Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1919-10-03
American Corporal Is Whipped
by Order Of CoSsack General
in Siberia.
GEN. GRAVES TAKES ACTION
Japanese Major lntervenes, Warning
That His Men Will Side Wits the
Russians in Case Of
Hostilities.

Washington, Oct. 2.-Major General
Graves, commanding the American
forces in Siberia. IS understood to
have acted upon official instructions
from the war department in denund-
ing an apology from the Cossaek com
mander for the logging of an Ameri-
can soldier and an investigation OF Jap
unese interference between the Ameri-
can and Cossack forces.
General Graves has reported the In
cdent in detail and army officials said
the situation was the most serious
which has occurred since the Ameri-
can forces went into Siberia.
Vladiyostok. Oet p Maj Gen. Will
liam $. Graves, commander Of Ameri-
can forces in Siberia. has demanded
IN apology from General Rozanoff, in
command Of Russian troops In Pria-
mur province, for the arrest of Capt.
1. T. Johns of the Twenty-seventh reg
lmcnt and Corporal Benjamin SperIlng
# the Thirty-iirst. and the ilogg'ag of
The latter by Cossacks commanded by
General kahnikolf
An Investigation Of the conduct of
4 Japanese officer at Imam, the place
where the arrests took place has also
Begun by the Japanese high command.
The incident, which occurred Septem-
Der 5. is considered one of the most
serious since the allies landed IN Si-
3eria.
The two Americans, IN uniform and
N official business. went TO Imam a
town l70 miles north OF this city, on
he section Of. the railroad guarded
by Chinese troops, passports being un-
necessary BY agreement between the
lilies.
While they were ut the hotel there
4 detachment IT Cossacks entered and
arrested the Americans, claiming they
were not provided with identification
papers Captain Johns managed to
escape and catching a moving train,
vent to Spassle, where he reported 10
the American officer in command.
A detachment Of $50 Americans from
the Twenty-seyenth regiment ut once
entralned and went 10 Imam 10 effect
Sperling's release, and on arriving
there took three Cossaeks as hos
tages.
They found General Kalmikors
men intrenehed near the station aud
were preparing to use force against
them when Japanese major inter-
fered for the Cossncks, stating, it is
iIa,.,.,a .t4.t a.. tt.s ,...,,tt ~ los.tGf,taa
between the Americans and Cossacks
the Japanese troops ut Imam would
side with the latter
He at last told the Americans that
Sperling had been taken TO Khabor-
ovsk, where General Kalmlkoff has his
headquarters
4 telegrnphic demand for Sperling
was cont to khaborovsk and reply
was received that he would be released
at once The Americans returned TO
Spasske, taking their hostages with
them.
A preliminary investigation of the
incident shows. II is said, that Sper>
ling was fiogged, a punishment that Is
usually meted out to recaleiirant Cos
sacks.
General Kalmikoff. who Is consld
cred by Americans here as siberian
Villa has, with his band, been a
constant source Of trouble, 1t IS
charged, his raids being marked by
erueities and atrocities He was rc-
Gently appointed military commander
Of Khaborovsk district by General Ro-
zanon, and II is alleged this has
brought about an increase in his ac-
tivlties.