Evening star., 1919-11-16
j. s. TROOPS GUARD
! SIBERIAN RAILWAY
Correspondent Tells Where
! American Soldiers Are
E Stationed.
BY PAUL II. WRIGHT.
Written for The Star and The Chicago
Daily News.


Daily News.
OF the $500 miles between vladivos-
tok and Omsk American troops patrol
and protect little stretch of less
than 100 miles in central Siberia and
maybe twenty or thirty miles in the
maritime province of eastern Siberia,
a few hours ride northward from
Vladivostok. In addition they are
nominally protecting the coal mines
of the Suchan country. which is
half days slow travel from VladiVo-
tok. Thus it is apparent that, al
though the real warfare of the last
year has been in the extreme west of
Siberia. the Americans have been far
away from it. Nevertheless. the guer-
rilla fighting to which they have been
exposed is doubtless a greater trial
to the soldiers nerves and patience
than would be series of pitched
battles.
The Americans were frequently am
bushed while on the march, and their
unprotected camps were shot up
fore they discarded the policy of
passive resistance and took the ini-
tiative into their own hands.
Where Americans Are.
The 9th Regiment in April moyed
from Khabarovsk to the Lake Balkal
country. taking over the railway
from Mysovaya to Verkhne Udinsk
The American camp at Verkne Udinsk.
where most men of the 27th are con-
Centrated,' is one of the prettiest,
best arranged and most sanitary in
the world. The country is lovely and
the climate salubrious. The forests
remnants
the eth Regiment still are patrol
ling the railway in the maritime
province. The troops We have in and
about Vladivostok and in the Suchan
district and along the branch railway
from Suchan to the main line at Ugol-
noya belong to the 31st Regiment.
Other nations than the Americans
are protecting the Transsiberian rail-
way. For instance, the japanese
control a long stretch of track di-
rectIy eastward from that along
which the 27th is placed. The Japa-
nese allotment is from Verkhne
Udinsk to the Manchurian border.
Throughout the long stretch over
thousand miles through Manchuria.
where the Transsiberian cuts across
lots in order to shorten the distance
to Vladivostok. the Chinese guard the
road.
Must Protect Tunnels.
IN a III SlDSTld Tie IiOSt Sdi
tected part of the great railway is
that which curves around the southern
end of Lake Baikal between the noun
tains and the deep water. On most
of the distance there is no beach
whatever but the cold and almost
fathomless depths begin at the pre-
cipitous cliffs. Therefore the railway
engineers have constructed the most |
extraordinary series of tunnels in the
world. There are scores of these tun-
nels. long and short. but all most
carefully and artistically done and all
susceptible of great damage should
dynamite bomb be exploded in them
or charge of trinitrotoluol.
The Czech soldiers protect the S1oe-
rian danger zone" and a great deal
of track in addition. The Rumanlans
also have a stretch to look after. Ihe
remainder is guarded by the Russians
This territory is vast hut the men
who hold it are few in number. TWO
American regiments can be estimated
at 5000 men, counting all hanos
When the Americans arrived In 1918
the Japanese sent along great horde,
estimated at from $4,000 to 100000.
THE former is probably the more ac-
curate estimate. At any rate they
have to take a lot of the little brown
soldiers home. The Japanese do not
like and cannot endure the nerce colo
of inner Siberia. .oo
The Czechs number $4,000 to 60OoV. |
The Rumanians are inconslderaoie.