The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-04-02
The Mutiny Of the 31Oth United
States Infantry at Archangel

Why, them don't they let you go home?
Sweet Home" is waiting for you. Those
whom you love are waiting for you. Your
gray, old dear mothers waiting for you.
Are they waiting in vain?
Your mother is asking every newcomer
from the front: where is my bOy?" Dent
know! Somewhere in the steppes of Siberia"
What are you doing here, Somewhere in
Russia?" What do they want you here for?
The war is over because there is nothing
left to fight for, and nothing to fight against.
They have been telling you that this was a
war against German autocracy, against Ger
man imperialism, against kaiseriSm. But now
there is no more kaiserism, there is no more
autocracy. The German workers have risen
In revolt-and they have themselves defeated
kaiserism. Observation-Disclosures the help Of
British and American troops.
Is it true that you were fighting for free
dom and democracy? If this was true you
would have been sent home when the German
revolution broke out But instead of home they
sent you TO the steppes of Russia. Why?
Because this is not a war for Freedom.
This is not a war for democracy, but against
democracy.
Do you know that Russia is the freest and
most democratic country in the world? Do
you know that all the wealth in Russia now
alists, but to the vast majority of the people,
the workers and poor peasants? Do you know
that the land, the Mines the shops, the fac
tories Of Russia are now owned by the people
and operated for the benefit of the people.
Do you know that the present government of
RuSsia-the government of the Soviets (coun-
ellis of workmen's and peasants deputies) is the
only real democratic government in the world?
OF course you don't know this. Because
your masters are afraid to tell you the truth
about revolutionary Russia. They are telling
you lies about the atrocities of the Bolsheviks.
Don't believe them! There Is no disruption,
no disorder, no anarchy In Russia. Revolution
airy Russia is, indeed, as one of your American
journalists has said the paradise of the work
ers and the poor.
We don't want war. We want peace with
you American and British fellow workers. Don't
you want peace with US? Don't you want to
go home?...
Demand to go home. Hold meetings In
your regiments, form soldiers councils and
force your demands on your governments and
your officers If you are convinced in the
business of the cause of labor then come over
to our side and we viii give you hearty well
come into the ranks of those who are fighting
for the emancipation of labor.
Things moved fast after the aeroplane and
leaflet incident. The Bolsheviki fraternized with
the officers and men Of the 310th. During the
seven weeks the 310tth was in Vladivostok many
Of the soldiers and officers became staunch
friends with the revolutionists who were work
ing IN their midst small group of soldiers
held meetings with the revolutionary workers.
Plans were discussed to force the u S. govern
merit to send the 31oth home from Russia.
In Archangel
The regiment was then moved to Archangel
Here the soldiers met more of their Bolshevik
friends. More meetings were held. More soldiers
we're drawn into the meetings. After three and
half months it was calculated that over IS
per cent of the officers and men in the regi-
ment would back up the demands to be sent
back to the states.
A general meeting was called by rank and
file committee of soldiers and officers to dis
cuss the demands and grievances of the regi-
ment. The meeting was held in church in a
village near the garrison. All those who spoke
spoke against the intervention and demanded
that the 31oth should be returned home the
same as the rest of the soldiers who served in
France
The meeting lasted eight and half hours.
The soldiers voted unanimously not to fight the
Russians and demanded to be returned at once
to the United States. 1t was also decided that
all information coming from Wrangel, the Rus
sian white guard general should be relayed to
the Red forces in the vicinity of Archangel
310th Refuses to Fight
In the meantime the American general head
quarters was working out plans to attack sec
ton of the Red forces which numbered around
5000 The attack, however, never developed
The 310th U. S. Infantry refused to fight Not
one shot was fired by the 31oth at their Russian
brothers. The 310th mutinied lin face of the
workers revolution.
This was very serious military offense But
Mr.. woodrow Wilson and General Graves (who
conveniently overlooked the mutiny in his book
on Sioeria) could not shoot the whole regiment
They placed the regiment under open arrest.
however, but the soldiers kept their arms.
The 310th Infantry was recalled at once They
arrived at the Hoboken docks February IA, 1920,
and were transferred to the detention camp at
Tenafly, N. j.
Mr., Wilson and his banker friends thought
it would be good policy to put the soft peddle
on the mutiny. 1t would be dangerous, they
thought to deal harshly with these 450o soldiers
even though they had committed one OF the
highest military offenses against the capitalist
system So they discharged the soldiers and
quietly gave them 50 a day extra pay for each
day they spent in Siberia The news was kept
out Of the press and the soldiers went home.
Although the soldiers at the time did not I'M
derstand the political significance of their ac-
ton in Siberia, the mutiny of the 310th Infan-
try will go down in history as an important
contribution OF the American workngclass to
the victorious Russian Revolution.