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diff --git a/old/66525-0.txt b/old/66525-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 9fb36dd..0000000 --- a/old/66525-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9147 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Siberia To-Day, by Frederick F. Moore - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Siberia To-Day - -Author: Frederick F. Moore - -Release Date: October 12, 2021 [eBook #66525] - -Language: English - -Produced by: D A Alexander, David E. Brown, and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was - produced from images generously made available by The - Internet Archive) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SIBERIA TO-DAY *** - - - - - -SIBERIA TO-DAY - -[Illustration] - - - - - SIBERIA TO-DAY - - - BY - - FREDERICK F. MOORE - - LATE CAPTAIN, INTELLIGENCE DIVISION, GENERAL STAFF - A. E. F. SIBERIA - AUTHOR OF “THE DEVIL’S ADMIRAL” - - - [Illustration] - - ILLUSTRATED - - - D. APPLETON AND COMPANY - NEW YORK LONDON - 1919 - - - - - COPYRIGHT, 1919, BY - D. APPLETON AND COMPANY - - Copyright, 1919, by - THE INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE COMPANY - - Copyright, 1919, by - LESLIE’S WEEKLY - - -PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - - - - -PREFACE - - -The attitude of mind with which a writer approaches his subject is -the core of his book. My purpose in recording my observations and -impressions while serving in Siberia is to tell such citizens of the -United States as may be interested some of the things they may want to -know about the Siberians. - -This is not a “war book,” nor an account of thrilling deeds, nor a -history of our expedition in Siberia, but a book in which I have -attempted to bring to the public a realization of the difficulties -under which our officers and men performed, and perform, their duties -in that land. These difficulties are partly inherent in the Siberians -themselves, partly the result of the chaos following the Russian -revolution and Bolshevism, and partly the result of a lack of policy -for Siberia on our part. - -The people of the United States undoubtedly feel sympathy for all -Russia, and desire to aid it in some way; President Wilson, we all -know, burdened with the world war’s problems, seeks a solution of the -Russian situation which will give the people of Russia the fullest -possible means of attaining national liberty. - -Officers of high rank in Siberia, and correspondents, came more -closely in touch with exalted personages than did I, who traveled -practically alone and mixed mostly with the peasants. Had I been with -military and civil commissions, traveling in private cars, I might -now have an entirely different viewpoint on the Siberian problem. I -know Siberia as a land of peasants, rather than as a place where I met -governmental chiefs and heard the discussion of international policies. - -I do not claim to hold the secret of just what would, or will, bring -Siberia an ideal state of affairs in government. I deal only with what -came under my personal observation, and draw my own conclusions, with -the hope that from my impressions there may be gathered some hint of -a better understanding of some of the problems which confront our -government. - -I have no apology to make for an excessive use of the first person -singular, for it was my intention as I wrote that the reader should -travel with me and see through my eyes the things he would like to see. -It is not necessary, of course, to agree with my conclusions, which -have no political or other bias, no animus toward those who have been -responsible for the conduct of the war or who have directed the affairs -of the nation in a time of stress. Where strong feeling on the Siberian -situation is displayed, it springs from nothing else but a desire to -see our nation acquit itself well in the eyes of Asia and the world. - -I am but a volunteer reporter, attempting, as I write a report, to -inject editorial opinion. I spent several years in the Far East in our -regular army and as a correspondent, in the period when our arms were -making history on a small scale in the Philippines and China, so my -viewpoint on Asia was not gained wholly during my stay in Siberia. And -I believe it is time that we get a better understanding of Asia, and -seek to have Asia understand us. - -I am indebted to Captain Donald Thompson, the noted Kansan -war-photographer, for the illustrations in this book. - - FREDERICK F. MOORE. - - NEW YORK. - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER PAGE - - I. EXILED TO SIBERIA 1 - - II. THE SECRET “GETAWAY” 5 - - III. JAPAN TO VLADIVOSTOK 16 - - IV. TOWARD KHABAROVSK 27 - - V. BOLSHEVISTS AND BATHS 37 - - VI. HETMAN OF THE USSURI 48 - - VII. FROM KHABAROVSK TO USHUMUN 64 - - VIII. ON THE BACK TRAIL 82 - - IX. A RED SWEATER AND THE GENERAL 93 - - X. OVER THE AMUR RIVER ON HORSEBACK 104 - - XI. THE MACHINE THAT SQUEAKED 114 - - XII. AN ARMY IMPRESARIO 121 - - XIII. AWAY TO TRANS-BAIKAL 130 - - XIV. THE CITY OF CONVICTS 150 - - XV. ATAMAN SEMENOFF 158 - - XVI. FAMINE IN CHITA 165 - - XVII. NEW YEAR WITH THE JAPANESE 172 - - XVIII. DIPLOMACY AND--MICE 186 - - XIX. NEW FRIENDS, PRISONS, AND OTHER THINGS 196 - - XX. THE SOBRANIA 206 - - XXI. POLITICS AND PRINKIPO 227 - - XXII. FAREWELL TO CHITA 237 - - XXIII. CHITA TO VLADIVOSTOK 247 - - XXIV. THE PEASANTS 258 - - XXV. FRENZIED FINANCE 280 - - XXVI. LEAVES FROM MY NOTE BOOK 293 - - XXVII. THE JOKER IN BOLSHEVISM 305 - - XXVIII. THE UNITED STATES IN ASIA 316 - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - - - FACING - PAGE - - Siberian Types--When They Smile Less and Think More - They Will Find Freedom _Frontispiece_ - - The American Army Mules Arrive in Vladivostok for Duty 24 - - Street Service in Vladivostok with Bay in Distance 24 - - An American Doughboy Helping Make Siberia “Safe for Democracy” 48 - - Night View of Vladivostok Harbor from Hill of City 48 - - Russian Soldiers Clearing the Track After a Wreck on the - Trans-Siberian 100 - - Japanese Officers Talking with an American Officer 100 - - Ataman Semenoff, Chief of the Trans-Baikal Cossacks 158 - - Mongol and Tartar Descendants of Conquering Hordes with 1919 - Model “Cars” 158 - - Siberians Celebrating the Signing of the Armistice 200 - - Room in House at Ekaterinburg where Czar and His Family are - Reputed to Have Been Executed 200 - - An Example of Carving on a Typical Siberian House 230 - - Typical Russian Church in Cities of Siberia 230 - - Some American Railroad Men of the “Russian Railway Service” 250 - - Washing Clothes in Sixty-below-zero Weather 250 - - - - -SIBERIA TO-DAY - - - - -I - -EXILED TO SIBERIA - - -“Let me see your palm!” - -A smiling major thus accosted me in the offices of the Military -Intelligence Division of the General Staff of the army in Washington -the latter part of July, 1918. - -The weather was hot as Billy-be Hanged--hotter than I had ever known it -in the Philippines, or so it seemed. It was hotter than the roadstead -of Singapore, hotter than the mud-baked streets of Suez City, hotter -than Malacca Strait. - -In former times of tropical soldiering, I had seen commanding generals -working in their undershirts. But a new discipline pervaded our new -army, and we were imitating the Prussian system, and doing our best to -look and work as secretly as possible in uniform coats with high stiff -collars. We realized that the more uncomfortable we might feel, the -quicker the war would be won in France. - -I gave my limp and perspiring hand to the smiling major. I suspected -that his pleasantry meant that I had been selected to pay for the -dinner that night of our own particular little group of plotters -against the Imperial German Government and its agents in the United -States. - -“You are going to take a long journey,” said the major, as he examined -the corns on my fingers, which were the result of soldiering with a -pencil. For having been a cavalryman, the powers that be in Washington -had given me a flat-top desk covered with a blue sheet of blotting -paper, and a swivel chair as a buffer for my spurs. What I wanted to do -was to cross sabers with the Death Head Hussars, and maybe get a thrust -at the Crown Prince himself. But when I looked at that blue blotter -every morning, I realized what a terrible war it was, after all--for -old cavalrymen. - -My smiling major sobered suddenly. - -“You are going to take a long journey,” he said. - -I caught a serious glint in his eyes, and holding my breath for an -instant before I dared speak, I asked as casually as I could: “Will it -be a sea trip?” - -Another serious examination of the lines in my palm. - -“Yes.” - -“Do you,” I asked, “see in the delicate hand you hold any indication -that I am to be thrown among rude and rough soldiers, where a man -may swear with a gentle forbearance without being overheard by a -stenographer who chews gum?” - -“I do,” said the amateur seer, more serious than ever. - -“Glory be!” I breathed. “I have been in your beautiful city just eight -days, and the chef at the hotel cooks well, but he does not know how -to growl, not being an army cook. Also, this blue blotter is making me -color blind. Have I been ordered to where bombs are bursting in air?” - -“You have. There are a lot of bums in the direction you are going. -Plans have been made to establish a new front against Germany in -Russia. I suggest that you make your will and go out and buy some fur -mittens. Your orders are to report to Vladivostok, for duty in Siberia.” - -I sat down and turned the electric fan in such a way that I got its -full effect in my face, and tried to shiver. Siberia! How many times -had that word been heard with feelings of terror by Russians doomed -to exile! Fancy my impressions in mid-summer in Washington, on being -told that I was going to Siberia! Cold, ice, snow, steppes, wolves, -whiskers, prisons, Cossacks, wild horses, ski’s and ovitches! All these -things passed in review before my mind’s eye against a background of -heat waves rising out of F Street, where the coolest thing in sight was -a traffic policeman near the Treasury Building, standing on melting -asphalt under a white umbrella which displayed an advertisement of a -nearby soda fountain. - -I reached for my blue desk-blotter, tore it in bits, and hurled the -pieces into the waste basket. - -The smiling major wandered away to the nether regions, where they -wrote orders which sent American soldiers into exile in Siberia, as -calmly as they wrote orders which insisted that all officers keep their -blouses buttoned to their chins in tropical Washington. - - - - -II - -THE SECRET “GETAWAY” - - -Crossing the continent in our special car, we began to study Russian, -to scan maps of the Russian Empire, to talk of strategy, and to go on -learning how to be as secret as possible. This last was accomplished by -crowding fifteen officers into one of the drawing-rooms, and holding -in this sweat box, what the young officer who had taken upon his -shoulders the weight of the Russian campaign, called “conferences.” -These conferences did no particular harm, and so far as I could see, no -particular good, unless it was to make us yearn for cold weather and -more congenial surroundings for our corns. - -I am going to call this young officer Smith, not because I have any -animosity toward the well-known Smith family, but because it is handy. -We also called him “the oldest living boy scout in the world.” And -he provided much amusement for us, as he pinned the big map of the -expansive Russian Empire on the wall of the drawing-room, and discussed -the railroad tunnels around Lake Baikal, and showed us how we could get -round the flank of the Bolshevist army at Samara. - -We were all aware of the fact that General Graves was going to have -a lot of labor taken off his mind (real, hard-thinking labor), and as -Smith spoke of thousands of versts as readily as if his mother had kept -a boarding house for versts, we realized that before long we would have -plenty of elbow room. (Incidentally, Smith never left Vladivostok, and -his wide study of Russian geography was of no use to him except for -conversational purposes.) - -We began to suspect that this intense interest in the campaign, before -we reached Siberia, was, in addition to being help for the Chief of -Staff of the Siberian Expedition, making a decided impression on -the son of General Graves, a young major who had seen and done good -fighting in France and wore the Croix de Guerre, and now was being -sent to Siberia. He attended one conference in that hot drawing-room, -and then, undoubtedly feeling that we were safe in the hands of Smith, -spent the remainder of his free time in the observation car, which -indicated to us all that he was gifted with an extraordinary amount of -good sense. - -Smith on his own responsibility organized a little general staff, -and with a typewriter, wrote orders about various trifles, covering -what the officers and field clerks should do in Chicago, and what -they should not do, assigning an officer to the duty of looking after -baggage with the serious mien suitable to ordering a battalion to go -over the top at zero hour, setting forth with maddening exactitude the -minute at which the field clerks would go to the depot quartermasters -in Chicago to buy uniform caps. - -Before reaching San Francisco, Smith wired for the Intelligence Officer -in San Francisco to arrange for a hotel, for taxicabs to take us to -the hotel, circulated “memoranda” among us as to whether or not we -were willing to pay for the taxis he had ordered, and asking us with -paternal care, to signify the officers with whom we intended to share -rooms. Some wag suggested discreetly that we should arrange by wire -for a supply of lollypops, and that we each specify the color desired. -Smith turned a baleful eye in the direction of the wag. - -We found that General Graves had sailed ahead of our arrival. He -evidently had not been aware of the value of Smith’s counsel. We faced -a wait of three weeks for the transport. We went to our rooms in the -Fairmont, and in the morning Smith marched us down to the paymaster’s -and handed us out blanks and set up a table in the corridor of -headquarters of the Western Division, from which he superintended the -signing of our names to our vouchers. Back at the hotel again, he got -the office of the depot quartermaster on the telephone, and for three -weeks he worried the life out of a patient major. (This major sailed -with us, but for some reason or other, was assigned to the transport -_Logan_, while we were assigned to the _Sheridan_. Likewise by some -peculiar whim of Fate, Major Graves also sailed in the _Logan_, though -he confided to some of us that he was sorry not to be with us.) - -Smith resumed his conferences. His field clerk would call all our rooms -on the telephone and summon us to secret meetings in Smith’s room. The -bellboys were much impressed by these gatherings. They knew we were -Intelligence Officers, and they felt we were up to something which was -dark and mysterious. If they had listened at our locked door they might -have heard Smith advising us to get smoked goggles, or asking us for -the sizes of our shoes, and whether we preferred our canvas Alaskan -coats lined with yellow or blue felt. - -In spite of the burden of these details, Smith managed to find a -professor in a nearby college who had lived in Japan several years and -talked Japanese fluently. Smith felt that this man would be of value -to the expedition, as we were to serve with General Otani’s Japanese -divisions. - -But the professor had his family in Berkeley, his position in the -college, and was also serving in an advisory capacity for the local -Board of Trade in Japanese commercial matters. He could not afford to -leave home unless assured a good salary. - -Smith, we understood, had said that if the professor would go, he -would be given the rank of major, and instead of being classed as an -interpreter, would have the title of “advisor” or something of that -sort, to the American Expeditionary Forces in Siberia. - -But in the short time before our departure, Smith asked Washington -to authorize the engaging of the professor as a field clerk, when -Smith had brought the urgency of the matter to the attention of a -public-spirited citizen of San Francisco, who put to the professor’s -credit in a local bank some two thousand dollars to insure him an -adequate income in addition to the pay as field clerk. So the professor -went with us. - -As the sailing date approached, and we