The evening leader. (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) 191?-19??, 1919-02-28
CONDITIONS IN RUSSIA
DESCRIBED BY WRITER
FOR ASSOCIATED PRESS

En- Route to Omsk, Aboard British
Military Train, Jan. 3.-(Correspond-
ence of The Associated Press. )-Har-
bin was crowded to the bursting point
when our train carrying British troops
to Omsk arrived there. 1t was quite
impossible to obtain room anywhere
in the town. Prices constantly are
rising. The temperature. was 10 de-
grees. below zero and the atmosphere
dry and bracing.
Hundreds of tiny >droskies, drawn by
two shaggy-coated Monaghan horses
driven by bundled-up Manchus, took
passengers only at exorbitant rates.
The railroad station was swarming
with peoplesof asscore Of nationalitiez,
all hnrrying and jostIing incarnating
the fear and uncertainties of Russian
life Of today.
The correspo visited the larg-
est grocery store and laid in an extra
supply of canned goods. The pleace
was damned with people. 1t was we'll
stocked with goods, and many people
were buying wines, including cham
payne. An American housewife
would have found the store-system
unbearable. Asingle cashier received
the payments from hundreds of pur-
chasers who were forced to stand in
line for an hour before they could pay
their checks and receive their pack
ages. Hardin is Chinese territory but
Russia has always considered herself
as possessing primary rights.
The great topic of discussion was
the future of Russia that the railroads
must be put into better working
shape One heard pleasant things
about America and Americans, and
the conviction was freely voiced that
America had not territorial designs on
Russia.
Russian journalists, including 2.
Kliorin, the editor of The New Life,
said the principles of Bolshevism pro-
baby were more deeply rooted in the
heart of the Russian people than was
believed by Americans. They said
that allied intervention should be sole
ly to restore order and not interfere
with internal politics. Russia, they
said, should be left to work out her
own political destiny. Interference
from abroad would only postpone a
logical evolution of Russia's revolu-
ton.
An American railroad engineer, r.
S. Ashby,. of Pocatello, Idiho, one of
the 200 experts in Siberia under the
direction of John F. Stevens to help
operate the Trans Siberian and other
railways came aboard our train at
Titsikar, Manchuria. The place was a
wild, uncultivated prairie, with hill
locks extending far away into the hori-
ION.
"This place, said Mr.. Ashby, is call
ed "No Mans Land, and one might
well believe it. He said the American
engineers were now assisting the Rus
sian staff officers who controlled diff
ferent sections of the railway line as
far as Manculi. He lived in bar
racks with six other American engi-
neers. They had some baseball in the
summer and skating in the winter.
The temperature was generally about
the same at that of Canada.
One could hardly help feeling that
the American engineers are doing,
often under obstacles in fulfillment of
the American spirit of humanity and
helpfulnese.
Mrs. David Fraser, wife of the cor
respondent of the London Times, came
aboard the train to travel to Omsk to
join her husband. Everybody admired
her. She wore a uniform with knick-