The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1919-03-07
Interesting Light
Thrown On Situa-
ton In ManChuria

Omsk, Russia, a 5000 mile journey
on a British military train in the
middle of the Siberian winter to
cover" the situation of the All-Rus-
sian Government and it's anti-Bolshe-
wiki army with headquarters at Omsk.
The correspondent arrived there in
January and has forwarded by cable
several stories throwing light on Rus
sian affairs and including an inter-
view with Admiral Kolchak, head Of
the All-Russian government in which
the Admiral invited the cooperation
OF detachments of American, French
and British troops in military opera
lions east of the Ural mountains. Fol
lowing is one of the letters the cor
respondent wrote while on his Trans
Siberian journey giving a picture of
the scene he witnessed in Manchuli.
ENROUTE TO OMSK ABOARD
BRITISH MILITARY TRAIN, Jan. /
ASSOCIATED Press)-Manchuli, or
Manchuria, on the border of mysteri-
Gus Mongolia, Manchuria and Siberia,
recalls today a typical American
western mining town in the early
days when lawlessness reigned. It's
broad unpaved streets are bordered
by an extraordinary collection of
stores and shanties. Thick furcoated
Manchurian ponies dragging droskies
tear through the principal thorough
fares followed slowly by stately
dromedaries forming v from
the great desert of Mongolia.
Men of a score of nationalities push
their way along the sidewalks.
Swarthy men from the far interior
with great leather coats and jaunty
fur hats, trimmed with blue silk and
crowned by a flaring red tassel, stood
in the railroad station staring haught-
lily at the motely assemblage about
them composed of emaciated, despair
ing Russian refugees, bearded Rus
slams who wore enormous felt boots
to keep out the cold, Manchu takers
selling watches and cigarettes, wound
ed and frost-bitten CZecho-Slovak sol
diers returning from the front, Japan
csc troops of whom there is a large
contingent stationed in the city, nim-
BILE Chinese in%fantrymen in smart uni
form of blue, Armenians, Turks,
Arabs, and rich Chinese merchants,
sleek and smiling in black fur over
coats and sealskin hats.
Manchuli moves in fear. Outlaw
IL navy III loNh III llC
past carrying off food and sometimes
people. They still come in the dead
of the night and bold is he who goes
u in the darkness, unarmed. A
slit throat and a body lying stiff in
the icy street tells its own story.
All along the way we had heard of
the fine fur mittens to be purchased
at Manchuli, for fur-lined gloves offer
no resistance to the cold of Siberia.
The fur-coated animals of Siberia
went for a song before the war, but
now there are none in the market.
Defective transportation, the chaos
~reigning in the life of Siberia today
and the cornering of the available
supply by spectators account for the
shortage. At all events there were
no fur mittens in Manchuli and no
fur of any kind. A fur coat in Russia
is almost worth it's weight in silver.
1t was a strange collection of goods
that the Associated Press correspond
n found in Manchuli's stores. Of
women there are few, apart from the
migrating refugees, yet women's dress
goods in pieces filled the shelves in
the majority of the shops. One great
shop sold nothing but doubtful look
ing soar and fashionable broad rim
med brightly-garnished women's hats
which might have come from some
chic modiste IN Fifth Avenue, New
York. or the Rue de la Paix, at Paris.
Another store was stocked with can
ned goods and French wines, includ-
ing champagne, the latter selling at
$50 rubles a bottle.
But there was no cheer in Manchuli
The most stolid Russian or most
naughty Mongol was appalled, at the
picture of suffering presented by the
band of refugees from Western Siber-
ia who were huddled in the waiting
rooms of the station. Reference was
made by cable to the arrival of these
miserable people. For two days they
slept there sprawling on the cold
floor on their wretched filters of bag
gage composed of boxes, paper bum
dies, shawls and cooking utensils, all
they had saved from their homes.
Women, young and old, crouched
upon the stone floor, their heads buri-
ed in the laps of their sleeping hus-
bands. For a time sleep had merci-
fully dulled their misery. Others,
stolid, but with an ~unforgetable look
of bewildered despair, sat upon their
belongings staring ~vacantly before
them. Others munched with avidity
at bread and dried fsh. The air in
the place was horrible and overpow-
ering.
Two old men, weak and trembling
from sickness, and privation, strung
their miscellaneous baggage about
their necks with stout rope. They
staggered outside to escape the foul
ness and get a breath of fresh air.
The effort was too much for them.
Struck by an icy gust of wind they
sank ~groaning and fainting on the ice.
1t was a dreadful sight to witness
and to the yes of the travellers who
came across it there came a moisture
of which they were not ashamed.
There are in Russia today many,