New-York tribune., 1919-03-20
Enemies Stirring
Siberian Peasants
Against America
Hostility Growing Rapidly
i'll Systematic Campaign
as Press Spreads Charges
OF U. S. Pro-Bolshevism

vLADIvosToK. March II (By The
associated ess).--Never since the
landing here of troops in August has
mere been such widespread criticism
OF the United States.
The newspapers arc full of TRADES
and ingenious distortions of facts cal
culated to SOW discord among Ameri
cans Russians and Americas allies
it IS an unquestioned fact that there
is systematic campaign.
beginning with the disappointment
over the passiveness of Americas in
tervention, the sentiment developed
m1strust and an outspoken hostility in
many quarters to the Princes Islands
proposal for conference of all Rus
sian factions with the Allies, justly or
otherwlse credited to President Will
son.
Americans were instantly dubbed
friends of the Bolsheviki and the idea
was quickly utilized by an unfriendlv
press and accepted in the political cir
cles OF the Russians generally
:, The silence and do-nothing policy of
the Americans is plainly getting on the
nerves of the Russians. France and
England have few troops here. and
these are not actively engaged. but
their commissioners are visiting and
counselling the Omsk government, with
the result that they are being credited
with being the best friends of Russia.
A representative of the Omsk gov
ernment,, in discussing the situation.
confessed himself and his syperiors
mystifed by the silence of the United
States on vital matters of policy.
re also sale there was tendency to
Judge severely acts of expediency and
necessity which his government had
taken. He said these acts were not
fully understood.
His government wanted sympathy,
this official added, in it's efforts to re-
establish order and greater material
assistance, but if it could not have it,
he said, he believed it was entitled to
strict neutrality toward it's enemies.
encouragement to the Bolsheviki.
Among the troops and the villagers
along the railways there is a sullen-
ness and unfriendliness which did not
exist month ago. This is partly due
to the refusal of Major General Will
lam S. Graves, the American command
er, to respond to appeals by the in
habitants along the Ussuri and Amur
railways and the Suchan mines dis
trict, where the Americans arc sta
toned, for protection against outrages
by Russian soldiers.
To these appeals, as we'll as a re-
quest from the Japanese in the Bla-
govestchensk district for company of
troops to fight the so-callcd Bolshc-
wiki, General Graves has made the
same reply. namely, that he would be
exceeding his authority and violating
the American policy toward Russia.
General Graves entertains strong
doubt whether all Russians who have
taken up arms in eastern Siberia can
properly be termed Bolsheviki. The
peasants for months have been sub
jected to brutality at the hands of
troops, chiefly Cossacks, most of whom
represent the Omsk government On
the pretext of searching for Bolshc-
wiki. the troops have raided villages
in the. country side, numbering and
imprisoning men and beating and NAL
treating women.
The Japanese apparently have adopt
ed the course of supporting the troops
who are committing the outragcs.