davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-02-16

BY NEA Service
When news comes from Finland
of battles above the Arctic Circle
at so below, there are several thou
sand Americans who know all about
that-veterans Of an unfinished
war"
They are veterans Of the Amer
lean evolutionary force which ar
rived at Archangel in September,
1918. There were $500 Of them
then, mostly Wisconsin and Mich
igan boys.
This strange adventure is little
known. But the Americans who
were there, fighting near the same
territory where Russian and Finn
now clash, are not likely to forget
1t. They had joined the army to
fight Germans in France. They
wound up fighting Russians In
Arctic Siberia. Many Of them have
never found out why.
For 10 months, through the
whole Of the winter Of 1918-l9l9,
these American boys huddled in
huts, marched over the frozen
tundra, fought and died In the dim
violet light Of Arctic winter.
REASONS FOR ARCTIC
CAMPAIGN ARE OBSCURE
For what? It Is hard today to
understand the causes behind the
adventure.
In the early spring Of 1918 1t
looked bad for the allies. The
Germans were advancing In
France, partly because Russia had
dropped out Of the war, releasing
German divisions for the western
front. Nobody knew what was go
ing on In Russia, but 1t was wide
ly believed that amid internal chaos
the Germans were getting control
Of the whole country.
1t was feared that they would
seize Murmansk and Archangel on
the Arctic Sea, and use them as
submarine bases. From those
ports railroads run southwark to
Petrograd and to the main line OF
the Trans-Siberian Railway. II
was even feared that they would
be able to recruit Russians In vast
masses for the German army.
The British, at Trotsky's invita-
ton, sent a small force to Muir.
mansk to hold 1t against possible
German seizure. BY creating @
front" In north Russia, 1t was
also hoped to prevent any Russian
help for Germany. r...
The allies kept Fostering the
United States to send men to help
Pershing was dubious Of 1t; Baker
didn't like 1t, but the British sold
the idea to President Wilson.
VANS TOWN
STILL IS TERRIBLE
So In September the 339th In
fantry, battalion Of engineers, a
field hospital unit and an ambul-
ance company under Lieut.. Col
George e. Stewart piled of British
transports at Archangel. That
town had been founded by Ivan
the Terrible, and to the American
boys 1t still looked terrible.
They were installed In ratty old
barracks abandoned by the Boil
sheviks, and turned over to Brig,
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-02-16

| they were to beat Trotsky's Red
Army on the way. Altogether
there were about $4,000 men to
do 1t.
General Poole, unsuccessful. was
quickly replaced by Gen. William
e. Ironside, the same officer who
today commands the British army
In France.
AMERICANS, LIKE Firms,
USED RUSSIAN RIFLES
The Americans, armed with q
tricky Russian rifle, and backed by
only two batteries Of Canadian ar
tillery, found It heavy going. They
were frittereG away on little dab
bling expeditions, down the Vologda
railroad, up the Dvina river.
The bitterest winter weather
and Russian e-enforcements came
on them together. 1ronside soon
saw that advance was hopeless,
and merely tried to hold the
ground already won, some 100
miles south of Archangel. Il
The Ar1nistice came In France
on Nov. II, but as the, guns died
on the Western Front, they blazed
at Toulgas where part OF the
339th, with q few Royal Scots and
Canadian artillerymen, were re.
polling desperate attacks by the
gray-clad Red Army. A dozen
little fronts" with attachments
Of American troops stood of Red
attacks, then dug In for the winter,
building log blockhouses to re-
pulse frequent attacks.
BY spring, the Americans were
fed up with the whole thing. L
Then somebody back home re.
r1nembered. Gradually the Amer
leans were withdrawn, leaving the
British and White Russians In the
lines until that autumn, when they
also pulled out. In June the
Americans sailed for home. That
Is, all but the hundreds who were
buried In the same frozen snow
fields that now are spattered anew
with the blood Of Russian and
Finn.
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-02-16
LOCAL ELKS Hear
WORLD TRAVELLER

w. D. Hubbard was a guest speak,
er at last nights meeting Of the Wa
terbury Lodge Of Elks. Mr.. HUB
bard. who spent IA years In South
ern Rhodesia told amazing tales Of
witch doctors cures and superna-
tural occurrences among natives Of
Southern Africa.
He told Of a guilt" test In which
q person charged with q crime was
forced to place his arm In boiling
water. The belief among the ma
tives was that II the arm blistered
the person was guilty" otherwise
mot guilty..
Mr.. Hubbard also told OF amaz-
Ing predictions made by witch
doctors and Of their accuracy In q
great many cases.
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-02-16

