The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-04-12
American Troops on Arch
angle Front Have No Fear
of BOlshevik
Army.
STORES CAN BE SAVED
Shows are Netting and Reinforce.
ments Can be Sent In Case
Situation Becomes
Serious.

United Press
NEW YORK, April 12.-No present
danger threatens the American troops
along the Archangel front, while they
continue fighting on the defensive.
The bolshevik army confronting
the Americans is far from its base
land is showing no eagerness to de.
velop a persistent offensive. 1t Is
engaged in nothing more serious
than harassing tactics not far re.
moved from guerilla warfare. The
bolsheviki are more intent upon de-
/ stroying the morale of the army by
political propaganda than by major
military strategy. If the bolshevik
had skilfull military leadership at
their disposal, and II they were sert-
ously intent upon a rigorous CAM
paign, the situation facing the Ameri-
cans might become alarming. But
throughout the winter months the
bolsheviki have been reluctant to
risk their lives to recapture Arch
angel, though they have outnumbered
the Americans.
The American retreat has been
blocked at Archangel by the fact that
the harbor was ice bound. But II
necessary the Americans can escape
westward into the Murmansk district.
The port of Kola in the Murmansk
area Is ice-free the year around. 1t
is now in the possession Of the Brit
!ish. A railway constructed during
the war runs southeastward from
Kola. This railway is about $50 miles
west of the American Archangel
front Once astride the railway the
Americans could join forces with the
British who are now being reinforced
by troops from England. A retire
ment of this nature would find the
Americans leaving. behind much of
their material and stores at Arch
angel This doubtless will not be
done except as last resort. No
crisis has yet arisen south OF Arch.
angel of sufficient gravity to warrant
such action being taken. Instead,
the present outlook indicates that
the Americans can probably hold
their positions for two months
longer, when Archangel will be suf1-
ciently free from ice to permit trans
ports to enter the harbor. The troops
can then be embarked and all the
stores saved, and the unfortunate ex-
pedition will be able to come home.
Shows are Melting.
LONDON, April 1.-THE crisis in
northern Russia has passed according
Ito an Archangel dispatch to the Post
today, dated Thursday The dispatch
said the SHOWS are melting, paving the
way for arrival of reinforcements.
,, 1t was further stated that the boil
shevik army on the Archangel front
now numbers 10000.
War Minister Churchill, addressing
the Aldwych club last night, declared
Great Britain would make no effort
to negotiate with the Russian soviet
! government.
ENGLAND cannot negotiate with the
ibolsheviki," he said THE allied
! t,oops In Russia will be relieved.
The premier has given me full pow
Ell to accomplish this
In Touch With Troops.
| WASHINGTON, April 12.-The war
department is now in constan. touch
with the troop situati IN ar Arch.
angel both as regards morale of the
! American forces and Concentration Of
bolsheviki troops. An official stale
ment from Chief of Staff March vas
! expected today to answer to charges
that allied forces are in danger of
being overwhelmed in the Archaneel
region, are poorly fed, inadcIua.oly
clothed, and are freezing to aea'a.
! Fresh British veterans are enroute
to Archangel. Additional American
engineer troops have reached the
Arctic port and strong belief was
expressed here that the situation
will improve soon.
withdrawal Of American troops
from northern Russia and Siberia