Daily Kennebec journal., 1919-12-22
Army Transport ButQd Sails Sunday With Group
Of UodesirabIes- Radical Bunch Defiant to Last
--ChUus Of Curses Directed at Government and
Men Responsible for Their Deportation Move
ment Represents Months Of House. Cleaning by
U.S.. Agents Throughout Country

States Army transport Buford-aril
of the Soviet-sailed before dawn to.
day with a cargo of anarchists, COM
munists and radicals banished from
America for conspiring against its
government. The ships destination
was hidden in scaled orders but the
249 passengers it carried expect to be
landed at some far northern port Civ
ing access to Soviet Russia.
Long live the revolution in Ameri
ca" was chanted defiantly by the
motley crowd on the decks of the
steel gray troop ship as she churnel
her way past the statue of Liberty.
Now and then they cursed in chorus
at the United States and the men
who cut short their propaganda
here. Not until tho Buford steamed
out Of the Narrows, between Forts
Hamilton and Wadsworth did the din
cease. Over their heads. whipping in
the wind. the Stars and Stripes
f1oated from the masthead.
The autocrats of all the Russians
on the transport were Alexander
Berkman and Emma Goldman. his
boon companion for 80 years. With
them were 245 men and two women
Ethel Bernstein and Dora Lipkins.
None knew where they would debark
and even Captain G. A. Hitchcock.
commander of the veteran transport
did not know his destination. At day
break tomorrow. Col. Hilton, COM
manding the troops on board as
guards. will hand the skipper his in
structions. Only few high officials
of the War and Labor departments
knew the ships destination.
The voyage will vast IS days un
less it is prolonged by unfavorable
weather. The presumption is that
the Buford will land at Hange Hels-
ingfors or Abo in Finland. which are
connected by rail with Bielo-OsporoH
in the Russian frontier. 1t was in
timated in official quarters that ar.
rangements have been made with the
Finish government to permit the pas
sage of the Russians through that
country.
The transfer from Ellis Island to the
Buford of the agitators who have
preached death and destruction was an
tion. Seized in raids in all parts of the
country. they were modified here for
deportation. An elaborate screen Of
secrecy was thrown about the prepara-
tions for sending them away.
1t was in the darkest hour of night
that an army tug drew up at the dock
at the immigration station to take
aboard the undesifAbles for the seven
mile journey down the bay to the Bu-
ford. Two dozen soldiers armed with
rifles, and as many immigration in
spectors carrying night sticks. patrolled
the shores Of Ellis Island until the tug
arrived at SIS A. NJ. The reds were
marched -ingle file between two lines
of guards from the immigration bar
racks to the boat landing, each of them
carrying his or her baggage. A score
Of agents Of the department of justice
circulated among the Russians waiting
to begin their long journey. These
agents and the soldier guards on the
island went on board the tug with the
deportees and took them to the trans
port.
A revenue cutter and two other army
tugs formed an escort for the reds and
one tug lay alongside while they were
being transferred to the Buford to pre-
vent attempts by those reluctant to
leave to swim the half mile to the shore
e Staten Island.
While all the anarchists had professed
Joy at the thought of returning to Rus
sia. few of them wept and most of
them seemed downcast as they stepped
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