The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1919-05-02
AMERICANS LEARN TO
HANDLE BOCHE REDS

prisoners or handle food delivery
have had their troubles with the boil
sheviks, and are becoming expert.
enced bolshevik tanners
Probably the most ticklish situation,
or series of situations, for there are
new difficulties every hour, is at the
port of Dantzig, where the Ameri-
cans are unloading foodships and
sending supplies into Poland. Dant-
zig is about seventy per cent Ger
man and thirty per cent Poland. 1t
has been a a center of trouble un-
til everyone is ready to bolshevik
on the slightest pretext.
Threatening movements led the
Americans to distribute food among
the people of Dantzig to keep them
quiet. The food did quiet unrest
and destroyed the desperate note
in the peoples demands.
To unload the ships, the Ameri-
cans hired Germans, and after the
distribution of food, it was thought
the honor system might be used 1t
failed, and stealing was rampant.
Finally American sailor guards, with
arms, were placed as oyerseers on
the docks and the Germans were
examined as they the gates after the
days work
Labor leaders soon began to pro-
woke strikes and troubles Daily
there are new demands on the part
of the workmen.
Equally trying has been the work
at the Russian prison camps scat
tered over Germany. In all of them
are American officers and soldiers
and Red Cross workers getting the
Russians in shape to go back home
as clean and healthy in body and
mind as possible. There has been
hardly a camp that has not had up
risings and bolsheviking, and it has
required more than ordinary tact to
win the Russians to respect author
ity and keep orders.
In only one instance so far have
the Americans had to allow the Ger
man guards to use weapons to quell
a riot. That happened at camp
where several thousand Russians
under the influence of bolshevik
agitators decided to start across
country for home. The American
officer in charge tried to treat with
the Russians. Their agitators were
stronger The Americans gave the
orders and the German machine
gunners fired into the air The Rus
SLAMS continued their stampede, and
after another order the stream of
fire swept the crowd of bolsheviks.
A dozen men fell and the rest were
cowed at once. The camp has been
orderly since.
A typical experience occurred at
Ruhleben, near Berlin Colonel Ryan
Red Cross commissioner, visited the
camp and was investigating some
needs. A swarm of Russians, sur
rounded his car and refused to let
him leave. The leaders of their So
Wet presented certain demands, in
cluding more food, immediate re-
turn to their home and release of
an unruly leader who had been lock
ed up. Colonel Ryan listened to
demands and talked over each point
separately with them With much
difficulty Colonel Ryan persuaded
the Russians to keep quiet.
Their experience in handling
mobs of the proletariat is teaching
the Americans some valuable les
sons which the Yankees are quick
to appreciate. General opinion
among the officers and Red Cross
workers among the men is that bol-
shevism is not a new problem, but
Is rather an old problem with a
new name. Application of force
does not settle the trouble, except
temporarily, nor does the applica-
ton of diplomacy, as the Americans
have learned in dealing with the
uprisings. The loss of confidence in
any authority, the feeling that they
they are continually wronged, both
Of which make themselves concrete
in bolsheviking, are wounds. and
the sympathetic appreciation of this
fact has been responsible for the
success the Americans have had in
quelling disturbances. The under
standing Americans are getting of
the bolshevik, or worldwide social
problem may enable Americans at