The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-04-02
Rr HARRY RAYMOND

~"A~~A
were going home and at once there was great
iubilation among the ranks
The soldiers busted themselves putting their
gear in order, cleaning their mess kits and
Strengthening out their packs. Everybody wash
ed and shaved and went cootie hunting. Every
body was happy. For they were going home,
back to America.
little corporal in Company was talking
% a group in the corner of the barracks
"No more war for me-" he said, as he sw-
ung his feet over the edge of the bunk and
stood up. 1--WE been in it from the beginning.
Enlisted in the Jewish Legion of the Canadian
Army to protect Palestine, transferred Into
the American army with the rest Of the Yanks
In 1917 Believe me, four and half years OF
hell and murder is more than enough fOE
me. I'll never fight another war"
The rockies listened to the corporal with an
air Of appreciation. For the corporal was an
old timer, and the new recruits and draftees
always stood in awe when veterans Of many
battles spoke. These veterans were wells OF
wisdom for the new soldiers.
And there were many old timers in the 31oth
The regiment was composed Of $500 men and
officers and most q them were American Jews
who fought with the Canadian Jewish Legion
and were later transferred to the u S. forces
They fought on the Marine at ST. Milliel and
wove their way through the Argonne Forest I'M
der shrieking avalanches of steel and over dead
and wounded bodies with arms and legs and
heads torn off
Yes, they all had enough Of the war and were
glad they were going home.
Mr.. Wilson Has Other Plans
But Mr. woodrow Wilson who was then act
ing as dictator for the Wall Street bankers and
the owners of big industries, had other plans
for the 31Oth Infantry.
The workers and peasants in Russia under
the leadership of Lenin and the Bolshevik Party
had kicked out the czar and Kerensky and had
set up their own government, the Union Of So
cielist Soviet Republics Mr.. Wilson said that
this new budding Socialist state must be crush
ed. So America, along with British imperial
ism, French imperialism and Japanese imperial
ism declared war (unoffcialy, of course)
AGAINST the Soviet Union.
The war to end all wars and to make the
world safe for democracy was ended. A new war
to make Russia safe for the and Mr.. Ke-
rerszv and the bankers and industriansts and
unsafe for the workers was started.
On the morning Of November % the soldiers
of the 31Oth Infantry were awakened from their
-'aep at three o'clock. They were herded aboard
a transport in the harbor at Brest and sailed
at $50 the same morning Joy and laughter
still perneated the ranks of the soldiers, for
were they not on the last leg Of their journey
home?
Off To Siberia
But soon the troops were disillusioned Word
was passed around that the government had
changed its mind. The 310th was not going
home to America 1t was on its way to Vladi-
vostok, Siberia!
why to siberia?" This question arose in the
minds of every soldier in the regiment What
have we done to be sent up to that cold coun-
try?" they asked one another
We Thought the war vyas over Who in hell
are we going to fight anyhow" grunbled tall
lean youth from Detroit.
They soon learned who they we're to fight.
They were being sent to fight the BolsheviA,
to protect American lives and property" IN
Russia. It was the old story all over again
about American lives and property. The soldiers
didn't like the idea. They wanted to go home
In VladivoStok
The ship carrying the 31Oth landed in Vladi-
vostok January 4, 1919. The men were tired
and cramped from their long voyage in close
quarters Their legs and backs ached They
were disguised with the way the government
had treated them and they talked more and
more about going home.
In the sub-zero weather the soldiers were put
to work unloading guns and ammunition. There
was much grunbling much cursing about the
cold and the aching backs and bones But still
they continued to unload the heavy crates the
field kitchens, the machine guns. The unload
ing, spurred by the cold, was completed in rec
ord time. In two hours the regiment was on
It's way to camp Is miles distant.
A Barrage of Leaflets
After IS minutes marching aeroplanes were
sighted high up in the clear sky. There were
about four or five planes circing above the
marching troops. The officers, acting on in
formation given them by white guard officer
accompanying them, shouted to the soldiers that
enemy planes were overhead. Orders were given
to mount all guns.
The line of march broken. Soldiers scat
tered along the road, some looking for cover
others preparing to shoot. Terror was in every
heart, for the men remembered the bombing
raids in France.
They waited But no bombs fell Not a shot
was fired from the planes Hardly man moved
It seemed that they had waited hours
Finally thousands of white specks were seen
floating in the air The Red aviators were
bombing the American soldiers with leaflets
The 310th Infantry was to learn for the first
time the truth about the American interven-
ton into Siberia.
Naturally the soldiers scrambled for the lea
flets they reached the ground They were
printed in English and as the soldiers began
20 read them the officers ordered that they be
.@lrown away. Most Of the men, however, put
the leaflets in their pockets and read and dis
cussed them before they went to sleep in the
camp that night
The leaflet said
To the American and British Soldiers: