The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-13
MUTINY OF TROOPS .OF COMPANY YL,339TH INF FANTRY,, ENDED AS
 MEN WENT ID FRONT
Official Reports to War De- partment Show Condition Due to Propaganda of the Red Sympathizers
 Among Americans
By Associated Press

|NN--""-NN~
 Washington, April 12.-Offi- cial reports to the war depart ment made public today by General March, chief of staff, show the mutiny among the American troops at Archangel was directly due to propaganda circulated by bolsheviki sym pathizers among the men, all of the questions asked by the sol diers of their officers having been directly suggested in leaf lets urging the Americans to re- volt.
 The mutiny now appears to have
 been confined to the members of
 Company I, 339th infantry and to
 have ended when the men entrained
 for the front.
 We have a report from Murmansk," General March said, ito the effect that the organizat tion which was referred to Is Company I. sS9th infantry. The dis patch states.
 "It is worthy to note that the
 questions that were put to the of-
 icers were identical with those
 that the boisheviki propaganda
 leaflets advised them to put to
 them.'
 CT I am very anxious to get + This Is a very striking thirg- have had long experience in the army and I do not recall ever having seen American sol- diers who did not want to get into fight. They always said lead me to It. and went to 1t. s-ft
 Tt is a very important thing. We want to get hold of that bolsheviki pamphlet. and find out just what they are up to-
 SINGLE AGITATOR
 The information as to the source of the mutiny, coupled with the fact that no reports of further refusals to do duty have come led officers to believe events would show the single agitator In Company I who was arrested for stubborn refusal to proceed with his company when the others had decided 10 ODey was very AdTSely rSSpOHoiui0 for what happened. They regarded 1t as almost certain he would prove to be a man with bolsheviki tendencies and had no doubt he would be severely pun ished. The remainder of the company. it was said, would take a different view of their action when they realized how it was viewed at home. The general situation of the forces at Murmansk and Archangel has been im- proved, General March said, through the reopening of the railroad from Mur- mansk south, bringing the distant southern outposts into direct touch with headquarters. The chief of staff did not believe the military situation in 1 northern Russia was at all alarming . "They have constant communication ! by land and water between Murmansk and ArchangeL" he said. T do not | think the withdrawal question presents ! any difficulty.
 l ABUNDANT SUPPLIES I we have a report from the Mur- | mansk district that on March 2S the | Onda bridge had been rebuilt and di- | rect communication by rail has now 1 been established with the southernmost 1 post of the allies. Of course, the situa- | ton of these small attachments is not known to us here Sometimes they change overnight. But now that they have got the railroad straight through Ito the south the question of supply and l endorsements are solved. There is no trouble about it now"
 1 General March called attention to the l arrival at Murmansk of the American cruisers Galveston and Chester with | two companies of American railway engineers and Brigadier Geteral Rich | ardson The engineers were sent to l operate the railroad south from Mur- mansk, over which the British rein l forcements can be moved as needed. The, arrival of the British troop trans ports is to be expected at any time.
 All indications here are that care 1 fully laid plan Cor the withdrawal of the entire force has been mapped out by the British, who are in charge of the | expedition by direction of the supreme | war council. How it is to be carried out or to what extent it may be neces- sary to remove loyal Russian forces which have co-operated with the ex- petition or the Russian civilian popu- lation which may be fearful of being left to the mercy of the bolsheviki has not been disclosed