The evening leader., 1918-08-19
;erman and Magyar prisoners.

Our train-about 400 men, armed,with
ten rifles and 20 hand grenades, was
surrounded by a few thousand Red
Guards armed with machine guns and
cannon Their commander gave our
men ten minutes to surrender their
arms or be shot. According to their
habit, ours began negotiations. Sud-
denly there was heard the German
command, 'Schiessenl, and the Red
guards began firing at our train. Our
men jumped off the train, and in five
minutes all the machine guns were in
their possession, the Russian Bolshe-
vivi disarmed and all the Germans
and Magyars done away with.
"The Siberian government which
resides in Irkutsk and which, as it
appeared later, ordered this attack,
can thank only the Intervention of the
American and French consuls that it
was not destroyed by our rightly en-
bittered volunteers.
"To what extremes our loyalty was
carried is shown by the fact that, al
though perfdously attacked, and al
though we disarmed the Red Guard in
Irkutsk, we still began new negotia-
tions, with the result that we surren-
dered ALL our arms, on the condition
that all German and Magyar prison
ers would be disarmed and disbanded,
and that we would be allowed to pro-
ceed unmolested. The Siberian gov
ernment guaranteed us unmolested
passage, and, tan"ht by bitter expe-
rience that it was dangerous to at
tack even unarrn,d Chezo-Slovaks, let
US proceed to Vladivostok. True, this
concerned only the trains in the vi
cini'y Of Irkutsk; the trains west of
Irkutsll were-under the orders of
Moscow-attacked in the same man.
ner, but always with the same result;
everywhere the Bolsheviki were dis
armed
"The arrest of the members of our
national council, took place immedi-
ately before these treacherous attacks.
Then, thousands of armed Germans
and Magyers in the vicinity of Omsk,
Krasnoyarsk and Chita, forced our
army between Volga and Irkutsk to
take the Siberian administration into
their hands Coward the end of June).
But even at this stage we were try
ing to enter into negotiations with
Moscow. But Moscow, i. L., Lenine
and Trotsky, proclaimed us murderers
end began mobilizing against us. I'm
der these circumstances our troops
Were forced to take possession of the
bridges over the Volga.
II must mention the fact that our
defense which, as said, was necessitat-
ed by treacherous attacks and every
where resulted in the disarmament Of
the Rolshaviki, was ioyfully greeted
by the majority cf the Russian popu-
lation. Anti Bolshevists took advan-
tage of the situation and overthrew
: the soviets. We did not interfere with
their internal affairs even after the
open conflict. We only disarmed those
who attacked US, to make repetition
of attacks impossible.
"The Germans were trying to spread
rumors that our volunteers committed
brutalities during these battles. That
is not true. The facts are this: Rus
ys'an-Bolshevists, taken by our troops
were disarmed and sent home, but the
Magyars and German prisoners, taker
with arms in hand, were killed That
was made known to them beforehand
The Austrians hanged all our wound.
ed whom they captured on the Italian
front, and they attacked one of oul
trains of wounded in Siberia. -Four
years of a struggle for life have
taught us to be on guard. We did ne
harm to German or Magyar prisoners
who did not oppose US although they
were our enemies; we could have kill.
ed thousands and thousands of them
but we allowed the INTO leave Siberis
in peace, if they desired to go home
When, however, they treacherousls
attack q us, they were Of necessity
made harmless. We made an officia
announcement that every German anC
Magyar caught by us with arms il
hand would be. given no quarter. Or
the contrary we could cite many in
stances of unprecedented brutalities
committed on our wounded by the
German and, especially, Magyar pris.
oners.
"In Siberia there are today some
hundred thousand German and Mag.
var prisoners, a great number Of
whom are armed. 1t is these men wht
offer considerable resistance to ou1