South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-06-09
COUP OF JAPANESE
UPSETS PLANS FOR
NEW BUFFER STATE
Military Invasion of Eastern
Siberia Spells Dream
of SOviets.

NTKOLSK. Siberia, June 9.-The
Russian provisional government Of
eastern Siberia was about 20 set up
"a government which would be Ia
the nature o. a buffer state between
Japan and the bOlshevik govern
ment OF Russia and western Siberia
when the Japanese military forces
seized control OF FladivOstOk and all
the chief centers OF the Maritime
Province in April. ct has since
been announced that the Japanese
were establishing a buffer state in
part OF the same territory
The japanese coup was accom-
panied by rather heavy fighting at
NikOlsk where the Russians resist
cd and held the japanese at bay
while the majority OF the Russians
forces withdrew. The Russian los
ses at this place are estimated at
200 killed and 200 wounded: the
Japanese at AZ killed. 81 wounded.
Two days before the japanese
sprung their surprise the Provincial
Constituent assembly sitting at
NikOlsk, had voted 10 establish a
separate government including all
Siberia east OF the Selenga river.
which flows through Verkhne-Ud-
insk into Lake Baikal-a govern
would have no authority except In
q purely advisory capacity.
SOvicts Active.
The steps was taken at the in
stigation OF Nilenski. special diplo-
matte commissar OF the Soviets in
the Far East, and was carried
through with the support OF the
Communist Bolshevik party The
new government was 20 consist Of
the five members Of the present
provisional government (sOcial rev.
OlutiOnaries or moderate liberals) f,
and two delegates from each prov
inCe 10 be elected by their respec,
tive constituent assemblies.
The conference was still in ses-
sion. having completed most Of its
work, when the Russian staff re-
ceived news from Vladivostok that
firing had begun there and that the
Japanese were taking control OF the
town. The japanese staff, accusing
the Russians OF having fired on
some of their sentinels in Nladivos-
tOk had issued telegraphic orders TO
all Japanese attachments I'm the
Maritime province to disarm the
Russian forces in their vicinity.
BY the next mornisg the Japan
csc garrisons in Vladivostok. Raj
dolnoye. Nikolsk. SpasskOe and
HabarOvsk (extending about 400
miles north from Viadivostok along
the Ussuri railroad) We're in the
possession OF their respective towns.
No Resistance offered.
The Russian forces. commonly
known as Partisans having received
orders from the provisional govern
ment not TO let themselves be drawn
into hostilities. offered no resistance.
and either surrendered. or. OppOr-
tunity permitting, withdrew TO the
hills Nikolsk, however. was the
headquarters OF "A Russian army
corps. in process OF formation, so
that its garrison numbered between
5000 and 10, 900 men. The corps
commander. Andreyeff. young
Russian officer. fought a delaying
action with his best troops but the
Japanese pushed their attack with
great rapidity and captured 1900
OF the Russians. Andreyeff escaped
with the rest Of his forces to the
hills where his ranks were after
ward swelled by other fugitives.
The Japanese forces engaged
numbered 9. 200 or 1000 men under
the command Of Mai Gen. Odagiri.
IN the course of the fighting the
Russian commander stationed a
battalion of 500 men with two field
pieces and machine-guns on a large
hill overlooking the city. the key
90 the situation. company OF