The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-03-19
ARE AGAINST U. S.
TRADE of Abuse in Russian
Papers Just at Present.
Attempt To Sow DiscOrd Among
the Allies Made.

Vladivostok, March 19.-Never
since the landing here of troops in
August has there been such wide
| spread criticism of the United States.
| The newspapers are full of TRADES and
| ingenious DISTORTIONS of facts calculated
| to SOW discord among Americans. Rus
siansA and Americas allies. 1t is
| unquestioned fact that there is a sys-
tematic campaign. Some newspapers
| of Siberia, 1t appears. have been sub
sidized and are distinctly hostile to the
United States.
The Russians, never over-confident
regarding the intentions of the Amer
| leans. have been ready listeners and
the legitimate Russian press reprints
and editorializes on the fabrications
that have been put in circulation.
There Was Disappointment.
Beginning with the disappointment
over the paSsiveness of Americas in
PREVENTION, the sentiment developed
| mistrust and an outspoken hostility,
! in many quarters to the Princes Is
| lands proposal for a conference of all
Russian factions with the allies, justly
| or otherwise credited to President
Wilson. Americans were instantly
| dubbed friends of the Bolsheviki and
| the idea was quickly utilized by an I'M
| friendly press and accepted in the po-
| litical circles of the Russians general
/ ly. There is no effective means here
] of combating this propaganda and the
I result is that the United States has
| few champions in any class party.
| ReassuranceS by Major General
VIM. S. Graves, the military comman-
/ der here regarding Americas non-par-
| tisanship were offset in the Russian
| mind by definite charges of pro-Bol-
shevism here and abroad, arising from
the refusal of the Americans to CO.
| operate with its military against the
alleged Bolsheviki in the Amur dis
trict. The giving of asylum to the
| Cossacks in revolution recently was
construed in a similar way. This Incl
| dent, however, was the only one of
maligning character to draw fire. Col.
Henry D. Styer, who has been active
| for the Americans in the Cossack con-
| troversy wrote to the newspapers an
| explanation of the affair in which he
| fully outlined the stand taken by Cen
eral Graves.
Friends of L. S. Few.
| 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 is plainly getting on
the nerves of the Russians. France
and England have few troops here and
these are not actively 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 regard
| ing as having rendered positive service
| in military way. Only the Americans
| to whom the Russians looked for help
and sympathy are considered to have
! failed, not because of their failure to
! send more troops, a hope which has
dong since been abandoned, but for
| Hack of moral and material support
| such as other nations are giving.
This not solely the governments
view, tho it naturally Graves sympathy
and aid. Among its officials there are
| others who resent the presence and
paSsivity of the troops and the alleged
! encoura cement by America of their
enemy, the Bolsheviki. A representa-
| tive of the Omsk government, in dis
cussing the situation, confessed him
self and his superiors mystified by the
silence of the United States on vital
matters of policy
Misuse of Citizenship.
He complained of the misuse of
American citizenship by former refu-
| gees who have returned and become
agitators here, and declared persons
| of this character were discrediting
Americans. The Omsk official also
said there was a tendency to judge
, severely acts of expediency and neces-
| sity which his government had taken.
He said these acts were not fully I'M
derstood. He cited the recent arrests
of members of the Zemstvo, which ne
| declared were justifia BILE and were
made in accordance with military law.
! The arrested men were safely LODGED
| in Jail at Progranitchnaya, waiting for
a civil trial on charges of reasonable
conspiracy.
His government wanted sympathy,
this official added, in its efforts to
establish order and greater material
assistance, but if it could not have it,
he said he believed ii was entitled to
strict neutrality toward its enemies,
meaning of course. the refraining from
encoura cement to the Bolsheviki-
Unfrlendly to Soldiers.
Among the troops and the villagers
along the railways there is a sullen-
ness and unfriendliness which did not
exist month ago. This is due be-
sides the Cossa cks incident. to re-
fusal of General Graves to respond 20
appeals by the inha bitants along the
Ussuri and Amur railways and the
Suchan mines districts where the
Am orleans are stationed for protection
against eutrages by Russia soldiers
To these appeals as well as request
from the Japanese in the BlagloVes..
tchensk district for a company OF
troops to fight the so-called Bolshe
Wiki. General Graves has made the
same reply. namely that he would be
exceeding his authority and violating
the American policy toward Russia
General Graves enleEtdlHS ST. ohS
doubt whether all Russians who have
taken up arms in eastern Siberia can
properly be termed Bolsheviki. The
peasants for months have been sub
jected to brutality at the hands of
troops, chiefly Cossacks. most of
whom represent the Omsk govern
ment. On the pretext of searching
for Bolsheviki, troops hav: raided
villages in the country side, murder
ling and imprisoning men and beating
and maltreating women There have
been reports of SUCH occurrences in