had finished buying clothing and -equipment suitable for a polar expedition, Smith became more secretive -than ever. The night of the first of September he called a last -conference, in which he issued envelopes containing tags for our heavy -baggage. - -“Gentlemen,” he announced, looking at us over his glasses in his -room, strewn with Red Cross gifts for us, “the name of our transport -is the _Sheridan_. In these envelopes are the tags, with the name of -the ship. The envelopes serve to conceal the name of the transport, -and will not be removed from the tags till the baggage is inside the -enclosure of the transport dock. You will not disclose to any person -the name of the transport. And I have ordered taxicabs to be at the -hotel at nine in the morning. All officers will appear on the hotel -veranda at that hour, with their hand baggage, and ready to get into -the taxicabs. The drivers have been told that they are to take us to -the ferry building, but at the last minute I will tell them that we are -to go to the transport dock. I have assigned the officers in pairs to -each cab, and as I call the number of the cab, the officers assigned -to it, will enter it, and then wait for the order to move out. Is that -satisfactory?” - -Trying to keep our faces straight, we decided we were suited. Then -the wag in the party asked if we were to keep secret from the hotel -management the fact that we were departing. - -“Most certainly,” said Smith, swallowing bait, line and sinker. - -“Then I suggest,” said the wag, “that we do not pay our hotel bills. -That would be the proper procedure, to keep it all dark and secret.” - -“Don’t be absurd,” said Smith. “Of course we will pay our bills in the -morning at the last minute.” - -“I think,” said the wag, “that after all, the clerk looks like a loyal -American citizen, and can be trusted. And as the _Sheridan_ is at the -dock, in plain sight of the hotel and such of San Francisco as cares to -go and look at it, we will have to take the chance that the day after -it sails, it will not be missed--or folks will think it has gone up to -Mare Island Navy Yard to be painted or something. That, however, is one -of the hazards of war--we must risk the deductions of the local amateur -sleuths and spies of the Kaiser.” - -“Don’t be silly,” said Smith, and handed him the sealed envelopes for -baggage, with the tag-string sticking out a slit in the end. - -In the morning the porter took out my bedding-roll and lockers, and -moved my grip to the hotel veranda. He looked at the envelopes, seeking -the destination of the baggage, but I coldly informed him that an army -truck would take them from the baggage entrance of the hotel, and he -need not worry. He felt relieved. - -I went to the desk and asked for my bill. A prosperous citizen asked -the clerk when the next trans-Pacific ship sailed. - -“I’m not sure,” said the clerk. “There is some ship sailing to-day, -because there are a lot of officers here going to Siberia. That’s their -baggage out on the porch. But probably they are going in the transport -_Sheridan_ or _Logan_--I understand they sail to-day.” - -The clerk did not know it, but I felt like shooting him. At least -something should be done about it. We had done our best to be secret, -and here he was telling a perfect stranger with a diamond in his tie -and wearing most suspicious spats, the fact that this was the regular -sailing date for transports from San Francisco, and that we were going -to Siberia. But I paid my bill, and gave a bellboy a quarter just to -show there were no hard feelings. - -Outside on the veranda I found the officers standing about with their -luggage, the center of an interested group of civilians, and drawn up -in a semi-circle, a fleet of taxis. Smith was nervously waiting my -coming. Immediately he began calling out numbers, and taxis turned -in and stopped, and by pairs, the officers took their places in the -vehicles. - -Smith then went to the leading driver, and whispered something to him, -got into the leading cab, and shut the door. - -“Follow me to the transport dock, fellers,” bawled the leading driver -to the others, and secretly, a dozen taxis with officers and field -clerks, wheeled out in column. We hoped that the civilians we passed in -California Street and Van Ness Avenue toward Fort Mason, en route to -the transport dock, would not notice us. - -The transports _Dix_, _Sheridan_ and _Logan_ were at the piers, -the latter with naval guns mounted forward, the _Sheridan_ with -field-pieces lashed on the forecastle-head, and machine-guns on the -after bridge. Blue Peters, the signal-flags which announce that -a vessel sails that day, hung limply from the fore-trucks of the -_Sheridan_ and _Logan_. The troops to go with us marched in from -nearby military posts all day, and swarms of relatives, friends -and sightseers, gathered on the hills near Fort Mason to watch the -transports. - -It was all a matter of regular routine to the dock-workers. The -Pacific transports had been sailing on their regular schedule to the -Philippines, Honolulu and Guam during the war, and looked no different -in their gray paint than they had in the old days of the Philippine -campaigns, except that the red, white and blue bands were missing from -their funnels. - -Smith cautioned us not to leave the dock, and not to send any messages -outside, such as telegrams or letters. All day our little party -stood round in the sheds and waited, except when they went to the -dock-workers’ mess nearby for lunch. I had occasion to go aboard the -_Sheridan_, and finding the room to which I had been assigned, put a -deck-chair by the door, on the side away from the dock, and spent the -afternoon reading, while Smith kept the others herded together on the -dock. - -On five o’clock in the evening of September 2, 1918, the _Sheridan_ -cast off her lines and we pulled out into the bay, to anchor, with the -_Logan_. At eight o’clock, under cover of darkness, the _Sheridan_ -got under way and began moving toward the Golden Gate. I made out -the _Logan_ astern, without side-lights, but a single light at her -mast-head to mark her position. - -We moved out at low speed secretly. As we came abreast of Fort Scott, -we made out red and white lights ahead, drawing in toward our bows. We -had been careful to burn no lights in our cabins, and refrained from -smoking on deck. We were willing to do everything to prevent being -torpedoed, and we realized that if we were to sneak away in the night, -we must take every precaution against being discovered. This was war, -you know. - -The lights we had seen approaching drew nearer, until they were close -under our port bow. Somebody said it was a destroyer which was to -convoy us. We now heard the propeller of the strange craft threshing -the water as she stopped her way, and then a raucous voice bawled at -us: “What ship is that?” - -Silence from our bridge. - -Once more, in tones that could be heard from Lime Point to City Hall, -came the challenge out of the dark: “What ship is that?” And the -swaying red light below took on a baleful gleam. - -“We’ll have to answer the blasted fool,” somebody growled on the -bridge, and a cross voice replied: “The _Sheridan_.” - -“What?” - -“The transport _Sheridan_,” came an exasperated bawl from our bridge. - -“All right. Proceed to sea,” was the answer, and once more the -propellers threshed and passed astern, seeking out the _Logan_. We now -knew the boat to be a harbor patrol, guarding the entrance to the bay. -We appreciated its protection, and extreme care for two transports -trying to get away from San Francisco filled with troops. We wondered -if that happened to be the way the Germans sneaked out of their ports. - -Presently we heard the _Logan_ challenged, as we had been, and the -reply from her bridge. - -There were still more thrilling things in store for us. We saw the -beam of a searchlight from Fort Scott playing across the Golden Gate. -We expected that when we came within its range, it would lift and -let us pass. Instead, its beam was turned full upon us, and stayed -on us, lighting up the whole vessel till it looked like a floating -hotel drifting out to sea. It must have been a wonderful sight from -the hills of San Francisco. We went into the smoking-room, where the -steward had hung bath towels over the ports to conceal all lights, -and lit cigarettes with due precautions against showing the flash -of the match. We had to go somewhere to get out of the glare of that -searchlight. - -Soon we felt the heave of the Pacific under us, the engines -settled down to their work to twist behind the miles between us -and Vladivostok, and we were off to the war, feeling as if we had -stolen somebody’s chickens. We had gotten away about as secretly as a -three-ring circus. - - - - -III - -JAPAN TO VLADIVOSTOK - - -Our transports put in at Hakodate for coal. From San Francisco, -something had been wrong with the _Logan’s_ engines. What it was, -she would neither tell by wireless, nor signal by wig-wag. We heard -everything from a story that German spies had tangled fish-nets in her -propeller, to a yarn that bearings for her engines had been forgotten -on the dock. But the result was, that the _Logan_, which had been -armed especially to protect us, lolled behind, at times dropping below -the horizon, and we slopped around in the Pacific with steerage way, -waiting for her to catch up. This continued day after day, and we -burned deeply into our coal supply. - -For some reason, we could not get enough coal in Hakodate, and after a -couple of days, pulled out for Otaru, Japan, where we stopped another -two days, and went ashore again. When we had exhausted the sights of -the small city, some of us went on to Sapporo by train, and saw that -provincial capital. - -While we were ashore, a typhoon came up, and the _Logan_ dragged -her anchors, and came near to piling up on the breakwater. Several -Japanese coaling the transports from barges, were drowned. - -On our return from Sapporo we found the roofs of Otaru rather -dislocated, a high wind still blowing, and no chance to get back -to ship that night. So some of us slept in the native hotel of the -town, and enjoyed the novelty of sitting on the floor for a Japanese -breakfast, while cross crows in a garden cawed at us and the gold fish -swam in the pretty pool of the court. The rickshawmen gleaned fortunes -from nearly a thousand soldiers on holiday with plenty of money to -spend. - -That morning was rainy, and the streets were deep with mud. Coming -down to pay my hotel bill, I found a tall, lanky Kentuckian in an -argument with the proprietor, who, of course, spoke no English. The -lieutenant in command of the military police, a man who spoke several -languages, was doing his best to straighten out the difficulty, while -the Kentuckian, in his gray woolen socks, held up a pair of muddy shoes -which he regarded with contempt, the while displaying a marvellously -wicked vocabulary. - -I lingered to see what it was all about. The Kentuckian modified his -language in my presence, which I rather deplored, for it was chilly -in that entrance and his remarks raised the temperature. On entering -a Japanese house or hotel, one must remove shoes and put on slippers. -Some fifteen or twenty shore-bound soldiers had remained at the hotel. -When they came down in the morning, they found their heavy marching -shoes stiff from the mud of the previous day, and shrunken. The result -was that the first applicants for shoes in the morning preferred the -larger sizes, and took such as fit them, regardless of who happened to -own them. - -The Kentuckian appeared to be the last one down, and all that was left -for him in the way of footwear was one pair of wet shoes, size six. -When I came to look at his feet, I understood his predicament--he wore -at least size eleven. I got into a corner and had a discreet laugh. For -years before I had been in Japan with troops when I was not a captain, -and had some appreciation of the pranks of the enlisted men. - -“What you ought to do,” I said, keeping as straight a face as possible, -“is to get a pair of Japanese _geta_, and walk to the ship in -them--they will keep you out of the mud.” - -He looked at the wooden footwear I pointed out, with cleats under -the soles four inches high, and snorted, feeling that he could take -liberties with an officer who seemed so neighborly. - -“I ain’t hankerin’ none to walk on them damned stilts, capting,” he -said, and I gave up all ideas of having any amusement from seeing him -navigate through the mud with his big toes thrust through the straps of -the wooden sandals. Secretly, I hoped he would attempt it, and lose the -sandals in the mud. - -“Then take a rickshaw,” I suggested. “If you’re out of money, I’ll pay -for it.” - -“Couldn’t git me to ride in none of them baby carriages,” he said, and -holding out the pair of infantile shoes to the Japanese proprietor, -demanded wrathfully that his own shoes be produced. - -“No got, no got,” wailed a clerk, distractedly. The lieutenant of -military police once more plunged into a discourse that sounded as -if it might be Japanese. The audience listened respectfully, but -disclaimed all responsibility for what the soldiers had done. They had -not been able to prevent the other soldiers from taking the shoes that -had been selected from the collection that morning. - -The Kentuckian disgustedly threw the shoes into a corner and started -out. I hailed him and suggested that he take the shoes with him and -exchange them aboard the transport. He assented doubtfully, and to the -amusement of the Japanese population, they saw a tall American soldier -walking down the muddy streets in his stockinged feet, carrying his -shoes in his hands, and making an oration. They were sure the American -was mad--Americans have such queer ways! - -From Otaru we sailed for Vladivostok, crossing the Sea of Japan. It was -foggy weather, and we proceeded leisurely. The _Brooklyn_, lying in -Vladivostok harbor, got us by wireless, and the military staff demanded -information as to why we were so slow. They seemed in great pother and -we felt that we must be desperately needed. - -This call for speed puzzled us, for the wireless flashed news to us -that the Bolshevist front had been pushed back, and was now five -thousand miles from the coast--at the Volga River. This news was -disappointing for an expedition which was properly keyed up for -immediate action, and was dreaming of landing under shell-fire or some -other dramatic phase of real war. And the medal-hounds cursed their -luck! - -Our first sight of Vladivostok as we sailed up through the Golden Horn, -was of a peaceful city nestling among craggy hills, but bloated beyond -its natural size by acres of sheeted piles of war-stores. This great -fringe of covered stores resembled mushrooms which had come up in the -night around the city. - -Bluejackets aboard the _Brooklyn_ hailed us with loving derision as -the _Sheridan_ felt her way to the dock; they joked us about our -machine-guns lashed to our after-bridge, and suggested that we check -our shooting-irons “at the door” in order to avoid trouble. - -Our impressions of the people we saw on the docks were favorable. -Friendly-looking Russians in boots and whiskers, right out of our old -school geographies, and wearing the same belted blouses we had seen in -melodramas about exiles to Siberia, gathered to watch us disembark. -And Cossacks in sheepskin caps as big as garbage cans, smiled at us -good-naturedly. - -Immediately the gang-plank was down, one of the commanding general’s -aides hustled aboard, and we were sure that now the fateful news was -to be told us--we must prepare for action immediately, probably get -ready to go those five thousand versts to the Volga River to which the -“front” had backed up. He proved to be a merry chap, with a Harvard -accent, a fine sense of humor, and a swagger stick. - -“Where have you been all this time?” he demanded, as he shook hands -with Major Samuel I. Johnson, of Hawaii, born in Russia, the officer -commanding troops aboard the transports. We crowded around, expecting -to hear a history-making remark, once our delay was explained. - -Major Johnson suggested that perhaps the delay might be better -explained when the _Logan_ docked. “What’s up?” he asked, keen for the -reason of the fretting of headquarters. - -“Nothing’s up,” laughed the aide. “But we’re all gasping for our mail. -We thought you’d never get here.” - -“Any fighting?” asked a particularly war-like officer. - -The aide laughed merrily and then informed us of