Brothers Market on Thomaston ave.
nue.. The sale will begin at 10 a. m.
and all contributions Of food will be
greatly appreciated, and will be
called for by contracting members Of
the troop.
The girls plan to present a musi-
cal entertainment for the April
meeting Of the Parent Teacher AS
ISOLATION. The r. T. A. sponsors the
troop. It Is expected the senior Girl
Scout pins will be on hand for dis
tribution for the meeting Tuesday,
February 20. Those attending Tues
day were: Alice MacMullen, Ruth
Batchelder, Christine Hardness,
Peggy Lethbridge, Mary Ryan, Mary
Wagner Elsie Collins, and Elrnira
Cossett.
Rev. Robert Beecher Speaker
Rev. DR.. John N. Lewis, rector
Of st. Johns Episcopal Church in
waterbury, will not be able to speak
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-02-16
DerbyWiSe.

Derbywise . Interesting facts turned out for
sports consumption by the Squire of Brookeld Colonel
Frank G. Menke reveals that since 1900 the great Ken
lucky racing classic has been times by horses
holding the No. post position. Johnstown last years
winner the latest to win from No. s. Very close be.
hind this comes post position No which has sent out
the winner six times War Admiral in 1887 being the last
to run winning race there. Glancing back at great
winners though Gallant Fox in 1880 No. horse;
Cavacade in 1884 was No. Away back in 1922 Norwich
ran from stall No. and and Omar Khayam in 1917
was No. g. Then again Exterminator in 1918 was No.
and year later Sir Barton No. /. The other
extreme Clyde Van Dusen in 1929 running FROM OF all
things post position No. 20, and winning. Twenty
Grand when he the Derby course IN 20l 5 In 1881
the argument
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-02-16
LINES FROM THE SNOW STORM"

Announced by all the trumpets Of the sky,
Arrives the snow, and, driving DER the fields,
Seems nowhere to alight: the whted air
Hides hills and woods and the river and the heaven,
And wells the farmhouse at the gardens end
The sled and traveller stopped, the couriers feet
Delayed, all friends shut out the housewares sit
Around the radiant fireplace enclosed
In tumultuous privacy of storm. +.
Come, the north winds masonry.
On coop or kennel he hangs Parian wreaths;
A swan-like form invests the hidden thorn;
Fills up the farmers lane from wall to wall :.
A tapering turret overtops the work
And when the hours are numbered and the world
Is all his own, retiring, as he were not
Leaves, when the sun appears astonished Art
TO mimic In slow structures stone by stone
Built In an age, the mad winds n.ght-work
ms frolic architecture Of the snow.
Ralph Waldo Emerson. le4i
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-02-16

Waterville Feb. 16-The members
Of Grace Methodist Church Ladies'
Aid Society did not meet yesterday
at the home Of Mrs. Alvin Benson,
as previously planned, because the
heavy fall Of snow, made Transport
tation almost impossible. The pur.
pose Of the meeting was to listen TO
the fifth annual Ladies' Aid broad
cast, OF the New Haven District, en-
arlating from radio station WELL.
Rev. DR.. Lloyd F. Worley, District
Superintendent, was In charge, and
the program included several
speeches and musical numbers. The
ladies listened In their own homes,
and reported by telephone that they
were listening. Numbers Of persons
who heard the program were COM
piled, before the close Of the broad
cast, and Grace Methodist church,
has reported is listeners.
The Young Peoples Fellowship
society Of Waterville Union church
vii lhold q social tonight at the
home Of Mr.. and Mrs. Charles Akley
In Beacon Falls.
Rehearsal Tonight
The regular weekly choir rehears-
al Of Grace Methodist Church will
be held tonight at 1880 o'clock, un-
der the direction Of Charles Pro.
bert. The choir will present q canta-
ia Easter Sunday, and will rehearse
for 1t tonight, Jointly with music for
the coming Sunday.
Bingo will be played tonight In
st. Michael's Parish Hall, under the
sponsorship Of the Holy Name So
ciety. Special prizes will be awarded
and refreshments served.
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-02-16

help, and decided to chase out the
invaders. So the allied troops
had the job of advancing In the
teeth Of Arctic winter down the
railroad from Archangel some 500
miles to the Trans-Siberian rail-
road.
There It was hoped they could
join with Czech troops who were
rafting around somewhere In the
interior Of Siberia. OF course
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-02-16

