The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-04-11

company of American troops was in
voIved nearly two weeks ago in
threatened mutiny, refusing to ODE,
Il orders to entrain for the fightin.
lines until appealed to by their regi
mental commander. Absence Of new,
since the report made public las,
night after an Associated Press dis
patch from Arehangel had described
the incident, wa. regarded as a ia
vorabIs sign.
u was assumed the general mu-
tiny" which the members Of this one
company said would develop unless
prompt assurances came from WASH
ington that the American forces in
northern Russia were to be with
drawn could not have materiaIized
without Col. George E. Stewart, the
American commandsr,' having found
means to rush through a report.
1t was noted in an official state
ment given out last night by the war
department that only one member of
the company continued to refuse to
obey orders after Col. Stewart had
taken personal charge or the situa-
ton. 1t appeared possible to some
officers here that the entire situation
had been created by this man. Al
single agitator, 1t was said, can do
much to upset a command, and the
I TACT that Col. Stewart was Obliged to
"a
hnement before the company would
/ obey orders and board the train for
the 'front.' lines indicated this soldier
had obtained grip on his comrades. |
Peculiarly Unpleasant.
Additional reports that would dis |
close the extent to which the unrest |
ms spread through the entire COM
m41d were awaited with considera-
on anxiety. 1t was recognized by |
,Hacers that the situation of the
--erican forces in northern Russia !
l'BC peculiarly unpleasant. Weather |
4 sditions are trying because of the
chreme cold; there is little of the
/ keh about the work there that char
H .efized the war in France, and re-
h Arts from home tell of the return of
\ ,le army to civil life and of recep-
pms. parades and celebrations of
\ fctory.. The whole picture is one
~ Ia SaAus~ ~ tnakS
of bolshevik arguments or similar
agitation in their own ranks. The
units Ut Archangel are not seasoned
regular soldiers. They are selectiveJ
service men, but In the past they
have shown very high quality of
morale In facing the unpleasant task
before them SO long without open
Even now, officers ar
gued, the mutinous company probably
would show an immediate change of
heart II general attack on the boil t
shevik forces which are harassing I
he command was undertaken. /
No uneasiness is felt concerning +
he American contingent in Siberia, &
which Is largely composed of old time
'egular units from the Philippines.
The percentage of professional SOL t
iiers. 1t Is thought. is so high in Maj G
Zen. Graves command that it is y
highly improbable an agitator could :
rain a hearing among the men.
Washington Electrified.
Washington, April 11.-U. N. SD
Details of the mutiny of American
roops on the Archangel front were r
oday in the hands of Secretary of
Var Baker, who is enroute to Eu-
ope aboard the Leviathan. The code II
Message received by the war depart tc
lent telling of the refusal of an in nj
antry company to go to the front S
ne and demanding an explanation | al
{ their being held in Russia, has pl
cen sent to the secretary by radio, it 81
Tas learned today. 81
War department officials were ioath 10
, discuss the situation but that they W
egarded 1t as serious is proved by
he fact that no time was lost in noti- III III
ing the Secretary of the occurrence. 90 90
The news Of the mutiny electrified IA
coming as it did on the %
sels Of a reiterated protest from an
snator johnson, Of California, Y
Jainst holding the men in Russia in sa
ute Of the facts that there has been po
, declaration of war against the boil NJ
leviki and that the hostiIities for po
hich the men enlisted or were trC
.afted have ceased. SCI
johnson "Not Surprised" ou
II am not surprised" was the only Cd
mment Senator johnson would
axe. He indicated. he might have
ore to say later.
War department officials pointed {
the recent announcement that eFf
ans had been made for the removal fer
the American force in Russia early Sol
is spring, and to the recent an owe
uncement Of Gen. March that two poi
mparies of engineers had arrived erh
: the purpose of paving the way for
Is withdrawal. They again reite- the
ed the assertion that Americas Brl
icy with regard to troops in Rus sni'
was in the hands of the allied app
incil-a condition against which M sial
tator Johnson expressed himself s aao
v bitterly yesterday. hrs,
he belief was expressed that the EN- ~
My asserted attitude of the men
ut result in some effort to speed stai ss
keir withdrawal, but there was
hg here to indicate definitely hoa
fuch a course would be taken. no =
Possibility that Col. Stuart might s,,n,
equested by cable to assure the
that plans for their withdrawal III
oens Apeui.eu. was hinted at nou
'onie siieses, put owing TO the ah- by
&c Oh oscretary BAKER there that
.ther such course could advisedlv sen
taken by any of the Officials of Adm
department remaining in Wash gov,
ON. said
ne demand OF the men was for far
mite statement from Washington. the
as TO whether that would be ders
hcoIning no one could hazard even Ge
uess. White house officials re- to L
ned equally reticent. in d
american Infantry in Support. ton
'ndon. April la war office Sibel
mumcation dealing with the sit prov
on on the Archangel front isrued Ger.
yht says: mene
he frozen surfaces and the melt COVE
snow are making movement Diff broa,
In the action at Sred Mekh- Gen.
q Apf1l the defense was carried on Il