The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-03-12
DESTITUTE SCENES
AMONG CHINESE AS
RESULT FAMINE
City of ManChuli Resembles
0Iden American Mining
TOwn-Many Robbers and
Refugees Found in CITY.

Note "A correspondent Of the As
sectated Press was sent from Vladl-
,ostok TO Omsk. Russia, a 1000 mile
Journey ia the middle OF the siberian
winter 10 cover the situation of the
All-ltuSsian government and its anti
BolsECNlk army. The correspondent ar
rived IN January and has forwarded
several stories throwing light on Rus
sian affairs n including an interview
with Admiral kolchak, head of tho
Al Russian government in which the
Admiral invited the cooperation Of de
Achments of American. French and
British troops In military operations
east OF the Oral mountains. Following
is one of the letters the correspondent
wrote while on his trans Siberian Jour
ne'l
EN route TO OMsk ABOARD
BRITISH MILITARY TRAIN. March
y. correspondence OF the Associated
Press D. snChui, or Manchuria, on
the border Of mysterious Mongolia.
Manchuria and Siberia. recalls today a
typical American western mining town
i'm the early days when lawlcssness
tetgned Its broad unpaved streets are
bordcred by an extraordinary collection
Of stores and shanties. Thick fur.
coated Manchurian ponies dragging
droskies tear through the principal thor
oughtareS followed slowly by stately
dromedaries forming caravan from the
great desert OF Mongolia.
Men OF a score Of nationalities push
their way along the sidewalks. Swarthy
men from the far interior with great
leather coats and jaunty fur hats,
trimmed with blue silk and crowned
by a flartng red tassei, stood In the
railroad station staring ~haughtily at the
molly a~Ssemblage about them COM
posed Of emaciated, ~despairing Russian
refugees, bearded Russians who wore
enormous felt boots to keep out the
cold. ManChu takers selling matches
and cigarettes, wounded and frost bit
ten CzeCho-S lOvak soldiers returning
from the front, Japanese troops OF
whom there is a large contingent sat
TONED in the city, nimble Chinese in
iantrymen in smart uniforms Of blue;
Armenians, Turks, Arabs and rich
Chinese merchants, sleek and smiling
IN black fur overcoats and sealskin
hats.
Manchuli moves in fear. Outlaw |
bands have rhided the town in the past |
carrying off food and sometimes peo-
pie. They still come in the dead OF
the night and bold is he who goes out
in the darkness, unarmed. A slit throat
and a body lying stiff in the icy street
tells its own story.
All along the way We had heard of
the fine fur mittcns to be purchased
at Manchuli, for fur-lined gloves offer
no resistance to the old OF Siberia.
The fur-coated animals of Siberia went
for a song before the war, but now
there are one in the market. De.
transportation. the chaos reign
ing in the life OF Siberia today and
the Cornering of the available supply by
SPECTATORS account for the shortage.
all events there were no fur mitteus
Manchuli and no fur Of any kind
A fur coat in Russia is almost worth
.ts weight in silver.
Siberian Refugees Come.
1t was a strange collection of goods
hat the correspondent found in Man
,hulis stores. OF women there are
'ew, apart from the migrating refu-
yees, yet women's dress goods in pieces
illed the shelves in the majority of {
he shops, one great shop sold nothing I
nut doubtful looking soap and fashion :
lble broad trimmed brightly garnished .
Eomen's hats which might have come
rom some chic modiste on Fifth ave-
nue., New York, or the Rue de la PaiX, !
1t Paris. Another store was stocked
with canned goods and French wines, {
including champagne. the latter selling !
It $50 rubles n bottle. I
But there vas no cheer in ManChuli |