Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1920-10-21
REDS c Gu March
LIKE P|CNICKERS
Make No Effort to Preserve For.
nation and Take Rest
at Will.
HAVE VERY LITTLE ARTILLERY
Sergeant William Cook OF oxiahema
Tells Of His observations--raken
Captive by BoIshevists When
They Entered Minsk.

s'~y @VtVSSN ""'S~s
Warsaw,--Snrsean william Cook
Of Fay. Okla, a member of the Ameri-
can typhus expedition, who was cap
tured by the Russian bolsheviki when
they entered Minsk. has arrived here.
having been released by soviet author
tiles. Following his release he went
to wilma and thence to Riga. where
he Joined a Red Cross courier COM
ing to Warsaw.
The soviet army has plenty of SOL
d.ers. rifles. machine guns and am
munition, Cook says. hut he did not
see any artillery except six cannon
captured from the Poles. The bol-
shevIki. however. had no shells for
these guns. He saw many American
automobiles and motorcycles being
used by the soviet soldiers and re-
marked that the bolshevlki are fairly
we'll fed, having lived off the country
they have taken from the Poles. Lit
tie discipline prevails in the bolshevik
army. he declares, and, although
there is no saluting. officers are re.
spected by the men.
Like q Picnic.
While on the march the bolsheviki
reminded Cook of q crowd Of Ameri-
can farmer boys going to picnic. as
they made no effort to preserve fOrma-
tions and struggled along the roads
In little groups. Some would be on
one side OF the highway and some Oh
the other. while others would be seen
scattered through the fields. When
ever they desired. gDups would sit
down to rest. One day Cook counted
eleven airplanes flying toward the
front and was told by soviet soldiers
that the machines were being assem-
bled for the drive against Warsaw.
Cook. who fought In the American
ranks at Cantigny during the early
summer campaign of 1918 and partici-
pated In the Marne-Aisne offensive
and also In the battle of the Argonne.
was captured when he remained with
the anti-tvphus train at Mlnsk In the
hope Of being able to bring 1t out of
the city before the bolshevIki arrived
Lieut.. Arthur Fox of Philadelphia was
IN command Of the train. and 1t was
found II cOnld not he moved out of
M'nsk because of the congestion on
the railroad caused by the retirement
Of Poles. Cook was taken for Polish
soldier ny the bolsheviki. who stripped
him of everything except his under
wear and then naraded him through
the streets of MInsk When 1t became
known he was an American soldiers
of the soviet army came for miles to
see him. as he was regarded by them
MS freak.
Lectured on Bolshevisn.
A bolshevik officer at first ignored
Cooks plea that he was non COM
blatant relief worker. hut he was later
Identified as an American by the
Minsk representative Of the American
joint distribution committee. Two
weeks after his capture Cook was
taken before the compissar. who re.
lated the good points Of the soviet form
Of government before releasing him.
Cook remained In Mnsk for a week
before he could secure papers which
would give him authority to travel
During that time the bOlsheviki began
closing stores In Minsk. taking them
over for the government. While In
that city Cook lived on black bread
and tea.
Coot served twenty years in the
United States army, enlisting from
UnianviIe Mo. His father now lives
In Fay. Okla.
While in Minsk Cook met Louis
Jennings. an American lumber dealer,
who Went TO MinSk six years ago.
Jennings. who Is still an American
citizen. did not leave when the boil
sheviki threatened the city because
Mrs. Jennings was visiting In a near
by town and had not returned home.