the Intelligence -Division that the busiest time we would have each day would be when we -made our morning toilet. Smith, self-appointed assistant to the General -Staff, almost collapsed at this news. - -“What’s the price of ham and eggs?” shouted a practical-minded doughboy -from a porthole to a soldier on the dock. - -“How long will it take us to get into the fighting?” persisted one of -our belligerent officers. - -“What’s the words for ‘How much’ in this Rooshan language?” called a -serious-minded machine-gun corporal to a sergeant ashore. - -“‘Skulky stoy,’” replied the sergeant, and then betraying his disgust -and disillusionment, added: “Aw, you won’t see no war here--only thing -you’ll fight is the grub. Them skirmishes up at Nikolsk is all over. -The Bolsheviki are clear to the Ekaterinburg front, and still runnin’. -And the only kind of fool money they got here is postage stamps with -pictures on ’em of the Rooshan Cee-zar.” - -“I thought the Rooshans was off that feller for life,” said the -corporal. - -“Don’t you think that because they put the crusher on him, they don’t -want him. They don’t know their elbers from breakfast without a boss. -How you expect anybody who says ‘da-da-da’ for ‘yes’ to have any sense?” - -Who says an army is not supposed to think? Our army does--our doughboys -in Siberia could have given pointers to statesmen at home. It is a good -thing to bear in mind. - -Somebody asked where we were to be quartered, and we learned that we -had better remain aboard the transport till quarters could be arranged. -Of course, the officers with troops went to the nearby stations -with their commands, some being sent to the Suchan Mines, some to -Khabarovsk, where were the headquarters of the Twenty-seventh Infantry, -and others distributed to units stationed along the railroad. But -fifteen officers and fifteen field clerks of the Intelligence Division -had no more homes than so many jack-rabbits. - -The Chief Intelligence Officer came down to the transport and -interviewed us, and gave us a chance to size him up. He had been in -the country several months, had seen much of the fighting of the -Cossack chiefs against the Bolshevists up the line of the railroad, -and had a good grasp of the situation. But under our policy of -“non-interference,” there was little use for grasping anything--the -chief job was to keep hands off all Siberian affairs. - -That afternoon I rode up to headquarters, passing through the muddy -streets swarming with pigs, till the Svetlanskaya, Vladivostok’s main -street, was reached. Then our automobile whizzed up hill and down -dale over this Broadway of Asia, passing soldiers of many nations en -route--French, Czechs, Russians, little black Annammites from the -French possessions, Italians, Canadians, British, Japanese, Cossacks -from the Don, the Urals, the Ussuri, the trans-Baikal, and bluejackets -from Japanese, French, British and American warships in the bay. - -The city of Vladivostok itself presented a spectacle that would -have brought joy to anybody who yearned for a job as a professional -philanthropist. For “The Mistress of the East” had jumped her -population from the normal, which was forty thousand, to about one -hundred and eighty thousand. Refugee barracks on the edge of the city -were filled with people from the interior. Trains came jammed to the -last shelf against the ceiling, and poured battalions of travellers -into the Trans-Siberian station, where they settled down to sleep in -the corridors regardless of the throngs marching over them. They looked -like rag-bags come to life--these hungry, dirty, tattered people from -the hinterland, a human caravan in a panic. They smelled like a circus -menagerie. - -Among them were many typhus victims. Beside these sick camped the -well--with little complaint--and set up housekeeping on any available -floor space. Some who had perhaps an aristocratic taste for privacy, or -who found the air of the waiting-room a trifle spicy, filtered out to -other habitations. There were, of course, no vacant rooms at the hotels -or elsewhere. - -Money could not always buy shelter and rarely seclusion, since the -average sleeping chamber accommodated all the way from five to a dozen -persons. Even billiard tables commanded a good price as places of -repose. And shows lasted till dawn, so that people who slept in the -daytime could be amused while sitting up all night. Thus, when one-half -of the population got up in the morning, it met the other half going to -bed. - -Judging by conditions in Vladivostok, it was obvious that a terrible -state of affairs existed in the hinterland. The refugees, clamoring for -food, said so. Statistics of food-prices, gleaned from the refugees as -well as from the inland press, proved a state of famine. - -[Illustration: THE AMERICAN ARMY MULES ARRIVE IN VLADIVOSTOK FOR DUTY] - -[Illustration: STREET SCENE IN VLADIVOSTOK WITH BAY IN THE DISTANCE] - -The Svetlanskaya is along a bench of the hills over the city, -and affords a fine view of the harbor. Our headquarters were in a -store-building close to the bay, across from the department store of -Kunst and Albers, the chief mercantile organization of Siberia, with -chain stores in the principal cities. The building our _stab_, or -staff, occupied, was a brick structure of two stories and basement, -and resembled a library building. It had been used as offices and -store-rooms by Kunst and Albers. - -When I reported, I was told that I could register at the base, -from which I had come. Back at the base they told me to register -at headquarters, so I never did register, but went back aboard the -transport. - -That night I received orders to proceed to all stations, under verbal -orders of the commanding general, and in connection with certain -intelligence work, to call the attention of the troops to the Third -Liberty Loan. A Russian-speaking orderly from our own army, with an -unpronounceable name, was assigned to me. I called him Brown. I was -told that I must have my baggage aboard a troop-train leaving the base -at eight o’clock that night for Khabarovsk, but that I could board the -train at ten o’clock at the city station of the trans-Siberian. - -Having no quarters, I put all my possessions, consisting of -bedding-roll and two lockers, into a box-car of the train with the -aid of field clerks and German war-prisoners. We got it out of the -transport and aboard the train at the last minute--or what I thought -was the last minute. I was later to learn that there is no necessity -for hurry in Siberia. - -But the train did not come out of the yards to the depot. Not that -anything was wrong; it was simply that the engine failed to appear. All -through the frozen night, a couple of locomotives wheezed up and down -and whistled signals. Russian railroad men blew horns interminably, -and there was every evidence of laudable activity. The American major -who was to have charge of the train delivered a line of profanity with -all the fervor and efficiency of the old regular army. But the Russian -station officials--lay down on benches and went to sleep! - -It was five o’clock in the morning before that troop-train of box-cars -rattled up to the station, and another hour of horn-blowing and -whistling before we were finally under way. Then we blew out the -guttering candles and lay down on a shelf in a dirty car. - - - - -IV - -TOWARD KHABAROVSK - - -When morning dawned, we found ourselves rolling along at about ten -miles an hour over a plain, with wooded hills in the distance. The -fields were brown and sere, for it was then the first week in October, -and the air was feeling the first chill of winter. - -About nine o’clock we reached Nikolsk-Ussuri, where the railroad -splits, one track, the Chinese Eastern, going across Manchuria to the -Siberian border, and the other, the one we were to follow, proceeding -to the north through the Maritime Provinces as far as Khabarovsk, where -it crosses the Amur River north of that city, and then runs to the -northwest well inside the Siberian border, with a branch line running -down to Blagoveschench. The main line then goes to Kerak, and crossing -the Shilka River, joins up with the Chinese Eastern over Manchuria, -at Karimska, a few versts to the southeast of Chita, capital of the -province of Trans-Baikal. - -At Nikolsk, as it is commonly called, I had my first experience with -a station restaurant. There was a Japanese troop-train in the yards, -also a train with Chinese troops. Our six hundred odd soldiers had -their own kitchen-cars and messed while the train stopped. After their -night on shelves built into the box-cars, they were glad for a chance -to stretch their legs and exchange pleasantries with their friends in -other cars. - -The station restaurant was thronged. My orderly went with me, and we -pushed our way through crowds of refugees, Cossacks, Japanese officers -and all the motley crew assembled there and clamoring for food. We -managed to get some cabbage soup, which we had to defend against the -flies, for no one ever kills or traps a fly in Siberia. - -The city itself is a couple of versts from the station, for when the -railroad was built it appears that the engineers took every precaution -against getting too close to cities; they simply laid out their lines -for the right of way, and if the city happened to be near, well and -good; if not, the city would have to come to the railroad. - -It was here that I realized for the first time how vague and unlimited -is the Russian word _Sichass_, which means anything from presently -to some time in the dim future. I desired to visit the city, to look -over the German war-prisoner camp, to investigate the train full of -Bolshevist prisoners, including men, women and children. But our -Russian conductor, drinking tea in the station, warned us that our -train would move “_Sichass_”, so I went back to my car and waited, not -daring to get far away. - -We were there for several hours. Russians came and looked at us, and -we looked at them. They regarded us with friendly eye, but scowled and -muttered when they encountered a Japanese soldier. It was apparent that -the wounds of the Russo-Japanese war are not fully healed, and in the -face of the hatred which meets the Japanese at every turn in Siberia, -the little soldiers from Nippon display a splendid discipline. We heard -that this discipline is limited to places where their conduct is under -observation. - -Every minute, during the time our train lay in the yards, it appeared -that departure was imminent. A bell at the station tolled once, and the -conductor and engineer blew horns at each other. Presently the engine -whistled. - -In half an hour or so, two bells tolled from the station, which caused -the conductor and engineer to break out their tooting again. This done, -they finally decided to load the engine tender with wood, and leaving -the job to a pair of Chinese coolies, went away to the station to have -another round of tea. In another half hour, they were back, three -bells toll, the conductor unfolds carefully a green flag and waves it, -rolls it up, and pulls a big bottle of snuff from his boot-leg. Having -regaled himself, and sneezed solemnly, he blows his horn again, the -engine toots, and after a while, the train moves reluctantly. - -Our train stopped on the plains to have ashes drawn from the fire-box. -The train crew made tea and lunched. When there was no more tea to -drink, and no more gossip to talk, we moved along again. - -We stopped eight hours at one station. After two hours waiting, we -attempted to ascertain the cause of the delay. It appeared that the -engineer had some friends in that town, and had gone away to drink tea. -How soon might we be expected to proceed? “Sichass.” - -At first this sort of thing is a joke to the stranger in Siberia, in -time it becomes an exasperation, but finally you learn to submit and -become a Russian, and take no count of the passage of time. Their -utter abhorrence for anything approaching a definite statement is most -puzzling. - -For instance, if they know the exact time a train is supposed to arrive -or depart, they refrain from telling the traveler. Some say this is a -natural characteristic of the people. I ascribe it to fear of being -blamed if there is a delay caused by circumstances over which they have -no control. - -Under the old régime, if a station-master or a conductor, stated that -something was going to happen at a certain time, and it did not happen, -they might be whipped or otherwise mistreated by superiors for telling -a lie. So they transfer the worry of delay to the traveler, and keep -their own skirts clear of trouble. - -There is another fact which must be considered, and that is, that to -men in prison, time means little. Next week, or next month or next -year, will do as well to perform some duty. Siberia was a great prison, -and this disregard of time must be in the blood. Ordinarily the -Russian is most affable and hospitable, once he knows you for a friend, -but to a stranger, his attitude is most impersonal and careless. - -As the train stopped from one to fifteen hours at every station, I -was able to spend considerable time in the various depots. Their -restaurants were thronged with “famine-stricken” peasants, weighing -some three hundred pounds gross each, enthusiastically discussing -freedom--the while they sprayed themselves with cabbage soup. Hunger! I -never want to look upon such hunger again! More: Never again do I want -to hear it. (Who would guess that goulash is a high explosive?) - -Eat! I will back the Russians as eaters against any other race of -eaters in the world. The way an average Siberian can mistreat roasted -partridges, hunks of defenseless beef, and loaves of pneumatic rye -bread is painful to recall. Their cruelty lies chiefly in the fact that -they insist upon talking while they eat. The Siberian is the champion -three-ring talker of the universe. He talks politics so well that he -can prove himself a liar--then start all over again, which explains why -he has to call for outside help in order to settle anything. And if the -outsider asks him to stop talking and do something, it makes him mad. - -Why work when one can talk? Work is for slaves. Only the Chinese and -the women work, (Apparently these are not free). Talk is the chief -product of Russian activity along the trans-Siberian. When combined -with gastronomics it is thrilling. - -The Allied officers in Siberia were misled as to the character of -Siberians who appeared to be mere louts, dressed out of the rag-bag. In -particular, the Americans in Siberia were inclined to judge the people -with whom they came in contact by the standards of dress in the United -States. But the Siberian who looks like an animated scare-crow may be -playing international poker. And he is willing to let us laugh at him -if he can fool us. - -These days in Siberia, it is a mistake to think that because a man has -on old clothes he is poor or not educated, or unskilful in intrigue. -For--he may be dressed badly in order to protect himself from the -Bolshevists; or he may himself be a Bolshevist, and his apparent -beggary makes him appear harmless. - -I found that a surprisingly large number of Siberians (drosky-drivers, -station-restaurant attendants, brakemen and many others who might be -easily mistaken for _moujiks_) can speak good English--but will carry -on long conversations through an interpreter! One man who had used -these tactics, later on leaned down in a station to stroke a cat, -saying, “Hello, kitty, where did you come from?” Such men invariably -wanted information as to how many American troops had landed at -Vladivostok, and what we were planning to do. - -We were terribly handicapped by having to depend upon interpreters; -I had one Russian-American soldier-interpreter who carried on a -conversation of some twenty minutes with a Russian from whom I sought -information and when I asked what was being said was told that the -Russian “wasn’t saying anything which was worth while.” - -But he didn’t know that standing with me listening to the conversation -was a British officer who spoke Russian perfectly who then informed me -that my soldier and the Russian had discussed the United States and the -American expedition in Russia in the most uncomplimentary terms. - -Later on my soldier admitted that he agreed with the Russian in a -diatribe against the United States, but that he had done so for the -purpose of drawing the other fellow out and getting his ideas. He -excused his telling me that the conversation had been of a nature