The sun., 1919-04-12
The Mutfpy.

The mutiny of the American troops
in Russia should be considered in the
light Of the facts which preceded 1t.
The United States has had about
5000 soldiers In the Archangel dis
trict since last summer. They were
sent there as a war measure against
Germany, with which we were then
actively at war. They were br1gaded
with 10000 other troops-mainly Brit
ish and French-and the purpose of
this small body, about the size Of an
American division, was to prevent
the Germans from reaching the mill
tary supplies at Kola, the most north
westerly Russian port on the Arctic
Ocean. These supplies were sold by
Americans to the old Russian regime,
but were never paid for.
These 5000 American soldiers were
not Regulars. They were not former
National Guardsmen. The War Depart
| ment chose to send to this dreariest
corner Of the world young men who
had been chosen by the draft from
Michigan towns and who had entered
the war not with the fatalistic mental
| attitude Of the professional colder
but with the spirit common to their
fellows in selective service: a deter
mination to whip the people against
whom the United States of America
had declared war.
Five months ago the Teutonic ar
mics yielded. Were the Michigan SOL
diers, who had been holding the Muir
man Railway against invasion from
the south, justified in thinking that
their work was about done that the
war for which they had been con-
| scripted was over2 The President had
| said: THE war thus comes to an end. ("
If the Michigan men felt this way
they made no open sign. Perhaps
they believed, with many on this side
of the water, that there really was
another war-that of the evil forces
of Russia against America and the
! Entente Allies.
1t doubtless occurred to the Ameri-
can soldiers in the Archangel district,
as it occurred to great many Amer
leans more fortunately situated, that
1t was time for decision as to whether
the conflict in Russia was q war or
merely the neglect, not to say deser-
ton, by Powers rich In men and mu-
nitions Of the handful of troops they
had sent to strange and desolate
| place. THE Sun was among those
who suggested that If we were, as we
appeared to be. at war with the Boil
sheviki, America and her Allies had
better send enough men to Russia to
win the war, and that II we were not
going 10 war with the men who were
shooting our soldiers We should bring
our men home.
Three months ago Senator JOHNSON
Of California uttered protest against
the retention of our men in country
with which We were not officially at
war, yet where American soldiers were
being killed and captured; but nothing
was done by the Administration to
remedy a distressing condition. The
recent report made by Sir ERNEST
SHAcKLEToy, who investigated the sit.
uation for the British Government
confirmed the darkest fears as to
the safety of the allied forces in Rus,
sia. Indeed no added the warning,
to some a surprise, that the coming OF
spring would be advantageous to the
Bolsheviki rather than to the invad
ers or their Russian friends in the
Provisional Government in the coun.
try OF the North.
When the situation appeared SO
alarming even at this distance. what
must have been the individual feel.
ings Of the selective service men who
entering the National Army In the
belief that they were going to fight