Douglas Island news., 1919-01-24
TANKS FiGHT
 INDIAN STYLE
Fighting Bolshsviki in Siberia Re- minds of Old Plains Days
 in West

on the west bank of the Rvina river. more than 200 miles south Of Arch angel, American troops arc holding 1 the extreme outposts Of tho Allied ! front.
 In the four tiny villages there probably are sixty log houses, in each Of which Americans arc billet ed. A single narrow street, paral- lcling the river. runs through Che four towns. which are stuck close together and really are but one con tinuous village.
 In the middle Of the river opposite the towns stretches long flat iHl- and dubbed by th Americans "Coney Island" For generations the peas ants have turned its swampy acres into hay fields and when the river freezes they move the hay stacks on slcds
 Lying as it does in thc middle of No Mans Land, between the Bol- shcyiki and the Americans, the bat tlc of "Concy Island" goes on more or less continuously With the trans port limited to the native horses and 5lcds, hay for the animals is an al- most priceless necessity On these moonlight nights the peasant cara vans go having in fine old-fashioncd style.
 One night an American party had hidden on the river bank until some twenty sleds from the Bolahcviki side were loaded and ready to start They suddenly swept down, captur- ing the entire lot and bringing back the booty
 Early next morning, with the hay unloaded. the horses and sleds were turned loose and started down the road toward the Bolshevist peasant owners. The horses belonged to the natives. but the hay would have been used for Bolsheyist transport pur- pose. Now it will feed the horses bringing canned Willie and cloth ing to our troops.
 The fighting there is more like thc old Indian fighting of half a century ago. Just as in the oldcn frontier days the faith of the de- fensc is placed in community block houses guarding the outpost villages and the few roads and rivers rum ming through a iOO-milc front. How ever. instead Of poisoned arrows or flaming firearms, the Bolshcyist ar ulery pounds the thick walls and triple roofs and the defenders use vickcrs guns in place Of muzzle- loading squirrel rifles.
 But the spirit and the style Of fighting is the same Patrols sneak out and burn Che single blockhouscs. breaking trails through the woods. Parties follow the enemy groups by snow tracks and the men are left to their own cunning and resources.
 It is a strange style Of fighting and still stranger is the environ mcnt into which our soldiers are thrown
 Buletcd in the homes of peasants, a squad of soldiers probably com- mandeer one room. but they are thrown into constant contact with the household and the kitchen be- comes the loafing place. The family stove. built like am old-fashioned Dutch oven, takes up third of the room. and in the remaining space are probably half dozen children and six or eight adults.
 The great, thick log walls, with their tiny double storm windows and with a double system Of doors. keep sacred the stale, foul air and the myriad odors of which a circus would be proud.
 For eight months mo window IS opened and the door is guarded like a bank safe. Any daring breath Of fresh air that might venture inside would instantly roll over on its back and expire without a struggle.
 In the far corner it is possible that a cradle is suspended from the end of long pole so that the cradle. bounced by string mp and down by and older child. lulls the latest in- fant asleep.
 The grandmother deftly pats out the tiny loavcs of black bread. shooting them into the oven with a paddle like professional baker. Around the wall bench sit the men folks, enjoying a gift Of cigarettes. Most of the women are out of doors, hauling fertilizer into the poor fields but there not being sufficient horses to go around, father rests in the at- mosphere of the kitchen.
 In such strange surroundings the American soldiers are living and thriving. Wonderful is the Russian language that they talk, but as tho American soldiers always adapt themselves quickly anywhere in the world, these boys are playing big brother to the kiddies and have the grandmother sewing on buttons.
 The fresh vegetables which the ration allowance lacks they trade cigarettes and sugar for. This is