that -could not interest me because he did not think I was interested in -knowing that this particular Russian regarded the United States as a -nation of capitalists, and as such the enemy of all Russians. And all -the time these Russians continued to smile and bow and assure us of -their friendship and their appreciation of what the United States was -trying to do to reunite Russia and build it up as a democratic nation. - -In fact, the Allies in Siberia have been surrounded by an army without -uniforms or other visible military equipment, without any apparent -machinery of organization. This army has the ability to vanish -without being missed, to reassemble when and where it chooses, to set -up a front if it so desires, or, if it sees fit, to dissolve again, -concealing itself once more under the wings of the very host which is -seeking to overcome it. To a very large extent it is an army of passive -resistance. - -This vanishing army entered the cities occupied by the Allies, and, in -the guise of refugees, or “loyal” Russians, received food, clothing -and shelter. Under the protection of the Allied guns, it spent the -period of bitter cold weather in comfort, perfecting its plans for the -on-coming Spring, carrying on its propaganda of hostility against the -Interventionists, and mingling with the troops which had come half way -round the world to render it harmless. - -The Bolshevists are operating with a strategy of organized disorder. - -Their vanishing army acquires weapons by various methods. A truck-load -of Kolchak’s machine-guns at Omsk disappeared while in transit from one -barracks to another, and the men who were making the transfer dropped -from sight. - -Some of our own officers and soldiers know how the Bolsheviki added to -their own supply of pistols. It has been estimated that ten per cent. -of the American officers traveling with orderlies had their automatics -either taken by stealth or snatched from the holsters in crowded -railroad stations. - -One of these officers expostulated with a thief. “Here!” he shouted. -“That’s my gun!” “Well, you’re wrong,” was the reply in good English; -“it’s mine, and you’d better not start any trouble here.” It seemed -good advice. - -One story going the rounds is to the effect that an American officer of -high rank, while pushing his way through a jam of people in a station, -followed by his orderly, was startled by a cry from the latter. His -pistol was gone! - -“Gone!” said the officer, crossly. “You ought to know better than to -lose your gun! Where did you wear it?” - -Meekly the orderly indicated the position of his holster on his right -hip. - -“But you shouldn’t wear it so far back,” growled the exasperated -officer. “Keep it well to the front like mine. Look! Here!” And he -slapped his own holster, worn well to the front on his belt. Then the -red of chagrin spread over his face. “Lord!” he cried. “Mine’s gone, -too!” - -Another American officer, traveling in the compartment of a car, -had as a traveling companion a youthful officer ostensibly from a -Cossack regiment. He was a most ingratiating young man, and admired -the Americans for their willing aid to Russia. Our officer’s belt and -pistol were hanging on a hook. As the train approached a station, the -Cossack rose, called attention to some aspect of the landscape outside, -and shaking hands with his fellow traveler, went his way. The pistol -also went his way. - -It was about this time that I began to ask myself, Where is the real -front? Now I was suspicious of the delays in restaurants, the blocking -of trains, the roundabout droskys, the street-cars that broke down, -the misinformation which sent us astray, the balking telephones. It -appeared like a perfect system of sabotage--covert warfare. - - - - -V - -BOLSHEVISTS AND BATHS - - -The slow progress of our train gave me many opportunities to talk with -Siberians who had been to the United States. Compared to the natives -who had never left home, they were highly intelligent, but much of -their mental agility put them in the class of people described by -Artemas Ward as “folks who know a lot that ain’t so.” - -All those who had been to the United States with whom I talked, said -the United States was “No good--a capitalistic country.” - -I frankly asked them why they thought so. They had worked in the steel -mills, the packing-houses and in the factories, and instead of becoming -“Americanized”, as we at home so proudly boast about our immigrants, -they had apparently lived, worked and talked with groups of their own -countrymen, and outside of picking up enough English to get along with, -had become no more American than if they had remained in the heart of -Siberia. - -They had all the patter of the agitators against the “capitalistic -classes”, for which they can hardly be blamed, for from the time they -landed on our shores till they left, they were exploited in various -ways, every advantage being taken of their ignorance and helplessness -in a strange country. - -And when they came to explain why they thought the United States to be -no good, invariably they backed their original statement with tales -of hard labor for poor pay, and then informed me that the newspapers -of the United States admitted that we had no democracy, that we were -a nation of “wage slaves,” and that revolution was coming soon in my -country. - -One of these men had pamphlets issued by a strike-leader in Lawrence, -urging violence against the mill-owners; clippings from a Chicago -paper which told of deplorable conditions in the districts inhabited -by steel-workers of Pittsburgh and outlining a plan for improvement. -But in reading the clipping, the Siberian overlooked entirely the fact -that bad conditions were described for the purpose of guarding against -reproducing them, and to take some action to correct the evils. He read -with understanding only those paragraphs which stated that conditions -were deplorable, and were soon to be eradicated. - -And this paper, fighting editorially against exploitation, he -described as part of our “capitalistic press.” He interpreted its -printed protests as mutterings before a coming revolution. The editor, -undoubtedly striving to aid and uplift the working men, perhaps never -dreamed that what he printed would be used as propaganda to prove his -paper part of a “capitalistic press.” - -Another clipping from a radical sheet printed in the middle west, -described the mounted constabulary of Pennsylvania, as “Cossacks, -organized and supported by capitalists, to cut down the workers.” -This man did not know that this state police force is maintained and -supported by the state--he read the caption literally and believed that -it was a private punitive force in the hire of the mill-owners. He also -believed they were Cossacks! - -Freedom of the press, and freedom of speech, are two of our greatest -liberties. But when Russians who have been to the United States, -can return to Siberia and tell the population that we are worse -than Russia, and that we are going to have a revolution, and read -to the people sensational statements and half-baked and distorted -information, at the same time that we are in that country trying to -prove our friendship for them and asserting that the United States is -a free country, something is wrong. That is the state of affairs which -confronted us from the first in Siberia. - -I do not maintain that our systems are perfect. I have much sympathy -for the “working classes,” having begun life as a boy in a factory, -served in the ranks of the army and before the mast in ships. - -“Ah!” said a Siberian to my interpreter, waving his hand in the -direction of vacant ground near a small river, “If the Americans would -only build a factory here for us, and make jobs.” - -“But you are opposed to capitalism,” I said. - -“Yes,” he nodded. “We are fighting it.” - -“If an American built a factory here, it would take money-capital.” - -“Oh, yes,” he said. - -“The Russians have burned a lot of factories.” - -“Yes.” - -“If a factory were built here would you burn it?” - -“Maybe we would.” - -“Then how can you expect a man with money, which is capital, to come -here and build a factory, if it is likely it would be burned?” - -He pondered this. “We might only take it away from him,” he decided. - -“But Americans do not go round building factories if they are going to -be burned, or taken away by the workers.” - -“Why not,” he asked. “All Americans are rich. They ought to build -factories for the poor people, to give them work. You do it in America.” - -“But a factory to keep running, must make a profit.” - -“We do not believe in profits,” he said, his face lighting up at the -happy thought that he had met my arguments. - -“I do not believe you need worry much about them,” I retorted, and left -him scratching his head. - -As we proceeded north, stopping occasionally at vast wood-piles to -replenish our engine, we crossed limitless plains. - -I had a paper from home. It contained an editorial on the menace of -famine in Siberia. I read it. Then I looked out of the window--and -tears came to my eyes. Famine! There it was! From horizon to horizon, -on either side of the train, stretched vast plains dotted with shocks -of wheat--unthreshed wheat. - -The sight of that wheat made me shudder. It reminded me of the fact -that the people at home, bless their Christmas-tree souls, were -conserving wheat, and sending some to the starving proletariat of -Siberia to cure them of Bolshevism. What the various governments -struggling with the problem did not realize was that the Siberians were -also conserving wheat! For the shocks I saw were not a one-year crop. -On those plains were stacked up the crops of two years! - -Some wheat had been threshed. Now and then, near stations, I saw it -piled up in sacks--acres of sacks, ten high. The top sacks, as a -rule, were rotten, having been there for months. “_Nitchyvo!_ The -Americanskys have come, and all will be well.” The drosky-drivers -fed their horses freely from the piled grain. The field mice had -established their winter homes in the piles, thus realizing some of the -benefits of Bolshevism. - -Why, you ask, was this wheat not moved? The station sidings were indeed -full of freight cars. But refugees were living in those cars. In other -cars Allied troops were quartered. Troops being moved required cars. -Allied commissions travelling up and down for political or military -reasons used any remaining engines. Naturally the wheat could not be -moved! - -Our train reached Khabarovsk about two o’clock in the morning, and we -remained in the cars till mess. Then the troops were turned out in -full kit, and carrying their bulky barrack-bags stuffed with all their -belongings, we began the march to the Russian barracks some three miles -distant. - -It was a warm and sunny morning. The roofs of the city became visible -as we tramped up toward the high ground, covered with the brick -barracks built by the Russian army, and beyond the town shone the wide -reaches of the Amur River. The city had been captured from Bolshevist -forces but a month before, and the Twenty-seventh Infantry, under -command of Lieutenant-Colonel Morrow had hastened to get into action -with the Japanese, but arrived too late. The Bolshevist forces resisted -up to a certain point, and then melted away. They became peasants -working in the fields--and the Japanese asked these peasants where the -Bolshevists were! - -So although Khabarovsk was accustomed to a large Russian garrison -in normal times, and had already become accustomed to the American -doughboy, our column attracted considerable attention. And I was sorry -that transportation had not been arranged for the men’s heavy bags, -which they packed on their shoulders in addition to their regular -marching kits, for six hundred men bent under baggage, struggling up -the hilly roads, do not present an inspiring spectacle. - -We Americans in foreign parts do not seem to care anything for the -psychology of the land in which we are operating; we are intensely -practical, and entirely too sure that the American way of doing things -is the best way, and take no account of the effect we may create upon -foreign peoples--overlooking the fact that first impressions are most -vital. - -Now Asia is a land in which the bearing of burdens marks one of the -lowest caste. The Siberian is Asiatic in his viewpoint, being so -closely in touch with China and Manchuria. And, as in China, to be -seen carrying heavy burdens when there is no necessity for it, means -that a man’s standing is ruined; no matter how smartly he may dress, -or how decently he may comport himself, or what he may do to show his -superiority after he has been seen at what is considered debasing toil, -the Asiatic never forgets that this foreigner has been a bearer of -burdens. He carries forever that impression in the back of his head, on -occasion dares to be insolent, and judges by that standard all people -of that race. - -And to go into Siberia, with an army, claiming to be a democracy in -which all men are free and equal, yet with men who are “conscripts” -in the sense understood by Asia, and then display those “conscripts” -doing the work of pack-animals, is most confusing to the Siberian, -the Cossack, the Chinese, and Japanese. They cannot understand our -assertion that all are equal, or that many men of the United States -have willingly responded to a “draft,” and are willingly submitting -themselves to the orders of their officers in order to maintain -freedom and equality. We say one thing, and demonstrate another. I once -tried to explain this phenomenon of all serving the common cause, some -in the ranks and some as officers, to a keen Chinese servant who had -been in Hong Kong and knew English well. When I had finished, he looked -at me, and reaching for the skillet to fry some eggs, remarked, sagely: -“You talk lie.” - -If the regimental band had been at the station that morning in -Khabarovsk, and the heavy baggage left to be hauled by wagons, and -the men had marched to the barracks under arms with swinging strides -and heads up, it would have been worth several million dollars to the -United States in Asia--and worth much to the men themselves. It would -have raised our troops in the estimation of Japanese and Russians. -Instead, our column toiled along, resting every few hundred yards, and -resuming the march with a series of painful grunts and muttered curses. - -As we climbed the last hill, a flock of geese swung in ahead of us, and -marching in splendid style, led us to the entrance to the post. There -the column remained in the road for an hour, while the regimental band -came and played in honor of a party of Japanese statesmen who happened -at that time to be calling on the commandant, Colonel Styer, and making -an inspection of the city. This, of course, was a necessary and proper -honor to pay the guests, and accounted in part for the fact that we -had to arrive without music; but as the visitors were not long in the -post, our departure from the station might have been deferred till the -music was available. After eight days in crowded box-cars, that band -was most inspiring when we did hear it, and the weary doughboys were -soon chaffing merrily, glad to have found their new home. - -In discussing these matters, I wish it understood that I am not -criticizing any individual, but the people of the United States so -eager to make a good showing abroad and to convince foreign peoples of -our good motives and our army so careful not to offend, seem to need -something in the way of a code to follow so as to learn to put the best -foot forward when away from home. - -The British, having had so much more experience with Asiatics, have -learned the value of good impressions, and by observing what we may -consider trifles, have held and administered the affairs of many lands -in the East more by these trifles than by actual force of arms. - -I know that our attitude has been in the Philippines, Cuba and -elsewhere, “In time these people will learn that we mean all right.” -In time they do. But we send an army into foreign countries in much -the same manner as a man might attend a first formal dinner in boots, -a fishing coat, and a woolen shirt, and on entering the dining-room, -trip over a rug when preparing to bow to the hostess. In time, he might -establish the fact that he was a man of some breeding. Most people, -both for their own comfort, and the comfort of hosts, would prefer to -display their breeding first, for some of the guests might leave before -the uncouth