The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-05-17


Archangel, March 2O.-(Correspond'
eIce of the Associated Pres].-The
tabloid warfare that the American
doughboys and Il miscellaneous collec'
ton Of allies have been waging against
The bolsheviki up in Aurora Borealis
land since the landing of an allied
corporal's guard at Archangel, on Aug
ust has had most of the thrills OF
The war in France, with few pet
perils all Of its own.
In the summer, it was a game OF
bushwhacking boy scouting, hide and
seek and Indian fighting in the swamps
with the added attractions of airplanes,
shrapnel, high explosives, trench NOR
tars, gunboats and armored trains. In
winter when the thermometer around
30 degrees. below zero, ii is something
like an Eskimo tribal feud. the Eskimos
being equipped with all modern de-
vices for putting their opponents out
of the combat.
The allied North Russian expedition
airy force whose backbone is the Yank
doughboy, has been fighting during the
winter against double. or triple or
quadruple odds. These Yanks and
Tommies and poilus and half dozen
varieties of Russians and Poles have
been scattered out in thin columns OPP
Grating over Il territory about as large
as Germany and colder than Medicine
Hat or Moose Jaw. There were seven
or eight of these columns and they
branched out like a palm leaf fan from
its handle, which is Archangel stretch
ing far and wide from the wastes of the
PechOra river ON the shores of the
Arctic ocean not very far from the
Siberian boundary. to the scarcely less
frozen country Of Omega bay, west Of
Archangel, where they connect with
the Murmansk or kola force.
Each of these columns has penetrat-
ed inland, along railroad, high-road,
river or forest trail, into the territory
of the bolshevifi and. on most of them.
Nanks have been at the far-front, where
the trouble is thickest. And as most of
the Americans who have met John
Bolshevik face TO face will tell you, as
a trouble-maker. John is active especial
ly when he has one outnumbered and
outgunned.
Back in the early days of summer
before they really knew very much
about it, the powers-that-were who
planned this expedition had a very poor
opinion of the bolsheviki's fighting
qualities When the original Arch
angel eXpeditionary force which SIT
said from Murmask, on Kola Bay, this
guard that was to success
fully invade the largest country in the
world consisted of 1,40O men. Fifty
American bluejackets from the L. 5.
5. Olympia who were among these
Russian "Old Contemptibles' We're the
first to set their feet upon the dock
At Archangel When the allies landed
the bolshevild had gone.
Russians Not Eager to Fight
This original expedition of 400 in.
,luded British sailors and marines,
French soldiers and sailors, American |
sailors, Russians. Poles and a scatter
ng representation of six other nation
ilites, eleven in all. 1t was all clut-
cred up with officers. There We're .
Wo British generals, colonies and lieu
enant colonies. a horde of majors and
great flocks of captains-the idea be-
ng that one would need plenty of Of
ioers to direct the Russian forces
which We're eagerly awaiting to spring
o arms. Most of these officers are
luite busy at other jobs. while they
ire still waiting for the Russians to
pring. And the Russians do not seem
It all eager to do SO.
This force split itself up into two
n three columns that set out to take
ologda, on the railroad, and kalass,
N the Dvina. The bolsheviki. it seems,
we're expecting a much larger landing
orce and they scurried very fast at
irst. In the past six months Of hard