Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-07-26
WILSON SEES NEED
FOR SIBERIAN ARMY
Informs Senate Americans Are
Essential in Keeping Rail
roads in Operation.
ARE GUARDING ENGINEERS
President Says Soldiers Make
Possible Supply of Food to
Stricken Peoples.
ARE GUARDING ENGINEERS
lBy Associated Press


Wilson informed the Senate today in
response to resolution by Senator
Johnson. Republican. California that
the presence of American troops in
Siberia was vital element" in the
restoration and maintenance OF traffic
OH the Siberian Railroad. and that
under the agreement with Japan they
could be withdrawn only when the
= IN iinerican rnad railway experts operating
ne President said siberia could be
projected from further period of
the railroad open and that. lacking the
prime essentials OF life. the people
,here Z, were locking, to the United
sstance. This already is being eX.
tended and additional supplies are TO
Rowing bands having no connection
wvltn any organized government in
Russia ia are menacing the railroad. the
protection by the military is necessary
American troops. he said. now are en-
and aronnd Uaga Verchna qe'y i,d6s a1 Viadivostok
body is also at Harb!n.
Purpose Is TwofoId.
The original purpose of the Ameri-
Ga esn n W!;iar% wai expedition Mr.. Wilson
,o1a"s The saSying Of the czecho-slovak
.: the Russians at seifsdefen@se @ or o5s tbs
establishment Of law and order 'iin in
which they might be willing 70 accent
assistance. ~
the expedition of 5000 men. WAS
S;peeeifically 81 eiiey directed not to Interfere
In, RUSSIAN as s,,,s affairs; the President said.
John II. stevens. the American rail-
,haE TaE yrert engineer M r. who is carrying out
Railroad under the direction of The
interailied committee
The Presidents message to the
s. IN
This measure was taken in CON
junction with Japan and in concert of
irst OF all 70 save the Czecho. .Slovak
armies which were threatened with
neStrnGNon ne ra,i,. by hostile armies an-
largely composed of. enemy an" prisoners ontea
or war. The second purpose in View
SLAMS at self-defense. or the e"e estaS- naS
iilshment Of law and order in which
Two Regiments Sent.
auxiliary troops-abo bout s.ooo effacn TaCh
liseesWIcqm66isng msesIv n 5nn m total OF approxi-
he command OF Major-GeneraI WI
arri,.a 'ai, - 1raEes; The troops began 10
1ais 1isTsv' at Vladivostok in september.
considerably larger forces were dis.
patched by japan at about the same
time, and much smaller forces by others
=.
was the successful reunion Of ,he
separated C2echo- -Slovak armies and
the substantial elimination in Eas,.rn
siberia OF the active efforts OF enemy
prisoners Of war.
I'm February. 1919 as co,,,u.
or negotiations begun early in tho sum
mer OF 1918. the United States accented
pian proposed by Japan for the SUI
per'iSlon oil the Siberian Railways, by
an an ihterna tional committee. under
which committee Mr.. John T.. Stevens
would assume the operation of the
Russian railway service corps.
At the request of the provisional
government and with the supnort ~
Mr.. John +. Stevens. there was orran-
ized the so-called Russian railway ser
wee corps. composed of American en-
gineers.
The most recent report FROM NJ
Stevens shows that on mart of tho |;ri.
nese Eastern and Trans -Baikal Rail
way he is now running six trains
DAY each way, while a little while ago
they were only able TO run that MANY
trains per week.
Protection Is Provided.
'In accepting the railway plan n wac
provided that some protection should
be given by the allied forces. Accord
ingly, as provided in the railway plan,
and with the approval of the inter
allied committee, the military COM
manders in Siberia have established
troops where il is necessary to main
tain order at different part Of the line.
The population of Western Siberia
and the forces of Admiral Kolchak
are entirely dependent upon these rail-
ways.
"The Russian authorities i'm this
country succeeded in shipping large
quantities of Russian supplies to ST.
IBERIA. and the Secretary of War is now
contracting with the great cooperative
societies which operate throughout
European and Asiatic Russia to ship
further supplies to meet the needs of
the civilian population. The [olchak
government is also endeavorinG to ar
range for the purchase of medical and
other Red Cross supplies from the War
Department. and the American Red
Cross is itself attempting the forms
of relief for which it is organized All
clements Of the population in Siberia
look to the United States for assis-
tance"