Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-10
.WARSH|PS WILL NOT
return u. S. DEAD
American Soldiers Who Fell
In Russia to Be Brought
Home on Liner.
By WILLIAM RUFUS SCOTT.

Selection of an American liner to
who fell in the fighting in Russia at
the close of the World War will be an
nounced shortly. The idea of sending
q warship for the bodies has been
abandoned, according to information
today.
I The collins, under escort of members
of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, are
to leave Leningrad in day or so for
Havre, France, where the American
vessel will take them on board for re-
shipment to New York City. The Army
and Navy and veterans organizations
VIII pay the highest honors to the dead
at that port and en- route to Detroit,
where final interment will take place.
The men were from Michigan.
A favorable impression has been
created in official and congressional
circles by the tactful cooperation of
the Soviet government in the task of
finding the bodies buried in the vicinity
of Archangel in the extreme northern
part of the Soviet Union. This CO.
operation has extended along the route
of the funeral train in Russia, where
the Red soldiers and the civilian popu-
lation have stood at attention.
Favorable Reaction Here.
It also has been noted that the Soviet
press has treated the incident with deli
cacy, and in view of the great bitter
ness felt in Russia because of the fight
ing with American and allied troops at
Archangel and in Siberia, Immediately
after the war this new attitude of the
Russians has caused further favorable
reactions in washington.
Not having official relations with the
Soviet Union the Government OF the
United States has not been directly In
volved in the work of recovering the
bodies. Congress, however, voted funds
for the task and the veterans carried 1t
through to a larger success than was
anticipated. Ten years have passed
since the men fell in Russia. Soviet
authorities, according to members Of
the American party, gave every assist
ance in all stages of the exploration OF
the bleak country.
Michigan men were sent on the Rus
sian expedition in 1918 because they
were considered hardened to cold
weather. 1t often was 80 degrees be-
low zero, and lower, at Archangel dur
ing the time the American and allied
troops held the town. The original aim
of the United States in the expedition
was to safeguard this Arctic port where
the allies had concentrated supplies be-
fore Russia dropped out of the war and
to keep open way for Americans and
other foreigners in Russia to escape.
Adventure Ended in 1920.
From this policy fighting developed
with the Red troops, and after the
Americans withdrew the other allies re-
manned for some months. The United
States in 1920 ended its participation in
the Russian adventure by withdrawing
troops from Siberia, too. The Red
troops finally expelled all foreign troops,
conquered all white" domestic enemies
and have since dominated Russia.
Since not only the port of Archangel,
above the Arctic Circle, and the port of
Leningrad, freeze up, the one about the
middle of this month and the other
about December l, the bodies had to be
evacuated at this time. The Soviet
manages to keep Leningrad open by the
use of ice breakers for most of the Win
ter now. The plan of shipping the
bodies by train across Europe to France
has been under consideration.
BODIES START LONG TRIP.