The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-03-13
THE CZECHo sIovAKs AND RAYMOND ROBINS.
Breshkovsky.)

with so many misrepresentation
and calunnieS atioat now about condl-
lions In Russia, il IS almost impos-
sibe to reply to every false assertion
or testimony Yet there are matters
Of such great consequence, questions
so pregnant with meaning that ID
would be a crime not TO give the world
Il true exposition of the actual facts.
Among r}any other calumnies regard
ing conditions In Russia, one of the
most revolving ts tho recent tcstin ony
nf Colonel Rayrn ond Robins before the
senate committee Ia the matter of the
Czccho -Slovake. their stay in Russia
and tueir fighting against the Bol-
sheyilSt.
The events referred to occurred in
the spring OF 1915. when the remnant
ot tn" brave and honorable army.
"-ho for threa years had fought
against Germany together with our
Russian troops. dec!ded--after tho
trescbe GUS peace arranged by Lenine
and Trotzky at Brest-LitoVsk was
signed--to 80 to France and continue
the war for the freedom Of all the
dcmocraeies OF the world. and their
own as we'll As it was impossible for
I hem to cross the former Russian
s
I In Czecho- Slovaks decided TO go to
The east. through all RUSSIA and
, Siberia, to reach lTladivostok and
| from there to sail TO France---a jour
Inc" of many thousand of miles by
/ land and water. as for myself
was al this time hidden in Moscow
/ and through my many friends could
! get news from some provinces along
! the NolSa river. where small detach
,ments Of the Czecho- Slovak army ap-
peared by and by, part on foot and
! part by rail, all armed and even
with some artillery. Then l began
| to get letters from many peasants
| asking me who those mysterious
| troops were and what their inten-
lions were. To these questions they
added that this strange army was a
well~behavcd one. never harming any
one and paxing regularly for all tho
provisions obtained along their route.
An Ody@seyun Venture.
/ Soon ~fsft@FwaFds 7va read lin the
Papers that attachments of tzecho-
Siovaks arrfcd and in good order.
dotted the long way from the Volga to
/ Eastern Siberia Finding it impossible
! to be Transported and fed in one large
lbody. they had dissolved themselves
into many groups and were continuing
1 on their way. In the meantime Mos
! cow was ruled by the kaser's mbas-
sador. Count Mirbach, who ruled all
| the Boishevist provinces and whose
obedient servants were ienine and
| Trotzky In Keeping with heir pur-
| pose to cheat the Russian people.
| these two leaders OF the BoishevilSi let
| II be known secretly that they would
begin a. new war against the kaiser
who has not fulfilled the terms of
/ the peace and they even started a
sham mobilization 10 undertake a
crusade against thu oprressors OF the
! freedom OF the Russian people," as
! Trotzky expressed himself.
| After two weeks OF such proclama-
tons. Lenine published another one
in which ne said that. acknowledging
! he situation. he understands that IL
would be foolishness TO continue a
war that would check the progress OF
tho revolution, and therefore he as
serts that peace with Germany must
be concluded. whatever the terms may
! be-" So. Mirbach. smiling at all the
comedies Of his Bolshevist assistants,
ordered them to disarm the Czecho-
Slovaks. who were moving to the east,
and to check their march.
Won Mirbach's Role.
II was in May OF 1913 that some
officers were sent by the Boshevikl
TO Siberia To- order these brave men
to lay down their arms. Some arms
We're given up by the small detach-
m.nts near sNovo- Nikolayevsk, but
, about half was retained by the Czecho-
S'ovaks. These happenings were re-
ported In the Moscow papers without
any comment. but intelligent people
began to understand the meaning ~
the persecution OF the Czecho- Slovaks
1t was clear that behind the BoIshe-
visit policy to disarrn any force lighting
the Germans In Russia stood Count
Won Mirbach.
And very soon afterwards we read
again that some more officers and
Red Guards had been sent to Siberia
for the same purpose. But the Czecho-
.Slovaks ueierstood that 1t meant
death for them to be left to the mercy
OF the Red Guards who already count
ed among their number many thous-
ands of German and Magyar prisoners.
equipped and armed at the command
{, of Moscow Instead OF surrendering,
the Czecho- Slovakz turned to the west,
and their first deed was to turn the
/ Red Guards out OF the town of Novo-
=, Nikolayevsk. The Joy Of the inhabi-
tants was intense.
/ The first Of July, / left Moscow
secretly with a young friend. men,
Der OF our party. and proceeded to
the east. whore hoped to encounter
friends and partisans able to organize
q truly democratic government for all
/, RCssia. Crossing the I-rai mountains,
nAkils q dsteur 10 avoid the front,