Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-06-06
A BUFFER STATE:
/. FOR PROTECTION
SIDE RIA s AIM
Separation of Japan From
BolSheviki Is Planned; Cor
respondent Describes the
vIadivoStok Fighting.


lsY MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED wtRsl
Nikolsk, Siberia, June 5.-The
Russian provisional government Of
eastern Siberia was about to set up
a government which would be in
the nature of a buffer state be-
| tween Japan and the bolshevik
government of Russia and western
Siberia, when the Japanese forces
seized control Nladivostok and
all the chief centers of the mari
time province in April. ut has
since been announced that the
Japanese were establishing a buff
fer state in part of the same terri
tory).
The japanese coup was accom-
plished by rather heavy fighting
at Nikolsk where the Russians re-
sisted and hel the Japanese at bay
while the majority of the Russian
forces withdrew. The Russian loss
es at this place are estimated AZ
200 killed and 200 wounded; the
japanese at az killed, 81 wounded.
Two days before the japanese
sprung their surprise the provin-
Cial constituent assembly, sitting
at Nikolsk, had voted to establish
a separate government including
all Siberia east of the Selenga riv-
er, which flows through Verkhne-
Udinsk into Lake Baikal-a gov
eminent over which the Moscow
soviet would have no authority eX-
cept in a purely advisory capacity
The step was taken at the instl-
cation or TilensN, special
diplomatic commissar of the So
viets in the far east, and was car
ried through with the support OF
the communist bolsheVik party
The new government was to consist
of the five members of the present
provisional delegates from each
province to be elected by their re-
spective constituent assemblies.
The conference was still in ses-
sion, having completed most OF Its
work, when the Russian staff re-
ceived news from Nladivostok 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
| VIadivostok had issued telegraphlc
orders to all japanese detachments
| in the maritime province to dis-
arm the Russian forces in their VI
entity.
By the next morning the Jap
anese garrisons in VladiVostok'
RazdoInoyc. Nikolsk, Spasskoe,
and Habarovsk extending about
400 miles north from VladivostoK
along the Ussuri railroad) were in
the possession of their respective
towns.
The Russian forces, commonly
known as partisans, having re-
ceived orders from the provisional
government not to let themselves
he drawn into hostilities, offered
no resistance, and either Surren-
dered, or, opportunity permitting
withdrew to the hllls, NlNolsh,
however, was the headquarters OF
a Russian army corps. IN process
of formation, so that It's Sarflso"
numbered between 5000 and w.
600 men. The corps commander
Andreyeff, a young Russian orr
Ger. fought a delaying action win
his best troops but the japanese
pushed their attack with great ra-
piditv and captured 1000 of the
Russians. Andreyetf escaped WIN
q, the rest of his forces to the mus
where his ranks were Afterwards
! svelled by other fugitiVes. the
: Japanese forces engaged numbered
600. or 1000 men under the com
mand of Major General OdagirL
In the course of the fighting inc
Russian commander stationed d
I, battalion of 500 men with tive
field pieces and machine guns o.
a large hill overlooking the city, tins
kew to the situation. a company
of japanese, 100 strong, approacheo
the Hill and the captain assured IN
Russian commander tEat ne ma"
cor1e merely to occupy the mn u'l-
der orders. but not to fight, where
1 pon the latter allowed him = lie "a
his command up the hill. The tvs
heroes were standing within twenty
Yards of each other, when suddenly
the firing commenced in town. a
i1and-to-hand melee ensued on tht
HIN in which the Japanese came OH
successful, with loss of six killed
driving the Russians from tho HIT
For two days, Japanese guard;
barred Russian Rec Cross workers
from the hill, and when they were
finally permitted to pass, they
found cighty-siX dead and NJ
wounded, excepting six who had
previously been picked up arounJ
the outskirts Many who live neal
claim they could see the wounded
being despatched.
The Japanese eoon returned the
civil power to the former city adj
ministration, but retained military
control, even disarming the militi1
temporarily. As a result, two form
or officers of Kalmikoff, the Sibe
rian Villa. armed with pistols, en-
tcred the militia bureau. seized the
secret reCords and took them with
them to the japanese staff. There