, in which they were badly "
eieated, and which enabled MS to e
ct our trains through. The com a
lander of the German detachment "
TERED us 4S hours truce. which (.
e accepted, for our duty was To a.
ave Ckrainia; but, the truce was W
1nceled by the German chief com q!
lander. Linsingcn. but too late a
ar trains had already got away. We OF
st altogether about 900 men in
,ad, wounded and unaccountable
lille We buried 1000 Germans in -.
Ny one day. J"
In TINS manner We escaped from -,
krainia. Our relations with the ~
'lsheyikS were still good. We re -
aimed from meddling with Russian "
iernal affairs and we tried to come =,
an agreement with the holsheyil
vernment with respect TO our de- =. -
rture, or passage through Ru ,ia. 90,
IT already signs were visible that WI
e bolSheviks-cithcr under Ger eN
an influence or because We then u
presented the only real power in IN
try to put obstacle, lei
our way. 1t would have suf- ioi
ed TO order one OF our regiments va
ir army was then. in March. near
Dscow) TO take Moscow: and IN Ot
i day there would have beer no WI
Ishevik government; for then We va
re well armed. having taken from Re
front everything we could carry. gu
prevent it from falling into the ga
Ids OF the Germans. Each OF our RET
iments had 200 to 800 machine col
IS and nobody in Russia. to say bel