Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-05
GRAVES DESCRIBES
SIBERIAN DISPUTE
Generals Book Accuses Jap
anese of Interior Designs
on Territory.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, October 5.-The futile
attempt of allied government to start
a new western frcnt in the World War
by building up an anti-revolntionary
government in Siberia is set forth in a
volume to be published here today over
the signature of Maj. Gen. William S.
Graves, U. S. A, retired.
Gen. Graves commanded the Amer
lean troops sent to Siberia in August
1918, until their evacuation in March
1920.
The book, which is called "America'S
Siberian Adventure" accuses the Japa-
nese military of having Interior designs
on the future of Eastern Siberia from
Lake Raikal to the Pacific. 1t also &C
cuses the British of expecting prefer
entail treatment" from any independ-
ent government that might be eStab-
Nshed there,
Charges Split on Policy.
1t pictures representatives Of the
American State Department as pur-
sling a course at odds with the in
structicnS of President Wilson as given
to Gen. Graves by Newton D. Baker
the Secretary of War, and charges this
policy involved the United States in
what amounted to practical interior
ence with the internal affairs of Russia
Il doubt if history will record, in the
past century, a more fragrant case OF
f1outing the well known and approved
practice of states in their international
relations and using instead of accepted
principles of international law, the
principle that might makes right" says
Gen. Graves in his conclusion.
In a foreword, eX-Secretary Baker
upholdS the record of Gen. Graves and
his troops right down to the time OF
Withdrawal That withdrawal, the for
mer cabinet officer testiies, was con-
Quoted in such a manner as to make
impossible territorial conquests and
acquisitions on Russian soil by other
nations whose interests in the Far East
might easily have induced them to take
over for pacification, and ultimately
for permanent colonial administration
vast areas of RuSSia'S Far East"
Cites Wilson Orders.
Starting with a verbatim copy OF
President Wilson'S Aide Memoir" which
Gen. Graves received from Secretary
Baker personally, the retired COM
mander proceeds to show that the an
nounced purpose of the eXpedition-to
aid the CzechoSlovak soldiers who had
gone to Siberia after the collapse OF
the old western front-was based on a
false premise.
He quotes at length reports from
Col. George H. Emerson, then in ST.
IBERIA as first assistant to John F.
Stevens, head of the American Rail-
way Commission. to show that two
months before the expedition was dis
patched the Czechs were trying for q
coup d'etat that would overthrow thc
revolutionary regime in Siberia anc
establish government dominated BY
white Russians" and were never ir'
danger from the newly established loca
Soviets.
Gen. Graves denounces the subse.
quent white Russian" government
under Admiral Kolchak, which he says
was largely under the influence of the
British commander, Gen. Knox, and
officered by former Czarists who were
puppets" of the japanese.
The British and French were con-
stantly trying to have me- relieved
from command, and the reason was
that I followed the orders I had re-
Ceived from the United States Gov
eminent, rather than the desires OF
Gen. Knox he states.