Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-09
Hitchcock Tells Senate Ex-
pedition Saved Millions
in Stores
FRIENDLY IN PURPOSE
Ports Seized at Supreme War
Councils Request-No Rus.
sian Government
By the Associated Press

Washington, Jan. 9.-Amerlcan anu
Allied operations in Russia are friendly
and not hostile to the Russia people.
although in opposition to German-Bol-
shevik forces Chairman Hitchcock, of
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
said in an address today. replying to
the recent demand OF Senator Johnson,
of California, for an official statement
Of the American policy in Russia
'-There is no Russia" he declared.
''what was Russia is a vast disorgan-
ixed aggregation OF local governments
Senator Hitchcock prepared his ad-
dress after consulting with Acting Secre-
tary Polk at the State Department
After pointing out that seizure or the
ports Of vladivostok. Murmansk and
Archangel was proposed by the supreme
war council TO prevent Germany from
obtaining valuable stores, he said:
'In each case it was done as a meas
ure of war against Germany and not
against Russia. In each case the atti-
tude of tho Russian people at the ports
named and in the neighborhood was
friendly and remains SO today. In
each case the local Russian Government
exists and functions in cooperation
with the American and Allied soldiers.
onset German Operations
"Thus We and the Allies seized these
highly important strategic points with
a handful Of soldiers as an important
offset to German operations in Russia
said Mr.. Hitchcock.
There Is no Russia. What was Rus
sia Is a vast disorganized aggregation
of local governments. Lenine and Trot-
sky have the great cities of Petrograd,
Moscow and some others, and thus have
the center of the wrecked nation, but 1t
is the most unhappy, most lawlcss,
brutal and most bloody. Other parts OF
Russia are comparatively calm and
orderly
"The very fact" said Senator Hitch
cock, that a line OF communication
across Siberia, 5000 miles long, from
Vladivostok. where our troops are. to
the Ural Mountains, where the troops
Of the Ufa Government and Czechs are,
together with a small force OF British
and French. is the best evidence that
we and the Allies are on good terms with
the Russians and are there as friends
and not as enemies
What Our Troops Did
Regarding the American operations in
Russia, Senator Hitchcock gave the fol-
lowing details, in specific reply 10 Sem
ator Johnson's recent request for in
formation.
I'VE sent about 10000 men TO Nladi-
vostck, the Pacific port, and about 5000
to Atchangel, the Arctic port, in Euro
pean Russia, and Murmansk. the port
which leads to the Murman coast.
''Those landing at Vladivostok are for
the most part still there or in that neigh
borhood. Those landing at Archangel
and across the White Sea at Murmansk
while still holding those ports in con-
nection with tho British and French
troops, have penetrated II short distance
inland, in each case probably about 100
,piles as r. measure OF protection Tor
their bases. In one case they have gone
up a river, in the other they have held
the line Of ralway-both means oil
transportation.
an all cases the occupation of these
Russian ports was made as a war meas
ure urged by the supreme war council
in Paris at a time when our war with
Germany was at its height.
No Real Russian Government
Remarking that the Administration
had Leen attacked on account of its
Russian policy both because il had not
acceded to the Allies desire to send
large forces into Russia for pacltication
purposes and because the American
forces are fighting the BolAlevikl, Sena-
tor Hitchcock added;
"Geographically, of course, there is n
Russia still, but in a political sense
there Is no responsible Russian Gov
ernment with which our Government or
any other Government can dea&"
citing the Bolshevik reign OF terror
and the movement to protect the Czecho-
Slovaks in Russia, Senator Hitchcock
said the Bolshevilii, inspired by German
agents and with German troops and
prisoners, attempted in most disgrace,
full bad faith to capture the C2echo,
Slovaks. With Russian allies, Senator
Hitchcock said. the Czechs have main
tanned a battlefront inland nearly SCOT
miles.
Saved Millions OF Dollars
Tho American and Allied operationl
at Eladiyostol saved stores worth mi,
lions of dollars from German capture
but were too late to save those at Arch
angel, Senator Hitchcock told tho Sen
ate.
He also said tho Murman coast ant
harbor were seized when il was Icarne
the Germans had $4,000 men headed f.
that district, with plans to establish
submarine base at Murmansk. Arch
angel. too, was held he said. to prcven
its becoming q German base