The sun., 1919-03-20
v
SIBERIAN PAPERS
MISREPRESENT U. S.
Failure Of Military and Moral
Aid Brings Pro- Bolshe-
vism Charge.
PASSIVE POLICY RAKED
Gen. Graves's Assurance of
Nonpartisanship Is Not
Accepted.
PASSIVE POLICY RAKED

5y the Assocssfs6 Press.
vLApIvosToK, March II (delayed). -
Never since the landing here Of troops IN
August has there been such widespread
criticism of the United States. The
newspapers are full OF TRADES and in
genious distortions Of facts calculated to
SOW discord among Americans, Russians
and Americas allies. It IL an unaues-
toned fact that there is a systematic
campaign. Some newspapers Of Siberia,
It appears. have been subsidized and are
distinctly hostile TO the United States
The Russians. never overconf,dent re-
Eardlng the intentions Of the Americans.
have been ready listeners and the iegiti-
mate Russian press reprints and edi-
toriaiizes on the fabrications which have
been put In circulation.
Distrust IL shown,
Beginning with the disappointment
over the passiveness OF Americas inter-
vention. the sentiment developed mis-
trust and an outspoken hostility in many
quarters to the Princes Islands proposal
for conference of all Russian factions
with the Allies Justly or otherwise
credited to President Wilson.
Americans were instantly dubbed
ffiends Of the Bolsheviki. and the idea
was quickly utilized by an unfriendly
press and accepted in the political circles
or the Russians generally. There Is no
effective means here OF combating this
propaganda and the result is that the
United States has few champions in any
class or party.
Reassurances by Major-Gen. William
g. Graves. the military commander here,
regarding Americas non-partisanship,
were Offset in the Russian mind, which
Is nttle concerned in the fine shades Of
interference and non-interference, by
definite charges Of o-Bolshevism here
and abroad. arising from the refusal of
the Americans to cooperate with its
military against the alleged Bolsheviki
In the Amur district
The giving OF asylum to the revolving
cossacks recently was construed in a
similar way. This Incident, however,
was the only one of q maligning charac-
ter to draw fire. Col. Henry D. Styer,
who has been active for the Americans
In the Cossack controversy, wrote to the
newspapers an explanation of the affair
in which he fully outlined the stand
taken by Gen. Graves.
Friends of U. 8. waver.
Other diatribes have been received in
silence and as a consequence the loyal
friends OF the United States among the
Russians are wavering. The silence and
DO nothing policy of the Americans u
plainly getting on the nerves Of the
Russians. France and England have
rev troops here and these are not &C.
lively engaged, but their commissioners
are visiting and counselling the Omsk
Government. with the result that they
are being credited with being the best |
friends of Russia, ]
The Japanese are regarded as having |
rendered positive service in a military
way. Only the Americans. to whom the |
Russians looked for help and sympathy,
are considered to have failed, not be- |
cause OF their failure to send troops, a |
hope which has long since been aban- |
doned, but for lack Of moral and ma
terial support such as other nations are |
giving.
This Is not solely the Government |
view. though V naturally Graves SYM |
pathy and aid. Among its officials there |
are others who resent the presence and |
passivity Of the troops and the alleged |
encouragement by America of their |
enemy, the BolshevikL A representative |
the situation. confessed himself and his |
superiors mystified by the silence of the |
United States on vital matters of policy. |
He complained of the misuse Of Amer |
lean citizenship by former refugees who |
have returned and become agitators here, /
and declared persons Of this character
were discrediting Americana ]
Severity in Judgment.
The Omsk official also said there was
a tendency to Judge severely acts of !
expediency and necessity which his Gov
eminent had taken. He said these acts
were not fully understood. He cited the |
recent arrests Of members of the Zemst-
70, which. he declared. were justifable
and were made in accordance with mill
tary law. The arrested men were safely
lodged In Jail at Progranitchnaya wait
ing for a civil trial on charges Of trea-
sonable conspiracy
His government, wanted sympathy,
this official added, in it's efforts to re-
establish order and greater material as
s'stance, but II it could not have 1t he
said he believed 1t was entitled to strict
neutrality toward its enemies, meaning
of course the refraining from encour-
ment 10 the Bolsheviki.
Among the troops and the villagers
along tie railways there Is a sullenness
and unfriendliness which did not exist
a month ago. This IL due. besides the
Cossack incident. TO a refusal of General
iraves- to respond to appeals by the
inhabitants along the Ussuri and Amur
railways and the Suchan mines district,
where the Americans are stationed, for
protection against outrages by Russian
s1'c!eEsx"o thess-A peals as well as
requess from the Japanese in the
district for a COM
pany OF troops to fight the so-called Boil
sheviki. General Graves has made the
same reply, namely. that he would be
sxceeding bis authority and violating
me American policy toward Russia.
Doubt overt Act.
General Graves entertains strong
ioubt whether all Russians who have
AIKEN up arms in eastern Siberia can
properly be termed Bolsheviki. The
PEASANTS for months have been subject
d to brutality at the hands Of troops,
'hiehy Cossacks, most OF whom repre-
'ent the Omsk Government
On the pretext OF searching for Boil
'heviki the troops have raided villages
n the countryside, numbering and i'm