one had a chance to prove that he was not a boor. - -Once the details of turning over the reinforcements were accomplished, -with the major who had commanded the train, I took a drosky, and sought -the best bath-house in the city. How that vehicle ever held together -was a mystery to both of us. The roads were both rutty and full of -yielding mud, and as we galloped toward town, first one of us and then -the other was in danger of being hurled out to the black pigs along the -streets. - -The cost of a “bolshoi” or grand bath, was two rubles each, and being -provided with soap and towels, we were escorted to a room containing an -old sofa and a dressing table weak in the legs. The attendant brought -us a small tub of water, for what purpose I have not the slightest -idea, as the room adjoining contained a bath-tub of Russian dimensions, -a shower big enough for an elephant, and all the pipes full of blazing -hot water. The Siberian does not bathe himself--he parboils himself. - -The temperature of both rooms was exceedingly hot and humid, so that -in a few minutes all our clothing was moist and clammy; and to make -matters worse, the ambitious attendant came in and hurled buckets of -water over the big marble slab, which was heated by pipes, filling both -rooms with a stifling steam. I opened the windows promptly, to his -great horror, and drove him away as gently as possible with the one -Russian word I had to fit the occasion--“Scurrai,” and he scurried. - -When I had laid my clothing out on the ancient sofa, I realized that -the place had not been swept or dusted for a decade. I made a mental -picture of the limitless number of people who had divested themselves -of their garments in that very spot. It was not such as had gone on -their way, clean and rosy, which worried me, but what they had left -behind, to inhabit temporarily the crevices of the sofa. So I hastened -my bathing under the shower, and dressed as rapidly as possible, after -discreet shakings of all my wearing apparel. - -The clerk below regarded me with surprise when I went down. He thought -I had not bathed at all, but had come back to make some complaint. He -did not realize that I had hurried to avoid complaints in the future, -when he might not be present to get the benefit of my vocabulary. I am -sure he thought me most tentative about my bath, and not a particularly -clean man. - -It takes the ordinary Siberian about an hour to get himself properly -tender. For some strange reason, known only to the inscrutable American -mind, I had failed to cook myself a full two rubles worth, and had -surrendered my room to a Chinese who did not appear to be a regular -client, judging from his lack of grooming. - -The major had been as precipitate as myself, having been duly -influenced by my active imagination. Once more we risked our lives in -the drosky. - - - - -VI - -HETMAN OF THE USSURI - - -Khabarovsk is a city of probably sixty thousand population, and -picturesquely situated in a sweeping bend of the Amur River, its -streets being laid on a bench of land overlooking the river. The -barracks occupied by the American and Japanese forces are on still -higher ground arranged on a plateau, with the dull reds and browns of -the city roofs shining below. - -It is a provincial capital, the most important north of Vladivostok, -and the chief center of the Ussuri Cossacks. The first thing to catch -the eye on the morning we marched up to the post, was a yellow flag -flying from a pole across a gully from the American headquarters, with -a black and fanciful lower-case y upon its field. Y in Russian has the -sound of our double o, and so was the initial letter in Russian for -Ussuri, thus the flag marked a Cossack garrison quartered inside the -stockade beyond. - -[Illustration: AN AMERICAN DOUGHBOY HELPING MAKE SIBERIA “SAFE FOR -DEMOCRACY”] - -[Illustration: NIGHT VIEW OF VLADIVOSTOK HARBOR FROM HILL OF THE CITY] - -Yellow is a favorite color with the Cossacks. Their officers wear -Prussian blue riding breeches, with wide yellow stripes, similar to the -breeches worn by our own cavalry officers before the khaki days. -Their tunics were well-cut, but almost any color seemed to serve, as -long as heavy gold cloth shoulder straps with elaborate embroidery on -them, could be procured. - -Boots and spurs, and the characteristic high busby of white or black -lamb-skin with the wool on, completed the costume. These bonnets are -not always circular, but are flattened out, and then worn with the flat -sides front and back, and tilted to the rear, giving a rakish effect. -The cloth tops set into the wool are frequently of gorgeous colors, -some being bright purple, some gold, some red, so viewed from behind, -the Cossack is a colorful personage. Viewed from the front, on a -charging horse, and with lance or saber point first, they generally get -the road to themselves. - -The men of the ranks looked to me more Mongol than Slav, and resemble -somewhat the American Indian, having high cheek bones, black straight -hair worn rather long, broad but low brows, but their faces lack -the acquilinity of our aborigines. Most of them struck me as being -stolid, stoical persons, rather sure of their positions as belonging -to the warrior class, and while according to our standards, inclined -to swagger a trifle when among the lower classes, quiet enough unless -interfered with. Among the Siberian peasants they had the bearing and -demeanor of masters of the situation, and contrasted with the peasant, -I would prefer that the latter have more self-assertion in a dignified -way, rather than the inevitable skulking manner which they take on -when they come in contact with persons whom they recognize as superiors. - -Khabarovsk was filled with the men of the local Cossack hetman, -Kalmikoff, known to our forces as Ataman Kalmikoff, a title which -appears to be derived from the Turkish, just as the name “Cossack” -is the Turkish _kazak_, or robber. The accent falls upon the last -syllable, and the Russian spelling follows the Turkish, so that “y k” -worn on the sleeve of a soldier marked him as an Ussuri Cossack. - -I was living in the quarters of Lieutenant-Colonel Morrow, as his -guest, with the regimental adjutant of the Twenty-seventh Infantry, -and a young regimental supply officer. Colonel Morrow had commanded -the column which hastened to reinforce the Japanese division in the -action south of Khabarovsk, but the Bolshevists dissolved after a -desultory fight, and the infantry, fresh from the Philippines, did -not get into the battle. At that time Colonel Styer, commander of -the Twenty-seventh, was in Vladivostok in command of the expedition, -General Graves and his staff not having arrived. - -Colonel Styer was now in command of the American forces at -Khabarovsk, and I found him all that is meant by the term “an officer -and a gentleman.” I can say the same of all the officers of the -Twenty-seventh that I had the pleasure of meeting. And Colonel Morrow, -in whose house and company I spent my pleasantest days in Siberia, I -found to be a hard-fisted soldier of the old school, who knows his -business and expects everybody in his command to know it likewise, or -give the reason why. He knows the American soldier down to the ground, -and is the type of officer the enlisted man delights in--an officer who -realizes their difficulties on campaign, talks to them as a father, and -never allows any doubt to arise as to who is boss. - -On Sunday morning, October 6, 1918, Colonel Styer kindly sent word to -me that Ataman Kalmikoff was to conduct a ceremony incident to the -organization of a new regiment of Cossacks, and inviting me to attend -with the staff. - -An orderly brought a horse for me at the appointed time for departure, -and as I mounted, I felt the thrill that can only come to a man who, -after a lapse of thirteen years, again finds himself in an American -army saddle and an American army horse between his knees. - -We rode down through the gullys and over the decrepit bridges, into the -town, and dismounted in front of the big Russian church on a cliff over -the Amur. Here we found a long line of Cossacks on their horses, drawn -up in single rank across the street from the church, facing the little -square. There was a great throng of Siberians, keeping at a respectful -distance from the raised lances shining above the heads of the shaggy -ponies. - -Here we were introduced to many Russian officers in the service of -Kalmikoff, nearly all of them wearing orders of the Czar’s régime, and -some of them wearing orders gained on the Manchurian plains not so -long ago, in action against the army of Kuroki. - -General Oi, the local Japanese commander, and his staff arrived, and -he and his officers were all introduced to us. Among those there that -day was a lone British officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Roberts. I am not -sure that this dignified and canny British observer did not see more, -and understand more, of what was going on, than all the rest of us -Anglo-Saxons. This statement is not made in derogation of the abilities -of American officers as observers, nor as a compliment intimating a -superior craft in international affairs on the part of the British -officer, but occurs to me as due to the lack of anything approaching a -“policy” regarding Siberian affairs on the part of our administration. - -Not knowing what we were expected to do beyond avoiding as far as -possible any action which might be interpreted as “interference,” our -interests did not extend beyond the dramatic effect of what we were -there to witness. To us, it was merely a show, possibly with something -of an historical interest, as it had been said that by presenting the -colors to this regiment of Cossacks, Kalmikoff was acting as a sort of -godfather at the “birth of the new Siberian army.” - -But the British, with India so close to Russia, and an age-old -suspicion of “the man who walks like a bear” in the backs of their -heads, watch Russian affairs with deadly earnestness, for to lose -India might be the first break in the chain of the British Empire. -So to Colonel Roberts, a gaunt and elderly officer typical of the men -who have built the best traditions of Britain in far-flung empires, -this was more than a mere entertainment of a day. At least I got that -impression, as I observed him--politely punctilious, yet with roving -eyes which saw, and weighed, every trifling incident. - -I felt that our attitude was the vaudevillian one of “I don’t care.” -No doubt, if one of us had written a detailed report of what happened -that day, and had dared to draw conclusions, and had sent this report -to, say, our own General Staff, it might have been filed. But if we -are going to deal with international problems, we must begin to regard -foreign affairs seriously, and leave to the cartoonist his humorous -conceptions of foreign peoples. We are somewhat inclined to regard -humorously the deadly earnestness of the British in dealing with queer -peoples, but the British know that queer peoples are sometimes the most -dangerous. We persist in using them for comic opera material, and then -wonder why we cannot analyze promptly, and take proper and decisive -action to meet a crisis. - -As we stood there in the morning sun, with the wide river below, there -was a sudden stir, and the lances of the Cossacks became more rigid as -the troops came to attention. - -From round the corner, we heard the clatter of galloping hoofs, and -suddenly, Kalmikoff swooped into view, mounted on a superb black horse. - -Rising in his stirrups, with saber upraised, he cried in Russian, -as he passed at full gallop, a hail which was interpreted to me as: -“Ussuri Cossacks! Your commander comes!” - -And from the line of horsemen, came the reply, yelled in unison, “We -are glad to greet you,” and the lances, with their pennons, shot upward. - -Kalmikoff whirled back, dismounted, and strode into the church. A band -blared the new Russian anthem. From the church now came a column of -acolytes in white robes, some bearing crucifixes before them, some -swinging censors, all led by mitered priests, who were intoning chants. - -The band became silent, an altar was set up in the square before the -assembled troops, and a Russian mass was said. Kalmikoff and his staff -stood at one side with bared and bowed heads, and on the opposite side, -General Oi, and his staff at attention. In line with the Japanese, -were Colonel Styer and his staff. But General Oi, as fitting for the -ranking officer, stood a trifle to the front, in such position that he -was almost directly in front of me, and as he bared his head, I was -conscious of his shaven poll gleaming between me and the altar. He is -a short, stocky, sturdy-looking man, with round, shaven face, of most -martial bearing, and bears himself with quiet dignity. - -Thrust up behind the altar was the gorgeously colored and embroidered -standard of the new regiment. The priest, in chanting the mass, -at times removed his mitre, and his long black hair fell over his -shoulders, equalled only in length by his heavy beard. The choir -nearby sang the responses, and their voices were most sweet. - -I watched Kalmikoff. A young man, said to have been born in 1884, he is -scarcely more than five feet tall, slight of build, with bluish eyes, -and a small mustache. He wore a saber, and a small pistol slipped into -the loop of a strap hanging from his belt, rather than a holster--a -pistol so small as to suggest a derringer. His aspect was proud and -military, but he did not make the figure one would expect to see head -of several provinces of Cossacks. However, he is reputed to be very -brave, a good commander, and a dashing leader of irregular horse, such -as the Cossacks are. I heard that in the charge, if any of his men -attempted to ride ahead of him, he promptly cut them down with his -saber. - -He had made himself a Major General, it was said, and we understood -that he was civil and military governor of the Ussuri district. His -claim to the title of Ataman I never understood fully; some said he was -hereditary chief of all the Cossacks of that section, and some said -he had been elected to that position by the Cossacks, while others -maintained that he had set himself up as the local prince, with no more -to back his authority than a small band of partizans who were organized -into a military staff, chiefly engaged at that time in executing -everybody who opposed his rule. - -Already, reports were coming down to our headquarters that protests -were being made by the civilians of Khabarovsk, that many people were -being executed by Kalmikoff’s orders without trial, and that the -victims were merely such personal enemies, or such persons as might -question Kalmikoff’s authority. - -But our position of “non-interference” with Russian affairs, made -it difficult for our staff to either advise Colonel Styer, or for -Colonel Styer to take any action other than to make official inquiry -of Kalmikoff as to the executions. Not that I infer Colonel Styer or -our staff found it difficult to obey orders, but Kalmikoff happened -to be one of the “Russian people,” and how could an American officer -interfere with Kalmikoff’s executions without interfering with a -Russian? - -And at that time, Kalmikoff’s exploits in fighting the Bolshevist -forces were uppermost in the minds of some of our officers, and it -appeared that what Kalmikoff did at that time was considered by some -subordinate officers to be indicative of his abilities as a ruler. I -heard one young officer say while I was in Khabarovsk the first time: -“The Ataman is a smart fellow. He sits at his desk in headquarters, and -when a couple of prisoners are brought in, he looks at them with those -snapping little eyes of his, and waving his hand, says: ‘take ’em out -and shoot ’em.’” - -That, to some minds, may be proof that a general or a ruler is great; -but I could not see that government by firing squads by Kalmikoff is -any better than government by firing squads under the Czar. It all -depends pretty much upon who is going to be shot, and what the person -is to be shot for. - -If it happened to be a man of the city who privately expressed an -opinion that Kalmikoff had no business executing peaceful citizens, who -was to be shot for expressing that opinion, the procedure as I see it, -is in line with Villa and similar bandits who keep in the public eye by -having the power and machinery for wholesale human butchery. - -The fact that a man may be brave, dashing, and wear a picturesque hat, -has nothing to do with