Gen. r. g. Poole, commander Of
the British troops already occu-
plying the town.
About TOO special railway troops
were also sent to Murmansk the
following April, to keep open the
same southwark rail line that the
Firms have tried so desperately to
cut during the present campaign.
Meanwhile Trotsky had changed
his mind about welcoming outside
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-02-16

Heard in passing The quebec Roads Department
is almost ready to start work new highway linking
Montreal directly with the New York State borderline
The route will be about so miles long and the most direct
available. The first block Of James Russell Lowell
stamps to be sold next Tuesday at Cambridge, Mass,
will 60 to Mrs Lois Burnett Rantoul granddaughter OF
the famous American poet, author and diplomat of the
18th century Born in Cambridge in 1S19 Lowell died
there in 1891 He at various times professor at Har
vard ambassador to Span and ambassador to England
He is being honored with Scent stamp the third in the
poet series of the Famous Americans. Judge Arthur
F. Ellis presided at the session Of the Connecticut Forest
and Park Association in New Haven this past weekend
which discussed the work of marking Connecticut trails
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-02-16
-NAKAoMA.

Sponsors of Horace Heidts Tuesday evenings "POt
of Gold" program propose to make bitter, lastdtch
battle to keep their novel hour broadcast from being
forced off the ether waves. Nor will it the give
away stunt elsewhere, suggested by the National
Broadcasting Company since the U. S. Department Of
Justice entered the picture with investigation The
probe started after the Department of Justice received
complaint for an opinion as to its legality. Here's
hoping the sponsors come out on top.
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-02-16
TodsyS Answers -
URANIUM CRACKERS
Question ON Comic Page

Question ON Comic Page
/. The province OF Bessarabia
has been a source Of dispute be-
tween Russia and Rumania for
many years.
2. Rumania Is ruled by King
Carol II, who once renowned his
throne In favor Of his son, Prince
Michael.
3. Most Rumanians are members
Of the Greek Orthodox church.
4. Part Of Rumania's southern
boundary is formed by the Danube
river.
s. The capital city Of Rumania
Is Bucharest.
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-02-16
SONNET FROM THE GRAVE
Good evening.

abraham Lincoln speaks:-)
Was It for this my country split in two
And men gave up their lives upon the soil?
Is this the answer to my lifelong toll?
Then must shout this dark appeal to you:
O do not let the witches cauldron brew
But cheer democracy to halt It; foil
The men of blood whose racial hatreds boil.
Then you will live the dream That once knew
Then will settle in my softened grave
And will smile to know Of lynching's end
Thus only can we roads OF wisdom pave
When Justice will brutality transcend.
Yes I will dream again that not one slave
Is left-and know that man can be friend.
-NAKHOMA.
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-02-16

Known here. The death of the Rev. John Fox,
S. j. rector of st. Roberts Hall Seminary in POmfret,
occasioned much sorrow here in Waterbury where
Father Fox was weknown among Holy Cross alumni.
He had been head of the Jesuit institution at POmfret
since it was established several years ago. Prior to
that he was rector of Holy Cross College and for many
years was ell-knOwn instructor in Ethics and Phi
losophy at the Worcester institution Most of his teach
ing spent at Holy Cross from shortly before
the war until recent years.
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-02-16

Mr. and Mrs william s. Walcott, 3d. are visiting
Mr. Wacotts parents MIR. and Mrs. w. s. Waicott Jr.,
at DaytOna Beach, Florida. Nan Blomberg, Tina
Rose Stango and Bea Rosa took in Tobacco Road" at
the Forrest Theater in New York City last Saturday
afternoon. John CO0ty is hurrying st. Patricks
Day. Saw him Grand Street the other ayem with
green shirt and tie to match. That lad wears clothes
with the best of them.
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-02-16

Lieutenant Bill Schatzman of the Beacon Falls
barracks took in the second annual meeting Of the Inter
national Association of Police Chiefs in Harrsburgh Pa
yesterday . Ernie D'Ambros Bank Street photog-
rapher is showed in at Washington, D. c., where he
went to attend funeral Of relative early this week
Mr. and Mrs. Roberts g. Hannegan OF Cheshire are
inaw and daughter, Mr. and Mrs H. Judson Beardsley,
Jr. of Arlington, Va
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-02-16

