The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-05-22
PLUCK
in RUSSIA is
MOST NOTABLE
OFTEN ANTIsoL FORCES IN
FROZEN AREAS OF NORTH ARE
oUTNuMBERED FOUR TO TEN
TO ONE.

Archangel-( Correspondence OF Tne
associated Press 1.-THE Russo-Ailled
force which has been conducting the
campaign against the Bolshevik1 IN TINS
far northern region has been oufnum-
bered by the enemy everywhere from
two to ten to one.
What they lack in numbers, this
force makes up in pluck. the pluck
that makes them stick tight under
attacks by superior forces, although
they have not much interest in the
Russian question and feel. candldiy
speaking, that the folks at homt in
Washington and London and Paris are
making them suffer the penalty of their
inability to make up their minds as to
what should be done in Russia.
They grumbIe because they're here,
and at the mistakes made by those
at home and in Archangel who some
times don't exactly understand the dis
position of homesick Yankee dough
boy or British Tommie who is sitting
in the snow in a frozen trench where
impression on mans heating ap-
paratus than if it We're web or
gossamer. But they go on fightlng,
just the same.
With all their hardships, these troops
have confidence in their commander,
Major General Edmund Ironside.
veteran of several British campaigns.
and a six-footer physically who spends
more time at the front than at head
quarters in Archangel They know thu
general is looking out for them but
they don't feel the same way about
the folks at home.
To march for four or five days over
snow trails, sleep on the cold, hard
floors of peasant cottages at night
in an atmosphere so thick that one
couldn't even pour it, and then to
fight all day in fifteen below zero
temperature. has been more or less
routine for the Yanks up here. They
have fought with signal bravery, when
greatly outnumbered, and when sup
port, because of the weather condi-
tionS or the trails, failed to reach
them. Nearly two score of the Ameri-
cans wear British or French ribbons
for bravery in action against the Boil
sheviki, and more decorations are on
the way
The Yanks have gone on, day by day,
grumbling but smiling about their
Lardships. They're not extraordinarily
fascinated by the Russian "Barishnas !,
or young girls, and have Yankee
contempt for males who wear whiskers
and kiss each other in the streets and
speak a jawbreaking foreign language
They want to go home as soon as
they can, and, to them, it seems that
all Uncle Sam has to do to get them
home quickly is to send up lot Of
Regulars and Marines and finish the
Bolsheviki quickly.
The point of view of some of the
American officers is illustrated by the
remarks of one of The Associated Press
correspondents.
Hi" he said. when he arrived
here with other American reinforce
ments last September, there isn't any
justice, no justice at all. We've been
training at home at Camp Custer for
months and months to fight the Ger
mans. And then they send us up here
to Russia, to guard stores, / Supposa
The Rolshevilxi can't fight. anyway, fer
they're nothing but an organized rah-
BILE. We wanted to fight; we didn't
join the army to watch these Russian
revolute"
This winter down in a snow covered
little, log hut, matched with birch
boughs, on the front, 1 saw this same
young officer, half frozen despite his
fur coat and Shackleton boots. as he
shrapnel from Bolshevik guns was
bursting somewhere around US.
.H-l,n he said, there isn't any
justice, no justice at all. The war is
ever in France and we're still up in
these b1ankety- blank frozen swamps.
fighting. Why, do you know. I've had
only two weeks relief since we landed.
Eeen fighting ever since"
tsSVhew'', he calculated, as one OF
the shells burst bit close. Getting
closer. Those Bolshy artillerymen GER
tainly can shoot"