Evening star., 1920-01-17


withdraw it's troops from Siberia
where it has participated in guarding
the districts under allied control did
SO because of present conditions tnere
which make it impractfcable TO sena
reinforcements and for the addeo
reason that the purpose for whlch the
troops were sent into RUSSIA hao peeii
accomplished the State. department.
has informed the Japanese govern
ment a note replying TO q eoiiir mu,nio
alton on the subject from TOXIC
transmitted to the state Departmenl
December 8 was made publlc last
night.
.Iapan in it's communication inquired
whether the United States proposed
to maintain the status quo OF 10 pr
ceed to entire or partial Wlthdra wal
of it's troops. or whether 1t was READY
to send reinforcements in case OF
need. ,;,
In replying that under existing CIR
cumstances it was deemed aoHlsao o
to withdraw the expedltiohary ioiS
the United States asserts that reln,
forcements would be impractical anu
that to maintain the status quo
might involve the government OF the
| United States in an undertahiHs u
such indefinite character as TO De III
advisable"
American Position Stated
| Other aspects of the Siberian situa-
| ton are set forth in the American
note, which follows I..f.1
! "The government of the Cnlted
| States has given the most careful con-
sideration to the subject matter OF
! the communication from the Japahese
government which was reao 10 tie
Secretary of State by the Japahe'"
am bassador on the 9Th day OF Decem .
her and which concerns the recen
unfavor able development of the mil
| tarv situation with which Admira
| koichak.s forces have. been confront
ed. and which proposes three aitelha-
| tive courses for the allied ana asso-
ciated powers to take. r;.oa
! "The. government of the .Unlteo
states agrees that for it to send re-
enforcement of sufficient strength ana
! to act on the offensive in. co-opera-
! ton with anti bo!shevik forces Is I'LL
| practicable. u;.,a
THE government OF the oht.eu
| States believes that for it to continue
to participate in guarding the dis-
| tr;cts now under allied military pro-
| lection is also, under present con-
ditions, impra cticabie. for the reason ~
| that an agreement to seno REIN
! ments to such extent as may ne ie
| quired. with view to MAINTAIN INC
status ouo. might involve the gov
/ ernment of the United States In an
undertaking of such indefinite char
: scter as to be inadvisable. Ihe
amount of reinforcement Whicii
| might become necessary for the exc.
! cution of such an agreement mlshe
/ be so great that the government OF
| the United States would not feel JUS
| titled in carrying it out
| is. Purpose in Sending Troops.
| consideration has been given,
therefore, to the alternative present
| ed by the government of Japan OF
| entire or partial withdrawal 1t VIII
! be recalled that the purpose OF the
! expedition. as originally conceived oy
! the United States and expressed IN
an aide memoire handed to the 1apa-
inese ambassador at Washington. July
In, 1918. were. first. to help the
Czechoslovak troops, which had dur-
/ ing their retirement along tie Sfbe-
/ rian railway. been attacked by the
! bolsheviki and enemy prisoners 2I
| forces and effect their repatriation
! by way of Vladivostok, and second,
| to steady any effort at self-govern-
ment or self-defense in which the
| Russians themselves might be Will
ling to accept assistance. -
| Not only are the CzeehoSloVak
| troops now successfully advancing
Into eastern Siberia, but an agree
ment has been effected between the
governments of Great Britain and the
limited States providing for their re-
patriation from Vladivostok. Amerl-
can vessels will begin to arrive at
that port by February !. and con-
| tingent of more than 10000 Czecho-
sloyak troops can be Immediately en-
bark 1t is expected that evacua-
ttion viii proceed rapidly thereafter.
Land from that date the first purpose
| for which American soldiers were
fsent to Siberia may be regarded as
!, accomplished. ...+ o, ~ AZ.
+; why Aid for Russia Is stopped.
with respect to the second pur-
pose, namely. the steadying OF ef-
/ forts at self-government or self-de-
Tense on the part of the Russians, the
government of the United States is
impressed with the political instabil-
iity and grave uncertainties of the
present situation in eastern Siberia,
as described in the aide memolre
ipresented by the japanese ambassa-
! dor December s. and is disposed to the
view that further military effort TO
assist the Russians in the struggte 70 70
| ward self-governmert may, In the
present situation. lead to complies
tions which would have exactly the
opposite effect, prolong1ng possibly
the period of readjustment and In
( volving Japan and the United states
; in ineffective and needless sacrif1ces
1t is felt accordingly to be unlikely
/ that the second purpose for when
American troops were sent.t to Siberia
| will be longer served by their pres
ence there.
I'm view, then, of the fact that the
| main purpose. for. which American
troops were sent to Siberia is now at
an end, and ofsthe eFconsiderations SET
forth in the communication OF the
/; Japanese government OF fsDecetnper 9,
! which SUBSEQUENT events in eastern
Siberia have strengthened: the Ee~-
| ernment of the United States has. de-
! cided to begin at once earrangements
! for the concentration of the American
| forces at VladivoStok, with view to
their embarkation and departure i'm
mediately after the leaving OF the
first important contingent of Czecho-
slovak troops;,, that is to say, about
| February l.
Careful consideration has also been
| given to the possibility of continu-
ling, after the departure of the Ameri-
can troops, the assistance OF Amerl-
| can railway experts in the operation
of the TranSsiberian and Chinese
Eastern railways. twill be recalled
| that it is expressly stipulated in the
plan for the supervision OF these rail-
! ways, which was submitted by the
.Japanese ambassador at Washington
ment should cease upon the with
drawal of the foreign military forces
| from Siberia and that all foreign rail-
[ way experts appointed under the ar
! rangement should then be recalled
forthwith. The experience Of recent
months in the operation of the rail-
ways under conditions of unstable
civil authority and frequent local
military interference furnishes a
strong reason for. abiding by the
terms of the original agreement. Ar
rangements will be made accordingly
| for the withdrawal of the American
| railway experts under the same Coh-
Editions and simultaneously with the
departure of the American military
forces. 't
American Regrets Expresned. !