The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-02-18
ALLIES PREPARING ID BRING TROOPS
 HOMEFROMR RUSSIA
 EARLY IN SPRING
President Has Approved Sending Two Additional Companies to Improve Lines and Facilitate
 Withdrawal
By Associated Press

Washington, February 17.
 American and allied troops op-
 erating in north Russia will be withdrawn ''at the earliest pos sible moment that weather con
 dltlons In the spring will per init. o
 To facilitate this movement and to im- prove lines of communication for the , supplying of the forces that have pene- 1 trated into the country, President Wilson
 has approved the sending of two addi- uonai companies of American railway troops to Archangel.
 Ihls information, cabled to the war department by Gen. Tasker H. Bliss at Paris,by direction of the President. was transmitted today to Chairmen Chamber.
 lam and Dent of the Senate and House military committees by Secretary Baker The announcement brought expressions of approval from several senators in- cluding Senator Johnson of California republican, who has been pressing his resolution providing for a declaration by the Senate in favor of withdrawal of the American forces
 General Bliss also informed Secretary
 Baker that Great Britain had decided
 10 send 240o additional soldiers to Archan- gel to reinforce the army in north Rus- sla In this connection General Bliss
 said the British military authorities felt
 no apprehension over the military sit
 uation in north Russia.
 BAKERS ANNOUNCEMENT
 Secretary Bakers letters to the com
 mittee chairmen were identical. They
 said:
 Il have just received a cablegram
 from General Bliss, sent by the Presi-
 dents direction, in which I am told
 that the President has approved the
 sending of two American railway com
 panies to Murmansk for the following objects: First, to assure greater safe
 ty during this winter of the allied forces, both along Murmansk and at Archangel and south of Archangel; sec-
 ond, the much better supply and if necessary the reinforcement from Mur-
 mansk of the advance attachments south of Murmansk and Archangel;
 third, to facilitate the prompt with drawal of American and allied troops in north Russia at the earliest possible moment that weather conditions in the spring will permit The President has directed me to communicate the fore going to the heads of the allied govern ments, which I have done. The Presi- dent desires that his action and the reasons for it be communicated to the military committees of the/ Senate and House for their information
 Tn addition to the foregoing Gen. eral Bliss tells me that the British goVeI nment is sending force of about 2400 men to Murmansk and that they have requested the ct-operat tion of the President to the extent of two com panles of railway troops above referred to. The desire for the railway troops is based upon the ract that supplies and endorsements for Archangel dur I ing the winter have to go by. railroad south from MurmanSk to point near the southern extreme of the White sea and that the operation of this railroad is believed by the British to be abso- lutely necessary to guarantee the prompt movement of endorsements and supplies to Archangel and the troops south of Archangel General Bliss also informs me that the British military authorities do not feel any ap- prehension as to the military situation at Archangel.
 "ln accordance with the direction of the President l transmit this in formation to the Senate committee on military affairs
 JOHNSON ISSUES STATEMENT
 After reading Mr. Bakers letter, Sem ator Johnson issued this statement:
 When on December F last we com- mencing the agitation for the return of our troops in Russia for the sole purpose of saving the lives of American boys there, we had little sympathy and less support. After more than two months of absolute silence on the part of the gov- arr, .lA ..1 ez q any sort either to Congress- or to the people, comes today's communicat ation, the first of it's kind, to the military com mittees, that our soldiers would be re- turned The strangeness of this com munication does not detract from my very great qualification.
 When the subject was first preached in December, 5000 American boys appar- ently had been abandoned and forgotten by their government They were making valiant stand against overwhelming odds in all of the severity of an arctic winter, suffering untold privation and | hardships and fighting a war which had i never been sanctioned or declared by the American people. The government either 1 would not. or could not. tell its policy or the activities of our soldiers, or why they were killing and being killed. We are yet in total ignorance; but it is sig nificant that the letter today. foreshad- owing the early withdrawal of our troops, concusively demonstrates the utter lac; of foundation of every statement made by those who have sought to excuse this unjustifiable invasion.
 Finally, in England, righteous pub lie opinion compelled an alteration of !, Englands course, and now apparently the course of America is changed. We cannot make whole again the maimet nor bring back the dear ones who have been killed in defiance of the law, and in violation of the constitution in this mis- erable misadventure in Russia, but thank God the American boys who are yet alive are to be returned to us
 Senator Borah of Idaho, republican, is sued a statement declaring that to Sem ator Johnson was due the credit for the change of policy regarding Russia made by the American government.