Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1919-11-07
kOLCHAK AND HIS REQUEST
FOR TROOPS AND MONEY
By Lloyd Lehrbas

Admiral Kolchak. formerly Admit
raj in the navy of the Gear. who is
mt present favored by the Allied for
ces occupying Siberia as the man
who can bring order out OF chaos In
that ill-fortuned country. has made
his latest bid for help from the Allies
News dispatches bring word that
he wants loan OF $50 900 900 from
tthe United States and $4,000 Amer
can troops to replace the Czechs In
guarding the trans-SibeTian and
Chinese Eastern railroads. From
his side OF the ocean the request
ioes not seem unusual as II is gem
orally understood that we offer and
give aid II that kind to our Allies
md our weaker brethren. but my
recent stay In Siberia enables me to
look at the request in a different
light.
A loan OF $40. 900. 900 to Koichak
would make II necessary for tho
United States to become "hitched
up" with Kolchak even closer than
we are now. which is to be avoided,
md would sooner or later bring us
nto financial difficulties with Japan,
md even with certain factions OF
the Russians. Kolschak has by no
means the united sympathy OF tho
Russian people in Siberia. Just be-
fore | visited vladivostok, Kolchak
had made a draft OF able bodied
citizens for his army. The signs
were still pasted on the old stone
walls about Vladivostok. American
doughboys told me the signs were
all that was left. practically all Of
the young Russians had beat Il for
the hills rather than serve In the
Kolchak army.
In fact American officers In
Vladivostok told me that they knew
of many cases where Russians had
Joined the Bolsheyik forces In pref
erence TO the Kolchak army. Kol-
chak himself might be rated as pro-
gressive, but he has surrounded him
self I'm isolated Omsk with a coterie
of old times. used to the ways OF the
Car. and the ordinary Russian In the
Kolchak army is. to use slang. sim
ply out OF luck. Kolchak pays In ru-
bles. the Russian medium OF ex-
change, and II founders and fIutters
in value so much that II Is hard to
tell one day whether you'll be able
TO buy bread the next or not.
To keep an army together and thuk
retain his hold on the country Kdl-
chak must have money. II we make
him the loan we will sooner OF later
have 10 make an effort 10 collect Il.
and It is considered doubtful wheth-
er or not Kolchak could retain the
country II the allied troops were to
be withdrawn.
If we don't loan Kolchak the $780,
900 900 japan undoubtedly will. and
hen they will have more OF a hold on
Siberia than ever before.
feel that II would be a big mis-
take TO accede 10 his request for
$4,000 Americans to guard the rail.
roads. although II would better BE-
$4,000 than the miserable force W.
have in Siberia now. Kolchak's idea
In this-the railroads are the vita
point in Siberia because they controI
the food and ammunition supplies oil
the army. Consequently II the Amer.
leans replace Kolchak troops guard
ing the railroad he will have NAM
more troops to put in the field. Ths
Czeehs are unpopular because OF ths
stringent methods they use 30 KoI
chak would like to see them out ol
the country entirely. To the czehs
who are among the brayest and snap
lpiest troops In the world. Ruaslani