The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-01-09
RED CROSS PRAISES
MAJOR JOHNSON
Officer Highly Commended
for Operations Around
Vladivostok.

WASHINGTON, Jan. a. graphic
account Of the part played by Maj. Sam
uel l. johnson. Of Honolulu. assistant
commandment Of the allied forces ia
Vladivostok during the revolutionary
fighting in that city on Nov, II and Is,
has been received by the Red Cross
headquarters here. The Red Cross re-
port says that Maj. Johnson has been
recommended 70 the an-Eusslan gov
eminent for decoration with the Off
GERS cross Of ST. George for the serV-
ices he rendered to the people Of Vladi-
yostok during the fighting.
As recommendation Is considered
the equivalent to bestowal. this makes
the sixth award received by Mai. john
son 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.
Coy nj. NJ. Eyersman, of Primorsky
province, in letter to Maj. Gen. w. s.
Graves, commanding the American
forces in Siberia. said;
Il can not leave unmentioned the
fact that Maj. johnson, having SPLEEN
didly fulfilled 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 Zoe and from there brought
to safety officers, their families and
civilians"
Maj. Graves, son of Gen. Graves, was
another officer, according to the Red
Cross account, who, with utter fearless
ness, walked into the danger zone to
aid women and children exposed TO fire.
Maj. johnson has paid tribute to the
part also played by the international
military police, whom he commanded.
II want these men to get the recog-
milton due Them" he said They rem
dered the greatest assistance, showed
absolute steadiness and GOODNESS, and
ran the same risks" The Red Cross
account says that the international
military police and allied detaChments
held control of Vladivostok, enforcing
the policy of neutrality adopted by the
allies and that, Ilanks to this, Vladivos-
tok was unswept by the 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 Mai Johnson
and his meG were Gen. Romanovsky 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 noncomba-
tant. Soldiers of both sides fired upon
the train. It was utter dark and a
storming, showing November morning
when Mai johnson found the car and
escorted the family to safety.
"Some of those he rescued that night
were found in the railway station,
where the most sangulnary fighting took
place. They had sought refuge In cell
lars, or secluded little offices, and
crouched in the darkness, afraid to
move, afraid to whisper In most cases
when the rescue party arrived 1t took
repeated calls and reassurances to locate
the frightened, suspicious men and
women.
1.-THE first rescue trip was made about
10 o'clock on the night of Nov II and
the last at 4:So on the morning OF
Mai. Johnson's command of Russian
for he is a Russian born. was biz
asset in this emergency work at the
railway station, as IL has been through
out his service in Siberia,
Gen. Romanovsky expressed to The
Red Cross representative grateful an.
probation for what Maj. Johnson did
go into that hell of fire, find our trair
and bring us out he said, but thi!
| man did it,
"TIe even saved the cat. Getting thu
party out Of the train, Maj. johnson
heard the howl Of the lonely, mortallv
| frightened cat, somewhere in the darl
car lit only by the lurid flashes Of guns
and the reflection OF burning buildings
zone Of the women asked to take thu
cat and the rescue party halted there
in the shattered train, found the ca
hiding in a mass of broken berths ant
took her to safety with the family"