New-York tribune., 1920-01-11
American Major
Cited for Bravery
AT Vladivostok
Red Cross Gives Graphic
Story of Rescues During
Revolutionary Fighting at
Russian Port in November

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10.-A graph;c
| account of the part played by Major
samuel l. Johnson, Of Honolulu, as
slstant commandant Of the Allied
forces in Vladivostok, during the revo-
lutlonary fighting in that city on No.
vember II and 18, has been received
by the Red Cross headquarters here,
Inc Red Cross report says that Major
johnson has been recommended to the
All-kussian government for decoration
with the Officers Cross of St. George
Tor the services he rendered to the
people OF Vladivostok during the fight
ing.
AS recommendation is considered
tne equivalent to bestowal. this makes
the @ sixth award received by Major
Johnson during his service in Siberia
with the American forces, the others
being the Russian Medal of St. Anne
and Japanese, Czecho-Slovak, Italian
and Chinese decorations.
Governor NJ. M: Eversman of Pri-
morsky Province, in a letter to Major
General W. S. Graves, commanding the
American forces in Siberia, said:
cannot leave unnentioned the fact
that Major johnson, having splendidly
fulhlled his plan in guarding the town
and the peaceful population, though
exposing his own life to danger under
furious fire, succeeded four times in
getting through to the passenger trains
that were in the center of the fighting
zone and from there brought to safety
officers, their families and civilians"
Graves's Son Praised
Major Graves, son of General Graves,
was another officer, according to the
Red Cross account, who with utter
fearlessness walked into the danger
zone to aid women and children ex-
posed to fire. Major johnson has paid
tribute to the part also played by the
International Military Police. whom he
commanded.
~ want those men to get the recogn-
tlon due them" he said. "They rem
dered the greatest assistance. showed
absolute steadiness and GOODNESS and'l
ran the same risks" The Red Cross
account says that the International
Military Police and Allied detachments
held control of Vladivostok, enforcing
Allies, and that, thanks to this, Vladi-
vostok was unswept by battle except
in the vicinity Of the railway station.
There, however, furious combat ragged
For men who entered the area of
fighting and the path of flying bullets
entered at deadly peril and every man
knew it," says the report.
Among those saved by Major John
son and his men were General Roman
ovsky and family. Romanovsky is chief
Of the Russian generals staff He was
living with his family in the railway
yards in his special train and was
noncombatant. Soldiers of both sides
fired upon the train. 1t was utterly dark
and a storming, showing November
morning when Major johnson found
the car and escorted the family to
safety.
Hide in Black Cellars
"Some Of those he rescued that night
were found in the railway station,
where the most sanguinary fighting
took place. They had sought refuge
and crouched in the darkness, afraid
to move, afraid to whisper. In most
cases, when the rescue party arrived,
it took repeated calls ana reassurances
to locate the frightened, suspicious
men and women.
"The first rescue trip was made about :
10 o'clock on the night Of November
II and the last at 1880 o'clock on the
morning Of November 18.
major Johnson's command of Rus
sian, for he ia a Russian born, was q
big asset in this emergency. work at
the railway station. as it has heen
throughout his service in Siberia.
General Romanovsky expressed TO
the Red Cross representative grateful
appreciation aR|dP for what Major '0hna0"
"T do not know how any man
could go into that hell Of fire, find our
train and bring US out he said, but
this man did it,
"He even saved the cat. Getting the
party ont Of the train Major Johnson
heard the howl Of the lonely, mortalls
frightened cat somewhere in the dark
car, lit only by the lurid flashes Of
guns and the reflection Of burning
buildings.
zone Of the women asked them to
take the cat, and the rescue party halted
there in the shattered train, found the
cat hiding in a mass Of broken berths
and took her to safety with the fam
ily."