The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-08-15
GENERAL WRANGEL LOOMS AS HOPE IF
 RUSSIA AND ORDER
Washington Hears of Man Who Supplants Kerensky, Deniken, KOlchak and
 Other Hope Leaders
By Associated Press

By AsSootatod Press
 Washington, August 14.-An in- formal inquiry into the character and policies of the ti-bolshevist leader in Southern Russia General Wrangel.
 has been begun by government off cials.
 No immediate anticipation of recog- hilton by the United States is involved, officials said. but should the inquiry develop satisfactorily it is possible that
 the elements clustered about the Rus sian leader may afford road to the creation of conditions in Russia per hitting her reacceptance among the nations.
 One report on the career of the Rus sian general already has been received written by a neutral observer attached | to the stan of General Wrangel It Is said to be the first authentic sum- mary of the anti bolshevist leaders achievements received in Washington | General Wrangel, according to the | report! began his career in the Russian army by enlisting In 1901 as q private l in the Morse Guards regiment after having been educated as mining en- glneer. Though his remote ancestors l are said to have come from Germany, hlS stock Is described as of Baltic l province derivation.
 1 Leaving the Russian army in 1902 | after promotion to lieutency, Wran- | gel re-enlisted upon the outbreak of | the Japanese war and was twice | promoted for bravery. Subsequently, he was graduated from the general staff | academy and at the outbreak of the | European war was a captain com
 manding cavalry squadron. He distin- | guished himself with his squadron on | August l9, 1914 taking d German; bat | tery, for which he was decorated with the highest Russian military order
 the Cross of St. George.
 Promoted to the rank of colonel he | was appointed aide to Inc czar and | later became commander of the first | trans BaikaI cossack regiment with | which, in July 1916. he captured an en- 1 tire battalion and several machine
 guns. He was then promoted to the | grade of major general
 l Following the first days of the revo-
 lution. when the successful Russian offensive in Galicia was preceded by | disorderly retreat General Wrangel is said to have rendered such service as "to have prevented a great military disaster" division commander. and afterwards, in command of a cavalry
 corps. he continued with the army until the disorder of the revolution had de- lstroyed it's discipline entirely.
 | General Wrangel then retired to the Crimea. Arrested by the bolsheviki, he very narrowly escaped execution, his life being saved only through the de- Il votion of his wife, who followed him
 to prison and after persistent appeals finally obtained his release.
 In the summer of 1918, with the growth of the volunteer anti-bolshevik army, he was given command of bri-
 gade under General Erdeli Succeed ing to command as a result of the ill.,
 ness of his chief, Wrangel with other
 volunteer forces, succeeding in routing the bolshevist troops and liberating the kuban. later entered Stavrapoi and
 finally attained in February, 1919. the liberation of the whole of the north Caucasus and the Terek state, captur- ing 10000 prisoners and enormous lquantjty of material He was then pro- lmoted to the rank of lieutenant gem
 eral and placed in command of ths Caucasian army. Stricken with typhus
 fever. it was not until April, when the lvolunteer army had suffered heavy re-
 verses. that he was able to resume
 command. and on account of the neces-
 sity of reforming the scattered ele-
 ments of the forces of General Deni-
 kene. he designated a military
 adviser to General Shilling.
 With the evacuation of Odessa and the reduction or shilling re5ponsl- bilities, Wrangel proceeded to Sevas-
 tapol. where he was informed by the
 British admiral there that, on account of previous difficulties with General Denikene, that officer requested that hs leave Russia.
 | He retired to Novorosisk. where he prepared the evacuation of the wound cd, and then left for the Crimea.
 The nervousness of the troops" the report declared, resulting from the news of his retirement forced him to leave Russia for the time. but on April l14, 1920 public opinion, clamoring for q new leader, caused General Denikene.
 then head of the volunteer army. to
 resig gn and a council of Russian gen.
 erals to elect Wrangel IS his logical Successor"