a judgment of his abilities or his morality. -Government by machine-gun may be necessary in certain cases, but it -means that the ruler who has to resort to such tactics has oppressed -the people, or has not made proper use of the printing-press--in other -words, has not educated the people over whom he rules, in the proper -ideas. - -I consider Kalmikoff a young upstart, not at all concerned with what -happened to Russia, but attempting to take power to himself in a -crisis, and then aping the worst elements of the old régime. And I -believe that his interests were largely material, and in such form -that the gains financially might easily be taken out of the country. -Because he had fought the Bolshevists, in no sense assured me that -he was at all what he posed as being--a Russian patriot, working for -the rehabilitation of a great and united Russia. I may not have been -alone in this measure of the man, among the American officers, and in -speaking only for myself, I do not wish to imply that I was the only -one to so gauge his character. - -To return to the ceremonies, when the mass in the square was over, the -priest blessed the colors of the new regiment, and threw upon them holy -water. Then he presented them to Kalmikoff, who half knelt to receive -them, with a blessing. Standing, and thrusting up the flag, he made a -speech to his troops, in which he said, among other things, that they -were always to guard it with their lives, as true Russians. - -The color-bearer rode forward and took it from the Ataman’s hands, and -then the lances were hoisted, and the Cossacks cheered both flag and -Ataman. - -After receiving the congratulations of the officers assembled, -Kalmikoff invited us to review his men with him, and we mounted and -rode down the street to the position from which we were to review the -force. - -As we rode along, we observed three Russians on the sidewalk with their -hands bound behind their backs, being hustled along by Cossacks, and we -heard whispers that they were to be shot. But we discreetly pretended -not to see these prisoners, and wheeled in our horses to let the new -regiment pass. - -The Cossacks approached in column of fours, their new flag in the lead, -and Kalmikoff took the salutes of the commanders. The men of the First -Ussuri Regiment, as it was called, were a motley lot but undoubtedly -were good cavalry of the irregular type. Their uniforms were a queer -mixture of stuffs, and at times, it was hard to realize as some squads -passed, that this was really an army. It looked more like a gathering -of the clans from the hills and plains, and most of them needed a -haircut, as well as a shave. But they looked proud and determined, and -able to over-awe any mob of civilians that might gather to riot, or to -do good work charging or raiding an enemy of neater and more soldierly -appearance. Their arms showed good care, but their long-haired Siberian -ponies probably never had felt a brush. Altogether, it looked like an -army that had been sleeping in its clothes for weeks, instead of a -regiment turned out in a capital city to get official baptism. - -In passing, I wish to state that a few months later, these very troops -mutinied against the severity of Kalmikoff, and seeking protection -from Colonel Styer, were disarmed. I heard that the Japanese commander -demanded the arms, claiming them as property of the Imperial Japanese -Government. So the lack of discipline so apparent on the day of the -“new Russian army’s” birth, rebounded upon the commander, and indicates -that on that day he held his power by a very thin thread. - -After the review we went to what was apparently a hotel, judging from -the sign, but which was reputed to be Kalmikoff’s private residence. He -had probably borrowed it, after the style of Cossack chiefs usurping -power. We lunched there, while the band played in an adjoining room. At -the head of the table sat Lieutenant General Oi, at his right, Colonel -Styer. Kalmikoff’s officers, in the seating of the guests, happened to -put me beside Kalmikoff’s chair, half way down the table from General -Oi, the seats between General Oi and Kalmikoff being occupied by a -Japanese colonel, and a Japanese staff captain. - -As it turned out, the lunch was in the nature of a compliment to -General Oi, and in due time Kalmikoff made a speech in Russian, in -which he thanked General Oi for the aid the Japanese forces had -rendered him, making it possible to establish this regiment just -formed. Kalmikoff spoke no English. After each sentence, an interpreter -gave the translation in Japanese, another interpreter gave us the -English of it. - -General Oi responded likewise through an interpreter, and as he spoke, -gazed steadily at the opposite wall, waiting patiently for his staff -officers to render his remarks into Russian and English. We understood -that he wished the new Russian army success, and pledged the help of -his forces in making it a success. - -There were considerable international politics being let loose in that -room. In effect, the Japanese were backing Kalmikoff, and when we came -to protest against Kalmikoff’s actions, we were really protesting what -appeared to be actions advised by the Japanese; at least, it is safe -to draw the conclusion that, owing General Oi what he asserted he did, -Kalmikoff was not running counter to General Oi’s wishes. And I have -heard it said that whenever Colonel Styer asked Kalmikoff to explain -the reasons for executions, Kalmikoff went directly to General Oi’s -headquarters before making his reply to Colonel Styer. - -I do not bring these matters in as a criticism of the Japanese. I -cite heresay and such facts as I know, to show that the Japanese were -stronger politically in their situation in that part of Siberia, -than we were. It may be safely assumed that General Oi was acting -according to instructions, and from that I deduce that the Japanese -government had a policy of upholding all forces avowedly and surely -anti-Bolshevists. It may have been the correct policy. At least, -Kalmikoff knew that he could depend upon the Japanese to back him up -in putting down the Bolshevists. He had no such assurance from our -government. - -It is human nature to lean to the side which declares itself, and -the Japanese made no secret of the fact that they were backing -Kalmikoff with arms and money, and standing in the background while he -consolidated his power. This means that the Japanese were really in -control of things in the Ussuri, and for wanting to hold that control, -I do not blame them, considering that they had large military forces in -the country, and were there as enemies to the Bolshevists. - -The Japanese took sides. This meant that at least one side knew them as -friends. In our case, the anti-Bolshevist forces of the Russians, then -chiefly the Cossack forces, were confused by our attitude of grouping -all Russian factions and classes together, with what appeared to be -a distinct leaning to the Bolshevist side. The result was that real -anti-Bolshevists suspected our motives and were most cautious in taking -us into their confidence. But the Japanese had the full confidence of -the anti-Bolshevist leaders, and to have the confidence of either side -in such times, gives a decided advantage in getting a grasp of the -situation. - -I have no means of knowing the motives of the Japanese in giving -financial and military assistance to the various Cossack chiefs. I have -no particular reason for assuming that their motives were anything but -what they claimed them to be--to put down Bolshevism. I do doubt that -the Japanese motives were wholly to assist Russia in rehabilitating -itself as a great and powerful empire; I do doubt that the Japanese -Imperial government, sought or seeks to see Russia a united and -powerful republic. Russia has been a source of worry to Japan for many -years, and the many barracks built in Siberia since the Russo-Japanese -war, have not had a tendency to remove that worry. For if the war had -not broken in 1914, or if it had ended without smashing the régime of -the Czar, Japan would have felt the weight once more of the Bear’s paw. - -The bigger cities of Siberia are cities which have grown up round -new brick barracks. There are literally miles of these barracks all -through Siberia along the railroad. These quarters could not have been -necessary for an army of the size contemplated by this construction, -merely to keep order in Siberia. - -It is plain enough that Russia contemplated revenge for the Manchurian -fiasco. The Czar undoubtedly intended to throw a vast army into -Siberia, move it against Japan, throw another army into Siberia behind -in reserve, and keep hammering Japan till the island Empire was -destroyed or rendered harmless in a military and naval way. He was -waiting for a new fleet capable of coping with Nippon’s navy. And Japan -knew it. I have doubts that she wishes to see that menace once more -in her back yard, and under the present system of competition between -nations for territory, I do not blame her for wishing to protect -herself. Her methods are another matter. - - - - -VII - -FROM KHABAROVSK TO USHUMUN - - -A glance at the map shows that a wedge of Manchuria runs up into -Siberia. Khabarovsk is at the northern point. The Amur, flowing in -a general westerly direction, bending southerly along the northern -boundary of the Manchurian province of Tsitsihar, and then turning to -the north sharply as it comes in contact with the province of Kirin, -runs up the westerly side of the wedge, and from Khabarovsk flows -almost due north, where it empties into Amur Gulf, near the Siberian -port of Nikolaievsk, opposite the northern end of Saghalien Island. - -The Amur branch of the trans-Siberian railroad crosses the Amur River -a little to the north of Khabarovsk, and almost parallels the river, -but at a considerable distance to the north of it, crossing many -tributaries of the Amur flowing from the north. The red line marking -the railroad, superimposed on a standard wall map, shows no railroad -stations till Kerak, some fifteen hundred versts west of Khabarovsk. -And the sectional Intelligence map which I had, was little better, for -the spelling of the towns was so radically different, that except for -the larger places of simple spelling, I gave up using it except to -orient myself by identifying the various small rivers. - -Where the name of the town was transformed into English by our Russian -map-makers, and then the station-sign in Russian betrayed no special -affinity for the Anglicized version, I found many towns which were -apparently astray. Like the navigator who having made a landfall was -told that the port he was approaching was Karaka, said: “Impossible! -Karaka is two hundred miles to the south of here on my chart!” when -my interpreter told me that we were arriving in Poperoffka, I looked -at my map and said: “Impossible! Unless the Bolshevists have brought -Poperoffka here and tied it till they want it.” - -There was a company of the Twenty-seventh at Ushumun, our farthest -north. I had a limited time in which to reach this company, and with -one train a day running, on uncertain schedule, I must needs leave -Khabarovsk to complete my itinerary in time. - -But there was talk at Khabarovsk that this company would draw down -the line, though the time of its departure was uncertain, and its -destination unknown. At headquarters of the Twenty-seventh I could get -no definite information, a fact which puzzled me, until I learned that -the movement was to be directed by the Japanese commander, General -Otani, and that Colonel Styer, in command of the regiment, was waiting -for orders as to the movement. - -I decided to proceed in accordance with my orders, and from detachments -of our troops seek news of the force supposed to be at Ushumun, and -either catch it, or go to where it was. - -So with my interpreter, I embarked on a passenger train, late at -night. We got a “coupé” or compartment, fitted with berths for four -persons. It was a so-called “sanitary car” of the second class, and -clean and comfortable. The car appeared to be empty except for us, till -morning, when we found a Japanese captain and his orderly in the next -compartment. - -At Nikolsk, on the way to Khabarovsk, and at Vladivostok, there were -American officers in the stations, members of the so-called Russian -Railway Service, known at home as the Stevens Commission. All were -expert railroad men, and telegraph operators, and their presence in -stations made travel simple enough. But after leaving Khabarovsk, I -found the stations in charge of the regular Russian staffs, and a -Japanese staff, the latter with their own telegraphic service. I had -been under the impression that every station had officers of our corps, -and as I found them missing over the Amur branch, I was puzzled, in -addition to being hampered for news and a means of keeping in touch -with my own headquarters. At that time this corps was serving only on -the Chinese Eastern line, but I did not know it. - -An instance of my helplessness may be shown by the fact that the -conductor of the train told my interpreter that our car was going -through to Ushumun, and that we did not need to make any change at -Botchkereva, the junction point for the branch running south to -Blagoveschensk. We arrived at Botchkereva about daylight, and I hustled -out to the station, leaving my bedding and baggage in the car, as we -had been informed that we would have a stop of an hour to wait for a -train coming from the south. - -I had so far received no information concerning the expected movement -of the force at Ushumun. I now resolved to telegraph in Russian to -Major Miller, the commander, to learn of his plans. We translated -into Russian this message: “Please advise if you will be at Ushumun -to-morrow, as I am on my way to see you.” - -My interpreter and the Russian telegraph operator now engaged in a long -debate, and as I was about to inquire into the reasons for it, the -interpreter turned to me in consternation and told me that we must get -our baggage out of the car as promptly as possible. - -We fled down the tracks, and while the car was already moving out, -dumped through the window without waiting to roll it, my bedding, -grips, and supplies of sugar and tea and other groceries, along with -the interpreter’s blankets and kit. - -While we were thus distributing our property along the railroad, -the interpreter told me that the car was going on the train to -Blagoveschensk. He also said that he had learned of this sudden shift -of the car by overhearing the Japanese commandant’s interpreter at -the station order the Russian station-master to so switch the car, -because the Japanese captain in it desired to go to Blagoveschensk. If -that order had not been overheard, our kits, so vitally necessary to -us, would have been whisked away, locked in the compartment. And our -conductor had assured us, by all the saints in the Russian calendar, -that the car was bound for Ushumun! - -While we jettisoned our property from the car-window, the Japanese -captain and his orderly looked on in mild surprise, probably sure that -we were wholly mad. In a sense we were. I refrain from including our -comprehensive and utterly complete remarks on all things pertaining to -the Russians, from the time of the first Michael Romanoff up to the -present and into the future. - -Having rolled up a fine supply of particularly sharp cinders into my -bedding-roll, and placed it on the station platform, a Chinese took -a liking to it, and I discovered him making off with it. I doubt if -he understood English, but he did get the drift of my remarks, for he -dropped the roll. - -Once more my interpreter resumed the debate with the Russian operator, -and the latter decided to send my message. We had a wait of ten hours -for the next train, and I expected to hear from Major Miller in time to -know whether to proceed aboard that train for Ushumun. - -The station waiting-room, crowded with poor people either waiting -for trains, or simply killing time and talking politics, was a most -filthy place. According to our standards, they were in dire poverty, -but men, women and children were most contented and good-natured, and -carried on their primitive housekeeping on the floor, and the mothers -performed most intimate services for their children in full view of the -assemblage with a carelessness for the senses of their neighbors which -appalled me. - -Yet no one seemed to mind. Barbaric-looking Mongols, in fur boots -and garments smelling of