New Britain herald., 1921-08-11
CRANE COMPLETES
 RUSSIAN JOURNEY
American Has Thrilling Experi.
 ences in Vast Empire

Riga, Aug II. - (By Associated Press)--Charlei R. Crane, former U s. minister to China, arrived here last night from Reval, after completing 1000 mile journey from Peking. which took him across Siberia and soviet Russia. MT. Crane, who was accompanied by four Americans and a Chinese cook refused to discuss the Russian situation until he had an op- portunity to confer with Captain Evan D. Young, representative of the American State department here and Walter l.. Brown, European director of the American relief administra- ton. Those who accompanied MT. Crane on his journey rom the Far East, were his son, John O. Crane, Donald Brodie, MT. Cranes secretary;
 Morgan Palmer of Plattsburg, N. r. long in the service of the Chinese rail-
 ways; Paul M. Duko, formerly in the
 United States consular service at liar
 bin and Lii Shi-Chin5, a smiling Chin CSC.
 Tells Story of Trip. MT. Crane told the story of his trip to a crowd of American reporters waiting at the station to greet him The party left the Chinese capital on June 16 and from that time until August 6, when it 1ert Petrograd for Reval, it travelled under a special per init from Nikolia Lenine, Bolshevik premier. The Americans had an op- portunity fully to observe the comedy | and tragedy of the everyday life of l the Russian people. and were given a greater chance to inspect conditions
 than has been granted any Americans
 since the outbreak os 'fhe Russian
 revolution in 1917.
 i MT. Crane filled a car with pack :! ages of pins, needles. tooth brushes, l soap and other merchandise, which I he planned to use in paying his way 1 in lieu of money. His stock. however ] dwindled to few cases at Chita, the capital of the Far Eastern republic
 Mr. Crane believed he would not be ! allowed to proceed through Siberia and gave most of his supplies away | He had in fact, tur>.ed back toward Peking but was overtaken on his re- turn journey by message giving him permission to cross Siberia and Rus l sia.
 Leave For Moscow. The Americans once more turned
 
 | left Chita for Moscow on July ?. ar They stopped at Irktusk, Novo Nix olaivsk, Ekaterinbu-g and other prominent towns in Siberia. During the journey, MT. Crane spent about 1OO,OOO,O0o soviet rubles or about $3OoO, besides giving away | the remainder of his stock of small merchandise.
 Many Wounded Men. i As the train would halt here and l there along the Trans Siberian rail- | way. the Americans would get out o1 their special sleeping car to play 1 baseball or swim in nearby streams
 Before their train had left the FaI
 Eastern republic, it ~-as attached to
 a hospital train carrying soldiers who had been wounded in fighting against l the force commanded by Gen. Baron l Michael Ungern- -Sternberg. leader ot 1 anti Bolshevik troops there. The wounded men declared that the anti l Bolsheviki had been badly beaten When the train reached Moscow, the
 Americans did not leave their car for l a hotel and during the eight days l they stayed at the soviet capital had
 no trouble in getting good food. Two days were spent in Petrograd by MT Crane and his companions.
 MT. Crane is the guest of Ernest C. l C. Wilton, the British minister to Let
 via, during his sojourn here. They are old friends having been formerly colleagues at Peking. Later MT Crane will go to Berlin. and thence l to Prague. where he will visit his son l Richard Crane, American minister to Czecho -S1ovakia-
 l N
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