The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1919-07-08
Yanks Captured by Reds Are
Given Series Lectures and
Told to Spread Tidings;
1t Didn t Work.
SAYS SMALL DANGER
YANKS GOING RED"
Number of American Soldiers
Inoculated With Bolshe-
! vism in Russia and Sent
to the Staes.
BY FRANK j. TAYLOR

Omitted Press Staff Correspondent
New York, July S-American
doughboys who fell into the hands of
the bolsheviks as war prisoners were
given an unwelcomed course of lee
lures on bolshevism while in Moscow
The bolsheviks aimed to convert the
Americans and send them home
primed for agitation in America.
The plan failed, Judging from the
sentiments of fivo Americans who
were released in Moscow and allowed
to leave at the request of the United
Press
These men were, b. r. Ryall,
Y. NJ c. A., secretar.,--o45 Madison
avenue, New York City, who had
been in Russia before doing civilian
relief work; Sergeant Glenn w Lett
zell MifflinbuEg, Pennsylvania, Pri-
Yates Freeman Hogan, S12 Caspar
avenue, Detroit; Jess Laursen, Mar
lett, Mich, and JohL Triplett, Hind
man, Kentucky. In addition the par
ty brought out Francis Linford, a
wounded English lad from Sussex.
All the "Yanks' were captared on
<the Arehangel front When the boil
fsheviks surprised them by flank
movement, the "Yanks' were passed
back from post to post until they ar
rived in Moscow They were stripped
of practically everything, including
clothes
Some of them had almost entirely
Russian uniforms. The bolsheviks had
a particularly keen eye for Ameri-
can 90. D." equipment. especially
shirts All of the Americans had boil
shevik overcoats, their own having
been stolen
In Moscow the Americans were CIV
en- fairly clean and decent quarters,
but we're issued practically no food. A
Red Cross fund and later money
llOll Tic l. NJ -. ~ odNCu lllCHl
from starvation An American mess
was soon started. The five did their
own marketing and prepared their
meals.
They were allowed a remarkable
amount of freedom in Mosco'v, and
could go about the city in daytime.
AT special times they had to report
for lectures on bolshevism and the.
world revolution given by Russians
who had lived abroad and spoke
English.
Thebolsheviks did their best to
convert the YANKEES, who kept their
peace, and expressed no opinions IN
til they had crossed the border into
Finland. The doughboys were sup
posed to be ripe" for boisheyism,
when they left Russia.
To learn what impression Russian
bolsheviks had made upon the dough
boys, the United Press correspondent
asked them for their opinions, -Thon
they arrived at the internmcnt camp
in Terijoki, where the Firms quaran-
tine arrivals from Russia.
Sergeant Leitzel said: They're not
making any bolsheviks of American
prisoners. They try to preach bolshe-
vism to us but it doesn't 90. They'd
take men who've got brains who've
accomplished something by ability
and work. and reduce them to the
lowest level Who's going to stand
for that
They're a bunch of thieves and
robbers. The leaders are preaching
that everyone ought to have the same
amount of money, but every leader
has a pile of rubles stuck away that
would knock your eye out. They all
believe in the principle the Bolos lad
at the front What's yours is mine
4 that's their creed"
"BoIos' is the name the Yankees
on the Archangel front gave to the
bolsheviks Leitzell is an intelligent,
spirited, red-headed American who
came by his decisive ideas regarding