fish and raw fur, came and sprawled at the -long table, and demanded tea and cabbage soup, which they disposed of -like wild animals come to the kill; great hulking Russian peasants, -their heads and faces half-hidden in jungles of long, matted hair, sat -crouched on primitive stools, and ate the kernels of sunflower seeds by -the hour, throwing a handful of the seeds into their mouths, chewing -meditatively, and then ejecting the seeds in a wide semi-circle before -them on the floor. - -From the window I could see the rude troikas of the farmers drive up, -with three horses abreast. They sat in their seats, while their women -disembarked from the rude carts, crawling out of the loose straw upon -which they had ridden, to unload bottles of milk, cabbage, and potatoes. - -While their lords stomped about the station, drinking vodka in secret -places, from which they emerged wiping their mouths with the backs -of their hands, the women set up the farm products on boxes near the -station, and the market was open. - -The mothers in the station crowds sought the milk eagerly. Such milk, -and in such bottles! The latter had evidently never seen water, but -were grimy with old and sticky milk down their sides. The wads of -paper and rudely whittled stoppers used as corks were loose, and milk -oozed up through them, to become a feeding place for millions of flies. - -In some cases the milk appeared to be sold by the drink, a few kopecks -giving a man or woman the privilege of drinking from the bottle, while -the seller of the milk carefully watched the throat of the buyer and -counted the swallows. And I observed that the last swallow taken, -consisted of all the cheeks of the buyer would hold. - -I saw a bottle snatched from a man, who was attempting to get more than -his money’s worth. Everybody laughed, including the bottle-snatcher, -and just to show that he was honest, and willing to pay for his little -joke, the man threw a few extra postage-stamp kopecks to the woman, and -went on his way, his shoulders heaving with mirth over his fun. - -Those long hours of waiting at Botchkereva will always stick in my -memory as a period in my life when I was reduced to peasantry in -Siberia. It was cold and drear enough to make the sugarless tea from -the steaming samovar taste like nectar; I acquired a taste for greasy -cabbage soup which revealed formless chunks of meat concealed in its -foliage. - -I shared with a giant Tartar my packet of Moscow biscuits, and -marvelled at the amount of nourishment he could still pick from his -teeth after he had finished his meal. - -Lest I should build up the idea that travel de luxe is all that I know, -I wish to establish the fact that I know the forecastles of fishing -boats, have lived below in cattle ships, and know intimately the -foremast life of tramp steamers. I have lived among savages under most -primitive conditions, and know something of the hardships of campaign. -I spent eighty days ’tween-decks in a transport from New York to the -Philippines by way of Suez in the days when a soldier was a hard-bitted -being and knew nothing of Y. M. C. A. or Salvation Army aid. Three -times I have made the circuit of the globe, bent on seeing and admiring -and fighting, and have always felt more or less at home wherever my -campaign hat happened to hang. - -But in the Maritime Provinces of Siberia I got the impression of being -on a new planet. This place seemed to me farther from civilization than -any place I had ever been, despite the fact that a railroad passed the -door of the station. The peasant of Siberia can create and endure the -vilest conditions of life I have ever witnessed. - -It is said that there are queer tribes to the north, on the Siberian -littoral, who are more hidden from the world than the natives of -Central Africa or the Eskimos of the Arctic--the blacks of Africa and -the denizens of the regions near the poles have seen explorers and -traders, but civilization has never penetrated portions of the mainland -in behind Kamchatka. This territory would no doubt prove to be a rich -field to the ethnologist. - -I knew that the green minarets of a church not far from the station -marked the position of the town, and I induced my orderly to take a -walk. We scouted for a bath-house, and found one. It was a primitive -structure of logs, floored with rotten adze-hewn planks which were full -of splinters, mouldy and dangerously slippery. A girl of about twelve, -clad in dirty rags, conducted us into the place. It looked as if it had -been deserted for years. - -A rude fireplace, built of rocks, held the stubs of charred logs. -Above, was a sort of stone oven also made of rocks, but not mortared, -so that there were interstices through which a hand could be thrust. -It was into this oven-like place that water was thrown, once the rocks -were glowing from the fire, and thus the steam was generated for the -typical bath. - -Merely out of curiosity to see what would happen, I gave the girl -a ruble and asked her to prepare the fire and bring water. Kissing -the dirty slip of paper money, she went out. In half an hour she had -provided one bucket of water and one stick of wood. In time she had a -sickly fire going. I judged that in about six hours she would have the -rocks of the oven warm enough to turn water into steam. - -We went wandering about the town, which consisted of probably a -couple of hundred crude buildings, not counting the inevitable yellow -buildings near the station, provided for railroad employees. The place -seemed almost deserted, except for shivering Chinese at their open-air -counters in little kiosks at some of the street-corners. They were -huddled in these little huts, and were not at all eager to sell their -cigarettes and other goods--they most reluctantly took their hands out -of their ample sleeves, which they used as muffs. I believe they were -engaged chiefly in selling vodka. - -But for all the deserted-village aspect, the place must have been well -inhabited. Under the ornately carved eaves of the buildings (which -indicate long and boresome evenings spent in whittling) there were -hanging long and deep fringes of brown salmon, which had been split -and hung up to dry. These drying fish fill the village landscapes of -Siberia in the Fall months. - -The human being who craves beauty in his surroundings, even in the -midst of desolation, is to be commended. Yet when the barbarian carves -the house where he keeps his idol, or draws intricate designs on his -canoe, or tattoos his body, we say that by these things he betrays his -barbarism. - -The Siberian can build a squat log house, and with strips of wood cut -into the most delicate filigree work, make the ungainly structure -dazzle your eyes in a manner only to be rivalled by a silicate -Christmas card. - -At home we still have houses which appear to be the products of the -jig-saw, and look more like wedding cakes than places of residence. And -all the time in Siberian villages I was being reminded of Yonkers and -other suburban cities. - -So I refrain from saying that the ornate eaves and window-trimming of -Siberian homes prove the Siberians to be barbarians. It might be better -to say that they outdo some of our own inhabitants when it comes to -being decoratively-minded. - -Barbarism? We are all barbaric still, but we use different methods of -revealing it, and such things as are familiar to us, we assert go to -prove our civilization. It is always the other fellow who is barbaric -when the psychologist goes hunting for stigmata. If, for instance, -I had found no decorations on Siberian homes, I might have berated -Siberians for neglecting to beautify their surroundings. Those fretted -eaves are symbolical of the fact that the Siberian peasant will aspire -against all odds to better things, though he may be crushed to earth -generation after generation. - -Yet if the time and energy represented by these exterior decorations -could have been expended on their brains, the Siberians might have -saved themselves from many of their past, present and future woes. Or -if instead of satisfying the visual yearning for beauty, the people -protected their other senses from the terrible and menacing smells -which go with their lack of sanitation, they might well do without -filigree work on their buildings. For if cleanliness be next to -godliness, the Siberian has a long and hard road to travel before he -approaches the divinity. - -Late in the afternoon we heard a train puffing laboriously up the line, -and hastened back to the station. There was no reply to my telegram to -Major Miller. One of two things must be done--go on, or give up. The -telegraph operator informed me that there was no answer from Ushumun. -The Japanese captain in charge of the station came to tell me that if -I were seeking Major Miller, that officer was still at Ushumun, as his -Japanese operators had so informed him not an hour before. - -The train arrived, and unloaded another throng of unkempt natives. -Those in the station clambered aboard, fighting for places in the -fourth-class cars, already over-crowded in spite of the human freight -which had disembarked. - -The usual scramble for hot water for tea-kettles took place; men bought -double handfuls of red salmon-eggs, big as peas, and giving off an -odour similar to a glue factory. Caviare? No, they have never heard of -caviare. Eekrah, they call this vile mess. - -The milk market did a lively business, while the engine loaded wood, -in the leisurely manner with which all such work is done. The train -crew abandoned the train, and made an onslaught on the cabbage soup -and tea--and talk! such a flood of talk they produced with the Russian -staff of the station! - -With my baggage stowed in a crowded fourth-class car, holding some -forty persons each determined to keep inviolate the few inches of -seating space already pre-empted, I got into the open air again, and -attracted by the clamor of the railroad men in the station, I got my -interpreter to translate some of the conversation, which, by the vigor -shown by the talkers, must indicate something afoot which would stand -out in Russian history. Perhaps a new revolution, or the Czar had come -back to the throne. - -This was the burden of their excited discussion: - -The engine is bad. - -When will these accursed Japanese go away? - -The weather is good. - -I am very thirsty. - -I have a lazy Chinese for a helper. - -Ivan, who worked at Nikolsk, is sick. - -Do you remember when Peter fell in the river? - -The tea is good. - -I will see my wife when I go back to First River. - -My mother’s mother had a boil ten years ago--she cured it with ashes. - -What time is it? Never mind, what does it matter? - -My brother’s cow has a calf. - -And the world shuddering about what would happen to the Russian people, -groping amid the ruins of a shattered nation! Massacres in Petrograd -and Moscow, in Samara and Perm, Vladivostok in control of Allied -troops, wreck and ruin, refugees and desolation, unlimited numbers of -factions quarreling to see who would pick the bones of the country, -intrigue, murder and sudden death stalking through city and town, the -very railroad on which they worked ready to lie down and die in its -tracks, their wages six months overdue, and no telling what would -happen to-morrow to themselves or their families--these people calmly -discussed the birth of a relative’s calf! - -And I, with several thousand other American citizens, had cast aside -all the things we held dear, to come half way round the world and fight -to save Russia! The American people poured men and money, to help these -people, and for a long time will be paying the bills. But the Russian -worried only about the temperature of his tea, and wondered why we -should worry at all about him or his affairs. And the railroad men in -Siberia represent the best type of working men, far above the simple -peasant in mental advancement. - -With a similar state of affairs at home, can we imagine the crew of one -of our passenger trains finding nothing to discuss but trivial personal -affairs? Yet we persisted in considering the Russian people on a par -with our own in seeking enlightened government and an orderly condition -of life, once they had rid themselves of the oppressing Czar and his -bureaucrats. - -In due time, our train moved out. The car windows were sealed tightly -against any outside air. The three decks of sleeping shelves were -filled with men, women and children, so completely that from floor to -ceiling there was a solid block of humanity. I managed to secure a -shelf for my blankets, by watching those who prepared to detrain at -stations ahead, and taking the space before the new passengers got in. - -The narrow aisle was so piled with cases and bags of merchandise and -personal effects, that it was almost impossible to get in or out of -the car. And there were battles royal at every station, as one mob -tried to get out while the other mob fought its way inside. There were -many Chinese, peddling with packs, carrying salt, tea, sugar and such -necessities, and selling them at exorbitant prices. Instead of sugar, -there was also a cheap, highly-colored candy, used to sweeten tea--and -give it most outlandish flavors. - -These speculating Chinese were most rude and insolent to the Siberians. -I saw a pair of them drive a woman and her two children from a seat, -and leave them standing, in order to get the seat for themselves. A -young Cossack officer hove them out bodily, but they ran after the -train and rescued their baggage. They who had been so overbearing with -a helpless woman, gave a fine exhibition of cringing when they in turn -found themselves in the presence of a strong and ruthless personality. - -The provodnik distributed candles as darkness came on, and we rattled -along through the night at about ten miles an hour, slowing down -discreetly to cross temporary bridges, which had been built where the -Bolshevists, as they fled before the Allies, had blown out the original -structures. - -The candles increased the richness of our air-mixture, and as they -burned low and guttered smoking tallow over bare feet of sleepers, -the odor of the salmon-roe, cached in tin cans about the car, almost -lost its lusty pervasiveness. I awoke at about midnight, and though -the candles were still glimmering faintly and producing a nut-flavored -smoke, the salmon-roe still held its own, and asserted its presence -unmistakably. - -The cause of my waking was a burly Chinese, who mistaking me for a -peasant as I lay on my shelf rolled in my blankets, took the liberty -of heaving several of his heavy boxes in upon me, in an attempt to -discourage me from occupying so much space. My reading of Darwin made -me realize that it was a case of the survival of the fittest. I felt -particularly fit, and when that Chinese had eliminated himself from -the car, along with his baggage, I went back to sleep. I forgot in the -meantime the necessity for maintaining cordial international relations -with China, and made it a purely personal matter. - -Incidentally, it must be the boldest spirits among the Chinese who -dared travel in that part of Siberia with anything of value. I was -awakened later that night by a great to-do in the car, when Cossacks -at a station went through the train and looked all the passengers -over, including baggage. They took two Chinese out of the car, with -some bulky bundles. The bundles proved to be full of packets of -paper rubles. The Cossacks debated among themselves as to whether so -much wealth was not in itself evidence of criminality, and favored -confiscating the money. How much was given up, I do not know, but once -more the Chinese came back, settled themselves for sleep upon their -shelf and we rolled merrily on. - -Toward morning I was awakened once more by a big peasant who stepped -upon my face, in order to climb to the top of the car. I watched him -mount upward, till he was in reach of a ventilator, and I came to the -conclusion that I had misjudged peasants when it came to desiring fresh -air--it was obvious that this man desired to tamper with the ventilator -in the ceiling so that it would provide a better opening to let out our -bad odors. - -But instead, before my horrified eyes, he closed it! And not satisfied -with its natural tightness, he stuffed into it a Russian newspaper in -which had been wrapped salmon-eggs! I roused myself, dressed, and went -out on the car-platform in the crisp, cool air where I waited for the -sun to rise over the bleak hills. - -Before long, we came to a small yellow depot, with