Evening star., 1924-08-10
BOMBS COMMON AS POTATOES
INFAR EAST, C.. u. STUDENT SAYS
Emil Kekich, Graduate
In Foreign Service, =,
Works for u. S.
Travelled $4,000 Miles.
Finds Employment Is
Highly AttrdctiUe..

Travelling $4,000 miles on Uncle Sans
business through Soviet Russia, Siberia
and China, and where bombs were as
common as potatoes. and considered
more of a staple commodity" is the ex-
perienca of Emil Kekich, secretary to
the United States trade commissioner at
Riga, Latvia, since his graduation from
the Georgetown University School of
Foreign Service in June, 1921.
During the last two years and a half
Mr. Kekich has met, in the course of
his duties, rulers of countries. ENJOYS,
generals, usurpers, Indicators and ad-
venturers, all of whom, he writes, con-
vince him more than ever that 'the best
possible position a man can occupy in
the present world is that of being
plain American citizen" A closeup
study of Old World conditions, Mr.. Ke-
kich declares. shows it to be increasing
ly evident that 1.-The greatest national
power materially and spiritually in the
world today is the good old U. S. A.
and that it's interests abroad are &C
cumuhtting day by day by the sheer
passive force of that power.
Halls From IliinoflA
Mr.. Kekfch, who halls from Aeeop.
Ill, won a knights of Columbus SChciaI~
ship at the Georgetown Foreign Service
School and prepared for the United
States commercial service at that lnstl-
tuition. Several months after gradua-
ton he received an appointment IN the
foreign service of the Department OF
Commerce. But allow Mr.. kekich to de-
scribe his adventures of the last two
and a half years, as he does in the fol-
Lowing letter to Thomas H Healy, as
sistxnt dean of the school:
--t,ne memorable day in November,
1921, windy, cold. depressing" MI
KeRich writes, 'I found myself
lahded at Vladivostok, formerly the
great Russian naval base of the Pa
bilities and thriving, turned INTO
shambles and wreck of war. At that
time the city was a hotbed of revo-
luton and political intrigue and
guarded by the Japanese army OF oc-
cupation. 1t was the stronghold OF
the last shattered remnants of the
great army of whites who had been
making history in the interior OF
Siberia since the time of kolchak.
Beggars, refugees, ragged soldiers,
misery were everywhere.
Witness to Shooting.
Things hardly frightened up in
the course of ensuing days. One of
my first experiences was to witness
the horror of the shooting of brave
young white officer by several reds,
every one of whom he killed, how
ever, before expiring himself. The
next thing was to see several bomb
ing parties in the streets, and to be-
come Injured to the necessity or
never being without a Colt Bombs
were as common as potatoes, and
considered more of a staple commod
ity. Marauding was carried on whole
sale because of the inability of the
government to enforce order. After
several months of life in vladivoStok,
if one can call continual dread of
impending events life" in which L
saw several revolutions and over
turns, several times expecting to be
an innocent victim along with others,
l naturally came to the conclusion
have been reluctant to come to any
other conclusion since leaving the
Siberian metropolis and travelling and
observing in many lands. Though
improving, the world seems to be still
in turmoil, and it is partly this fact
which imparts the zest to work and
the tinge of romance in life in the
foreign service of our great country
at the present time.
Meets His Fate.
MY chief, Trade Commissioner c. ].
Mayer, and l sojourned to Chita,
Siberia, ana ,ldIer TO ftaTDln, Man
churia, where L Unexpectedly but
overw helmingly met my fate. This
fate was not unkind. as we have been
living happily ever since. 1 was
subsequently. sent to Peking, Shang-
hal, and, finally. Riga, travelling in
all close to $4,000 miles in two years
and half.
During this time we met in the
course of our duties rulers of coun-
tries, enveys, princes. peasants, gem
erals, soldiers, usurpers, Indicators
and adventurers, retaining more than
ever the genuine feeling that the best
possible position a man can occupy
in the present world is that of being
a plain American citizen. During this
time it became increasingly evident
that the greatest national power ma
terially and spiritually in the world
today is the good old United States
Of America; that it's interests abroad
are accommodating day by day by the
sheer massive force Of that power.
American ideals, Notwithstanding old
prejudices and traditions, seemed TO
be really making an impress on world
affairs Our foreign commercial IN
tercourse apparently indicated con-