Mr. and Mrs. Samuel r. williams left today for
Nassau where they will be joined later in the month
by their and daughter, James p. and Rachel
Rev. DIR. John G. Walker entertained the Meriden
Nature Club last evening with fOrcefu address
Australia the Land of the Golden Fleece. Nick
Zappone is being stOrmed with handshakers right and
left His wife presented him with his second yes
terday morning at st. Mary's Hospital.
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-02-16
Food Sale Tomorrow

VWUW bBBG 4U1BVEEVW.
A regular weekly meeting Of Girl
Scout Troop No. 16 took place Tues.
day evening at the home Of Mrs.
Everett Cook ON Stafford street.
Saturday, February II, at Kramer
Plans were made for O food sale
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-02-16

at the Lenten services tonight at
ST. Paul's Episcopal Church here,
because he Is undergoing treatment
at the Waterbury Hospital.
Rev. Robert Beecher, his assist
ant, will substitute. The services
will start at 8 o'clock. A children's
Lenten service was held this after
noon, featuring a story telling hour.
Mrs. James McAree Of Thomaston
avenue Is undergoing treatment at
st. Mary's hospital.
Evening star., 1940-11-22

fate would be. Like a last testament
was the letter he placed that same
afternoon in the hands Of Gen. Sir
John Dill, now chief of the imperial
staff of the British Army, in which
he described the hopeless outlook
and wrote that while he had no
other course except surrender, he
would not desert his soldiers and his
people. This letter was delivered
the next day by Sir John Dill to the
British King at Buckingham Palace.
Sir Roger Keyes, British admiral,
had been attached to Leopold since
the outset Of hostilities in Belgium
and sympathized with the position
of the King. That same evening of
May 25, he telephoned Mr. Churchill,
emphasizing what Leopold had writ
ten to King George and indicating
that further resistance could not be
humanely expected from the Belgian
army.
Pounded remorselessly and I'm
ceasingly by bombers and fighting
planes, which were followed by
mechanical German units, the spent
Belgians were herded into the
northwest corner Of flanders and
standing at bay, brimly hung on at
the Lys, a deep, narrow stream, black
as ink. They were only 80 miles
from the sea now.
Battle in Final Phase.
The battle had entered its final
phase. There were no reserves, no
supports, and the only retreat was
toward the coast, where no ships
waited for the Belgians. What
could be gained by further resist
ance? There comes a time when
one human being, charged with the
responsibility for the lives of many
OF b or hum an heiraus under his mill 9
Evening star., 1940-11-22

destroying what equipment and
munitions they could, as they went.
Three days after the Saint Andre
Conference on May "a, the Germans
came on with knockout blow. They
focused the fury of their assault on
the cornered Belgians, and here as
always, aviation played the decisive
role. Belgian officers who took part
in that raging four-day battle have
told me that large groups of Ger
man bombers, so at a time, would
appear overhead, followed by diving
Stukas, and when the discouraged
Belgian soldiers looked up for some
retaliation from the Allied side, they
searched the skies in vain.
The Belgian government, which
had left Brussels for Ostend the day
before the Germans entered the
capital, moved on to France, but
four cabinet ministers remained in
the battle zone with their sovereign.
These were Pierlot, Prime Minister;
Spaak, Minister for Foreign Affairs;
Gen. Dennis, Minister for Defense;
and Van Der Poorten, Minister of
the Interior.
These four cabinet ministers were
at Bruges when the last battle Of
Flanders commenced on May "a. For
days they had realized that the Ger
man advance could not be stayed
and had tried to convince King
Leopold that his duty was to quit
the country. That night they set
forth and requested an audience
Evening star., 1940-11-22

would remain would be a political
theory.
After many more heated, futile
words, the solemn assemblage broke
up. And as day broke. the ministers
gravely bowed themselves out Of the
royal presence and went away in
heavy detection. Scarcely an hour
later they were all embarked on a
small craft on their way to Eng
land. Shortly thereafter German
airplanes dropped a rain of pamph-
lets over the Belgian-British lines.
A translation Of what the pamphlet
said is:
Germans Drop Pamphlets.
Comrades, this is the situation.
Your leaders have deserted and fed
by airplane. The war for you is
finished. Lay down your arms"
Everything the German pamphlet
said was true-except that Leopold
had deserted his soldiers. When
this deception became known to him,
the King issued the following mes
sage to all ranks:
soldiers, the great battle which
we expected has commenced. 1t will
be hard. We will enter the contest
with all our strength, with one SUI
preme effort.
Soldiers, it will be on the same
ground where in 1914 we SO glori-
ously held the invader. Belgium
expects that you will do honor to her
nag.
"OMcers. soldiers, whatever hap
pens, my fate will be yours. I de-
mand Of you strength, discipline,
confidence. Our cause is right and
Just. Providence will aid us. Vive Ia
Belgique. Uong live Belgium0
Leopold.
I'm the field rs, May, 1940."
He knew only too well what his
Evening star., 1940-11-22

