Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-06-06
KOLTCHAK'S RISE To power
How Russian Admiral Came to be
Dictator.
STORY that is MOST INTERESTING

L
ary; But He Insists That He Ha
no Other Aim Than the Salvation o
| His Country.
Some time ago brief messages from
Siberia made known the news Of ;
dramatic coup detat engineered b,
Admiral Koltchak, whereby he be
came dictator. 1t is due, however, t.
the special correspondent Of the Lon
don Times at Omsk, where the Kolt
chak government is established, tina
the details Of how the admiral came t.
occupy the supreme position in Omsk
have been made known. They consti
tute a story as interesting as it is re-
markable, and they help to explain
the mysterious part alleged to have
been played by a British battalion un
der the we'll known labor leader, Col
John Ward. The colonel, who during
the war, is a veteran campaigner, ar
M. p, and a member Of the committed
Of the General Federation of Trades
| - WInlSISF "ltnOut Fo"CTs
Some time before the coup d'eta
took place, precarious sort of com
promise had been effected between
the Socialists Directory and the Siber
ian government, and the admiral hat
been made Minister Of War. The
position, however, was all but a sine
cure, since the powers of the office
were in the hands Of the commander
in-chief, General Boldereff.
| Admiral Koltchak was, Of course
much chagrined to find himself rela
gated to the background, but, like 6
good patriot, said little about it, ant
took the earliest opportunity Of pro-
ceeding to the front to inspect the
armies for which he had, nominally
become responsible.
At that time the Tech commander
had invited the British battalion, the
twenty-fifth Middlesex, to attend the
presentation of colors to the Tzecf
regiments at Ekaterinburg, in the Ura
region, and Col. John Ward had &C.
cepted for the band and 100 men Of
the battalion. Railway travelling being
difficult in Siberia, the admiraps car
riage was attached to the Middlese'
train, and Colonel Ward offered tc
constitute his men the admirars es-
cort for the whole trip round the
front. 1t thus happened that the Rus
sian Minister Of War went to inspect
his troops with no other guards thar
British soldiers. Moreover, the hun
dred of the Middlesex duly accompan'
led the admiral to the front, marched
Iup to the outpost line, and the banG
played "Tipperary" in defiance of the
enemy. It is disputed whether certain
shells falling in the neighborhooo
while the band discoursed were aimed
at the big drum or at the colonel OF
the battalion, but this is net essential
The Middlesex went wherever the ad-
miral went, indicating plainly to the
Russian soldiers that the British were
standing by their Minister for War.
no Coup d'Etat.
| But the admirals tour of the front
came to a sudden end. For reasons
best known to himself he made tracks
for Omsk, and there on the night OF
his arrivel a number of officers spir.
tied some of the members Of the gov
ernment away. The event caused a
sensation in the town, and there wa.
not the slightest doubt but that the
military party, with the admiral at it:
head, meant to dispose of the minis
ters in summary fashion. This cir.
cumstance afforded Col. John Ware
his opportunity. He warned the ad
miral in blunt terms that British pub
lie opinion would regard with pro-
found disapproval any attempt to dea
with the arrested men except by
proper trial. Some days later the
prisoners were put on board trair
headed for China, and flying the Brit
ish flag as a Warning to reactionarie:
on the way.
| Almost the first act of the new dis
tator was to make clear l:is position tt
the British, represented by Col. Johr
Ward, the senior British officer II
Omsk. The air in Omsk was highl!
electrical at that moment, the fate o.
the ministers still hung in the balance
the Socialists and the local Tech gar
rison was furious, while the reaction
aries were jubilant, anticipating al
Immediate restoration Of the mon
larchy. Any kind Of outburst was pos
sible.
| The Admiral Explains.