The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-08-13
CAPTIVE YANKS
PAN BOLSHEV|SM
Russians Try to Convert Prison
ers to Red Theories.
PLAN PROVES UTTER FAILURE
American Douohboys Captured on
Archanoel Front Are Given UnWel-
come Courses of Lectures on Boil
shevism While In Moscow-Hoped
to Send Them Home Primed for Agi-
tation In United States.

tation In United States.
American doughboys who fell Into
the hands of the bolsheviks as war
prisoners were given an unwelcomed
course of lectures on bolshevism while
In Moscow. The bolsheviks aimed to
convert the Americans and send them
home primed for agitation In Amer
lea.
The plan failed, judging from the
sentiments of five Americans who were
leave at the request of the United
Press, writes Frank j. Taylor, staff
correspondent of that organization.
These men were Bryant II. Ryall, Y.
M. C. A. secretary, New York city,
who had been in Russia before doing
civilian relief work; Sergt. Glenn w.
Leitzell, Mifiinburg, Pa, and Privates
Freeman Hogan, Detroit; Jens Laur-
sen, Marlett, Mich, and John Triplett,
Hindman, Ky. In addition, the party
brought out Francis Linford, a wound
ed English lad from Sussex.
Prisoners Are Stripped.
All the Yanks were captured on the
Archangel front. When the bolshe-
viks surprised them by a flank move
ment, the Yanks were passed back
from post to post until they arrived
in Moscow. They were stripped of
practically everything, including
clothes.
Some of them had almost entirely
Russian uniforms. The bolsheviks
had a particularly keen eye for Amer
lean 20. D." equipment, especially
shirts. All of the Americans had boil
shevik overcoats, their own having
been stolen.
In Moscow the Americans were CIV
en- fairly clean and decent quarters,
but we're issued practically no food. A
Red Cross fund and later money from
the Y. M. G. A. saved them from starv-
alton. The FIVE did their own mar
keting and prepared their meals.
They were allowed a remarkable
amount of freedom in Moscow, and
could go about the city In the day
Nililt. ~ SDCNlut AlilES tiiCt hdu L "
report for lectures on bolshevism and
the world revolution given by Rus
slams who had lived abroad and spoke
English.
The bolsheviks did their best to con
vert the Yankees who kept their
peace, and expressed n opinions un-
til they had crossed the border into
Finland. The doughboys were sup
posed to be "ripe" for bolshevism when
they left Russia.
To learn what impression Russian
bolsheviks had m~adesupon the dough.
boys, the United Press correspondent
asked them for their opinions when
at Terijoki, where the Firms quar-
antine arrivals from Russia.
make No B~olshevlks.".
Sergeant Leitzell said: They're
not making any bolsheviks of Ameri-
can prisoners. They try to preach boil
shevism to US, but 1t doesn't go.
They'd take men who've got brains,
who've accomplished something by
ability and work and reduce them to
the lowest level. Who's going to stand
for that?
They're a bunch OF thieves and
robbers. The leaders are preaching
that everyone ought to have the same
amount of money, but every leader has
a pile of rubles stuck away that would
knock your eye out. They all believe
I'm the principle the bolos had at the
front: What's yours is mine-that's
their creed"
"Bolos" Is the name the Yankees On
the Archangel front gave to the boil
sheyiks.
Leitzell is an intelligent, spirited
red-headed American who came by his
decisive ideas regarding bolshevism as
the result of his first-hand experiences
Private Hogan Is serious and DELHI
crate. He speaks little and listens
much. His views are equally inter
esting. "If America ever went bob
shevik like Moscow" he said. "Td
7 make my self a lone hand to stand out
against them.
"If you want to be a good bolshe
vik, you've got to be GRUMPY and dirty
The majority of people in Russia
wouldn't tolerate 1t II 1t weren't fol
the fact they would starve to death II
they opposed the bolos."
This Is what the ordinary American
doughboy thinks of bolshevism. These
chaps had three months to study Ii In
Moscow, mecca Of the b~olsheviks.