in the great confusion of that wild
night, he escaped, but on his fourth
capture he was taken over the
Dutch frontier and placed securely
and permanently in custody.
Late that same night an officer
was sent to the Germans bearing a
petition for terms whereby the Bel
gian Army might lay down its
arms. After some delay the reply
came back: THE Fuehrer requires
unconditional surrender"
At am. on May % orders were
given to cease firing. The battle of
Flanders had passed to history.
Grief Portrayed on Face.
Two days later I saw the King.
Heavy-booted German sentries, with
ill-f1tting green-gray uniforms and
steel mushroom helmets, presented
arms, and inside the great doors a
German officer awaited me, for the
King was a prisoner in his own
palace. He had petitioned for a
more simple place of confinement,
but his petition had been denied,
and his captors had brought him
back to Laeken.
He could not conceal his emotion
at our meeting, and never have I
seen upon a human countenance a
more poignant portrayal of grief,
as If the ghastly spectacle of the
past 20 days had SCARED his soul
forever. And yet there was about
his demeanor no mint of weakness.
His eyes held the same unwavering
honestly and unchanged was the
erect military bearing which would
always distinguish him as the
soldier. At length, he spoke about
the debacle which had brought such
disaster upon his country and with
out a trace of bitterness he men,
(See CUDAHY, Page Aid
Evening star., 1940-11-22

tary control, has no other course
but surrender. Any other decision
is one Of cowardice or fanaticism.
And in the late afternoon of May
AZ, the King Of the Belgians realized
such q time had come.
The King knew that the British,
abandoning all thought of an Of
fensive, had for five days been re-
firing to Dunkerque, where they in
tended to embark for England. He
knew that the French were scat
tered and hopelessly beyond COM
munication, somewhere to the south
of the British.
Gen. Champion Of the French
Army remained with the Belgian
general staff as haison officer and
was early advised of the decision to
capitulate. But 1t was found i'm
possible to communicate with the
French general headquarters, for
the reason that its whereabouts
were unknown. The same was true
of Gen. Gort.
For five days the general stats,
both British and French, had been
kept fully advised and had known
that the Belgian King had no course
but capitulation. The Belgian min
listers had left England a few hours
after their arrival there and re-
paired to Paris with a complete
story of the desperate situation in
Flanders. Admiral Keyes stayed at
the side of the King until the last
and every day telephoned to Mr..
Churchill, acquainting him fully
with the desperate state Of the Bel
gian Army.
Floodgates Opened.
All that could be done was done
by way Of informing the British and
French of the inevitable surrender.
And nou aS last ort IN, cy,pr,orf of
Evening star., 1940-11-22
at Wynendael, where their monarch
had established headquarters.

at Wynendael, where their monarch
had established headquarters.
Summoned From Bed.
It is a dramatic picture: The
King, summoned from the bed where
he had sought few hours Of re-
lief with closed eyes until dawn
should bring another day Of horror;
and the ministers, ponderous and
nerve-frayed by the weight Of their
heavy Office in this tragic hour Of
Belgian history. He met them with
grave courtesy, erect as always, his
hair tousled and disordered like .
boys, while outside the battle ragged
and the night was made lurid by
distant flaming towns.
These seasoned counselors pointed
out the inextricable position of the
Belgian Army, how in q matter OF
. few hours escape might be i'm
possible, and again they urged upon
the King his duty to leave the coun-
try. He was, they protested, the
leader Of all the Belgians, and the
Belgian cause might well be lost
If he fell into the hands of the
enemy.
He heard them, unmoved. He was
the chief Of state, he affirmed, but
beyond that he was the chief of all
the armed forces. When they
countered that his duty as King
transcribed that of commander in
chief of the army, he reminded them
with bitter humor that If the army
went down, the only Belgium that