Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-11-17
SERGT. R. \. WALLER
HOME FROM SIBERIA
Wilmington Man Relates Some
Thrilling Experiences He Had
in the Far North.

Sergeant r. III. Waller of 1p16 Wes 3
Second street has recently returned oD the
l.. &. transport Sheridan, from Siberia,
where he was stationed for two years with
the Thrty-first Infantry OF the l. >.
Army. His regiment also, the twenty
seventh Infantry, were sent into siberia
from France in the latter part OF 1913,
with the object of guarding the Trans
Siberian railroad from Japanese aRitators
and Bolshevik marauders. This rnilroad
which is the only land connection between
Russia proper and Siberia starts Mt Petro-
grad and runs through the northcrn part
Of Russia and for 5000 miles into the IN
terror of Siberia. The regiments were
stationed in various places between
Vladivostock and Omsk, which rs about
1000 miles in the interior.
Sergeant Walters description OF the
country and it's people is extremely IN
teresting. He had many thrilling expert
cnces in this far-on land In talking Of
the people, he said they livet in huts and
log houses, covered with mud, and exist
chiefly on the game which they catch,
and which is very abundant. They were
very kind to the American soldiers and
would do anything in their crude way to
accommodate them. The sufferings which
they have endured from the Bolshcviks
and Japs have made them callous and
indifferent TO death" he said. They live
in ignorance. having had no education
| Of any sort
THE country" he continued, is
| wild and frozen TheQ are only small
| villages scattered through the interior
| and these are twenty and thirty miles
apart The ground is rich IN natural re-
sources, such as coal mines, but II has never
! been ds velopcd M the inhabitants have
/ been held under suhlection by the Russian
1 Gar There is wonderful grasing land IN
the valleys. but for the most part there
is only frozen tundras Siberia has been
used chiefly rs "A land TO exile the people
who are to be punished
The soldiers lived in deserted churches
az which there are many IN Siberia, with
no one within many miles of them They
are beautiful and show splendid archI
lecture.
FROM "A TO 20 BELOW ZERO.
We also lived from time to time II
old barracks which had been used .,
Cossacks and Russian soldiers N some Q
of their invasions Our supplies wer'
sent from the States 10 Manila and thei
shipped on r. : transports 70 Nladivosto"k
stock. which is a large seaport.
I w npN hSkgN hAOUA VIZ ~ftAShthH 49, Nat
temperatures, he said that winter was tn
main season, starting IN September AM
continuing until NAV The tcmpcratur
during this time varied from a to Z
degrees below Zero. the ground benz
always covered with snow The soldier
were equipped with clothes entirely
, fur and worp snow-ahoe~ Many ot theI
died Of pne,Imonia in this severe climate
The ncoDlc will do ANYTHING for a lead
; cr." said Sergeant Waller Once one c
our men who wanted some excitement
| deserted the army and in q short time ha
! several thousand men under him.
? course, he was captured quickly and the
the people were helpless
! About l4.OO0 American soldiers IN a
we're stationed IN Russia during m
time Over FIVE weeks were spent IN II
4 ! tourney home Sergeant Waller was n
I only man from Delaware among Thea
4 troops as far as he knows.