The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1919-03-06
LY DEN BOY SEES
IC HTING IN RUSSIA
Arthur Stierlen Sees Service With
Navy At Archangel And Other Dis.
tant Points
BY William T. Whittemore

LONDON, req. Z4-(SPeclal Dy
mail to The Tribune.) Americans are
popular with the Russians of all clas-
ses, even the Bolsheviks having a
friendly feeling toward the Yanks,
declare some half hundred young U.
S. sailors who have just returned
from Katherine Harbor, Murmansk
and Archangel. In this party is Ar
thur Stierlen, first-class fireman, of
Lynden, Wash.
Stierlen and the other sailors are
the real veterans of the U. S. Navy in
Arctic waters, for they have been
on convoy between northern Rus
sian and Orkney islands, and land
duty since last May. They are a
remnant of the historic Olympia S
crew detailed for this service on the
first cruise of an American warship
so far north in Ga years. AT times,
they were within 100 miles of the
pole.
While nary German vessel was
seen in the White sea and their ma
val patrol netted them nothing more
than a torpedo scare one night when
somebody thought he saw three tor
pedoes coming their way, Stierlen
and the others have seen some act
ion in landing parties and in polio
ing the Murmansk and Archangel
territory. They all agree that the
Russian is peculiar sort of an in
diyidual, indeed, but eitncr as friend
or enemy, is quite likeable. There
were many in the Bolshevik forces
against which the American sailors
conteEdcd who were not waolchea.t-
edly with the Red cause, or any other
cause for that matter, and who calle
over in large numbers to the Allies
at the first opportunity. They were
prompted in this move to a large
extent, it is true, by the desire to
be fed and clothed and when this was
accomplished many deserted back to
the Bolsheviks again, but it was quite
fommon for even the regular Boil
shevik forces while in vigorous fight
ting to refuse to fire upon the Amer
leans. 1t was possible for American
sailors to go ashore unarmod without
fear of being picked off by snipers.
Russians who might be suspected
of being secret Bolshevik pickets
would give Stierlen and the other ma
Wv boys close crutiny and then sat
isfied of the identity eXclaim:
"Ah. Americansky," and extend
his hand and make other demonstrat-
ion of friendliness.
While such circumstances were
common. there were times when II
was quite different. For instance
when Archangel was captured by the
Allied forces, 25 of the Yank sailors
with characteristic rash courage and
yenturesomeness drove their sector
of the Red line some seven miles be-
yonl the city limits. They became
lost in q swamp and were surround
ed by Bolsheviks. The situation was
desperate but one of the Russian
nrisoners of the Americans showed
the way out of the swamp and the
French Alpini came up with re-en-
forcements and the Yanks made their
escape. Another time a garrison OF
Russians with the British mutinleo
and the Yanks participated in bar
rage upon the barracks that dlscip-
lined the Russians.
The convoy service of these young
Americans has been performed ap-
oard the Russian destroyed kapitah
Yourovski, to which they were trans
ferred shortly after their arrival at
Nurmansk. They sailed under the
Russian naval flag of the Nlcholl gov
ernment and were commanded ps
Russian officers with Lieutenant An
ders ]. Norgaard, native OF the VIZ
pin Islands in immediate command
of the Americans. Lieutenant NOT
gard is a jolly little Dane VINO oes-
cribes himself as part OF the llVe-
stock bought with the islands from
Denmark by the United States. he
is a true blue American and loves
his "gobs" as they love him.
THE best boys l ever sailed wlth'
he says and Lieutenant Norgaard mas
sailed for many years and his mast
er's license reads for unlimited ton
mage and all seas. When he returns
TO the States. he is going to move
his family from the Virgin lslahas
10 Hartford, Conn, he says, and De-
come thoroughly Americanized whiie
he follows his naval career for ohc-
lie Sam.
The first task which the Lyndeh
bov and his mates were called upon
10 perform after their arrival at MUIR
mansk gave early promise OF an eN-
citing time in Arctic waters. Ihe!
had to subdue a mutiny aboard the
Russian cruiser Askold. When the
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