this signboard -upon it, as near as I can reproduce with Roman letters: “YXXYMYH”--it -was Ooshoomoon, or Ushumun, the y’s distributed through its system -providing the oo sounds in Russian. - -Not an American soldier in sight. We learned from the telegraph -operator that Major Miller and his force had left the evening before -in a troop-train, and had passed us during the night, going in the -direction from which we came. - -As for my telegram to Major Miller, the operators had never heard of -it. I suppose the operator at Botchkereva had pocketed my rubles, and -let it go at that. Anyhow, that is the most brilliant procedure I can -ascribe to him. He was either a fool or a knave. With the people then -operating the trans-Siberian railroad, the theory that they mask their -knavery under stupidity has proven true with me, in the long run. -By appearing stupid, and so making fools of the smart Americanskys, -they prove their superiority to us, according to their Asiatic style -of reasoning. They would rather pocket our money than to show to us -something in the nature of human intelligence. - -But my missing Major Miller was not vital, except in so far as I was -concerned with the element of time. We got our baggage out of the car, -and faced the prospect of spending the night and most of the next day -in the primitive little station, waiting for the single train running -daily, which would take us back toward Khabarovsk. - - - - -VIII - -ON THE BACK TRAIL - - -The train which had brought us to Ushumun pulled out to the east, -leaving me sitting on my bedding-roll smoking a cigarette in the frosty -morning, while my interpreter went to the station restaurant to ask if -they had any eggs, and if they had, would they please fry them “sunny -side up.” - -Physically and mentally, inside and out, I was flat. My love for -Siberia and the Siberians was at its lowest ebb--I would have sold -the whole country to the Cossacks at a bargain price, if I had owned -it that morning. I yearned for the trenches--any place, where if a -man displayed a copious vocabulary, its full depth of feeling and -expression might be appreciated. - -A Japanese civilian, in a bluish sort of suit, which reminded me of -chauffeurs in New York who buy cast-off livery to wear as a uniform, -drew near, and, so to speak, wagged his tail. (Later I learned that -his outward aspect was similar to that of Japanese officers on secret -service). - -He spoke fairly good English, but managed to maintain an abject -and apologetic manner. He informed me that he had been a barber in -Vladivostok, the purpose of which remark I could not fathom--either -he was attracted by the glamor of a two-day beard of reddish hue which -I wore, or he mentioned Vladivostok to account for his having learned -English. His progress in the language must have been rapid if he -learned English there from the American troops, for up to about a month -before, one might have as well gone to Timbuctu to acquire our language. - -He squatted on his heels before me, and asked for a match. He being -the most amiable object on the landscape, I did not resent his -presence, but gave him the match, and he lit a limp cigarette with -great solemnity. I could fairly hear him think of how to attack me as a -problem and wring from me the most possible information. - -Finally, after considerable discussion of the most commonplace weather, -he got down to business. I must say that if he revealed the teachings -of the Japanese military secret service, that organization is far -behind the times. It was counter-espionage at its worst. - -He wanted to know first where I was going. I told him that I intended -to stay permanently in those parts, which put him in something -resembling a panic. He recovered in time to ask me what part of town I -intended to reside in. As I could see no town, I told him I intended to -live in the railway station. He nearly fell off his heels, so overcome -was he--for which I do not blame him, considering the station. - -He assured me dismally that there was a Japanese officer, and several -Japanese soldiers, already living in the station, and that there was -not room left for so much as a flea’s brother-in-law. I told him that -my orders were to live in that section, and I intended to do so if I -had to sleep on the counter where the samovar stood in the daytime. - -Now orders to a Japanese soldier, are not merely orders as we -understand them--they are sacred revelations emanating from the most -holy place in Japan and the heavens above. He understood that I was -going to live in that station, even if I had to pitch out a whole -Japanese division. He almost wept over the prospect, but borrowing -one of my cigarettes, which I had most carelessly exposed, he got off -his heels, and departed sadly to that part of the station where the -Japanese officer in charge cooked his rice. - -Presently the “barber” was back, now with a Japanese captain, who -approached me as if I were a divinity. I let him approach close before -I “saw” him, and then leaped to my feet and came to a most dramatic -salute. He beamed upon me, and after we had got done bowing and -scraping, the barber announced proudly that the Japanese officer had -come to pay his respect to the American officer. I acknowledged his -kindness with a bow that near broke my car-stiffened back. - -The barber, who refrained now from sitting on his heels, and betrayed a -most suspicious desire to look military, said that he would be glad to -interpret for us, and said that the Japanese captain was most sad over -my fate--I must have the steel of Samurai in my backbone to face so -calmly an existence which would undoubtedly wreck my constitution, if -it did not result in my death. I replied that I was a soldier, and was -tempted to say that so far as I could observe, the Japanese captain was -bearing up most wonderfully under a similar mode of life. But one must -be extremely careful in joking with Japanese. - -But I knew that in order to save my face when I took the first train -bound south, I had better not carry my simulation of a desire for -permanent residence, too far. So I became disconsolate, as they went on -to tell of the discomforts awaiting me. - -The Japanese captain took me to the little shed adjoining the station, -where he lived. He had improvised a shelf a few inches from the dirt -floor, and with a fire in a bucket, called it home. He gave me saki, in -a thimble-like glass, and some raw fish. And he smiled and smiled as I -said I could never endure such quarters. No doubt he has made a report, -in which he cites the fact that American officers will not willingly -endure privations on campaign. Thus do the nations get false ideas -about one another. - -I expressed a desire to get out of Ushumun as quickly as possible. The -Japanese captain beamed. He informed me that a Japanese troop-train -was coming down the line, and would pass through there in a couple of -hours. If I desired to travel away on it, he could probably arrange -with the train commander for transportation. Which he did. - -So when a train with a Japanese battery of artillery arrived, I saw -my friend in serious consultation with the train commander, and I was -invited to the fourth-class coach on the rear, filled with officers and -soldiers, and given a section, the soldiers being put out in box-cars -with the horses and other men. - -I do not care to analyze the motives which led the Japanese captain to -hurry me out of Ushumun. It was obvious that he desired me far away. -And my expressed intention of staying there, only increased his worry. -If I had told him I intended leaving by the next train, no doubt I -would have spent that day and the next night in discomfort in Ushumun -station. But it is not in me to look a gift-horse in the mouth. - -The section in the car assigned to me and my soldier-interpreter -provided wooden shelves for six persons, the upper ones so arranged -that they could be folded up out of the way. I begged the train -commander to put four of the six non-commissioned officers who had been -ousted for my benefit, back in their quarters, but he replied through -his interpreter, and with profound bows, that the entire section -was mine. And the hospitality accorded me in that car will never be -forgotten. On that trip I came nearer to being royal than I ever expect -to be again. - -Knowing something of the administration of a battery of light -artillery, I was most interested in seeing how horses and men were -cared for by the Japanese. They attended to their duties as if work -were sacred rites. They messed their men, fed and watered their horses, -not merely well, but as if the fate of the Japanese Empire depended -upon the utmost efficiency of every cog in that particular machine. - -The simplicity of their messing arrangements for the men, in comparison -with our own army in trains, is remarkable. We have to provide -kitchen-cars, fitted up with field ranges, meat, bread, potatoes, -canned tomatoes, coffee, and provide buckets of hot water for washing -mess-kits. It is like a primitive travelling hotel, and our men go -to the car to have their meals dealt out by the cooks. And on the -trans-Siberian line, the road-bed was so rough, and the cars so light -and the wheels so flattened by bad usage, it was frequently impossible -to boil water over our stoves while under way. This necessitated stops -en route to prepare meals and serve them, and once a train has lost its -right of way by stopping in a siding, it may mean hours before the line -ahead is clear of regular traffic, so that the troop-train may go on. - -The mess-kit of the Japanese soldier is a metal container, about the -size and shape of a case for large field-glasses. The top clamps on so -that it is water-tight. A handful of dry rice, a little water, a fire -by the track, and the mess-kits are thrown into the blaze. - -In a short time, the soldier’s meal is ready, and after he has eaten -as much as he wants, the remainder is kept hot by closing the lid. -I have seen Japanese prepare their meals during a ten-minute stop by -such methods. And each soldier, on the march, can carry enough dry, -light rice, to last him several days. His columns are not hampered by -the slow progress of heavy ration-wagons, his food is not in danger of -being cut off by enemy, his service of supply presents no problem. The -swift movements of the Japanese armies during the Russo-Japanese war -were due to the simplicity of their transport. - -On this trip I came to a full realization of the hatred held for the -Japanese by the Siberian populace. It is hatred remaining as a result -of the Russo-Japanese war; it is a hatred engendered by fear of the -Japanese, and their ambitions regarding the future of Siberia; it is -a hatred deeply-embedded in the hearts of the Russians, and of such -intensity that the two races cannot hope ever to mingle with any amity. - -I found it embarrassing, too; to stop in a station, and be recognized -as an “Americansky” and receive the smiles and open admiration of the -people, while my hosts were covertly, and sometimes openly, sneered at, -and disrespectful and insulting remarks about “monkey-faces” came out -of groups of peasants, made it apparent to my hosts that I was much -in favor with the people, and that the Japanese were regarded as if -they were rattle-snakes. It must have hurt the sensitive pride of the -Japanese, but I must give them credit for good discipline, and splendid -self-control, in the face of such treatment. - -Had I not been present, it is likely that the Russians would have been -more cautious; as it was, my presence only subjected the Japanese to -insults which they might not have had to endure in the presence of a -witness. But they went on about their business, as if their superiority -to the Siberians was something which was beyond question--and perhaps -their attitude held something of a “biding my time,” for a suitable -revenge. - -Standing outside the car one afternoon, beside the Japanese troop-train -commander, I saw a Japanese soldier coming toward the train with two -large buckets, a Siberian peasant following him closely, and calling -out in protest. The soldier, aware of the fact that he was under the -eyes of his commander, made no reply, but came on. Presently, as the -Siberian came close enough to recognize me as an American, he darted -up behind the soldier, and pulled from one of the buckets, a head of -cabbage. The train commander looked on, but made no comment, though it -was obvious that the Japanese soldier was stealing the cabbage. Under -similar circumstances, an American soldier would have been reprimanded -on the spot. - -The Siberian put the cabbage on the ground, and emboldened by the -passive attitude of the Japanese, once more ran in pursuit, and -extracted from the other bucket, another cabbage. Having emptied the -buckets of the forager, he departed with his cabbages. I wondered if he -would have been allowed to regain his property if I had not been with -the Japanese. - -In this connection, peasants always came to my interpreter with -complaints against the Japanese. But our orders were to give no heed -to such complaints--in fact, not to listen to them. There were tales -of murder, robbery, outrage, of isolated districts in which Japanese -soldiers drove the people from their homes, and took the dwellings as -quarters, confiscating all money and property in possession of the -people. I can only cite the fact that these stories were told; the -truth of them is a matter I am not competent to discuss. - -Early in the morning we were back in Botchkereva, and stopped there -while the horses were fed and watered. I went to the station restaurant -for tea. There I found a young lieutenant of the Twenty-seventh -Infantry, who had left Khabarovsk two days later than I did, in an -effort to find Major Miller’s force. - -His name was D----, and he was shivering from the cold, for it was not -time to begin the sale of tea and food, though the girls were sleepily -washing the floors, and firing up the samovars. A throng of refugees -were standing about, patiently waiting for the hour to arrive when they -might get something hot. - -My interpreter and I were thoroughly chilled, but no amount of money -would induce the slatternly girls to give us even hot water from the -samovars--it lacked a half an hour before they would begin to serve -anything. I looked at the men, women and children huddled together -in corners, some of them shivering so violently that their teeth -chattered, and poor, under-nourished and illy-clad children crying from -cold. Why the attendants must observe such regular hours, under such -conditions, I could not understand, and never will. It may be that it -was a demonstration of the “rosy conditions of Soviet Russia,” which an -American referred to recently in a speech at Madison Square Garden, New -York, at which the beauties of the Bolshevist régime were extolled. But -I wish to call attention to the fact that those who did the extolling -of the Bolshevist régime were not enjoying that régime in Russia--they -were enduring the hardships of the “capitalistic United States.” - -The solution of the mystery as to why shivering and hungry people in -that station could not buy tea from bubbling samovars till the clock -struck a certain hour, probably lies in the fact that the attendants -were “free,” and members of a Soviet. When it comes to autocracy, the -peasant of Russia can outdo all autocrats. And curiously enough, they -are most cruel to their own kind. If a pair of Cossack officers had -come into that station, and demanded tea forthwith, I believe they -would have had it, regardless of the time. The fact that the samovars -were steaming would have been reason enough for serving the tea. - -More out of curiosity than necessity, I made every plea to get tea; my -train would go on shortly; I would give fifty rubles for three glasses -of tea; I was ill; I must have tea then, or go without it all day. -None of these arguments got the tea. - -So having a supply of dry tea of my own, my interpreter took the cups -from our canteens, and putting them over the little fires of the -Japanese soldiers alongside the track, brewed our own warming beverage -for breakfast, and invited D---- to join us. - -Once he had driven the chills from his body, he told me that he had sat -up in the station all night, only pretending to nap, because he had a -suitcase full of rubles to pay off the men of Major Miller’s force and -was afraid it might be stolen. And in order to divert suspicion from -the suitcase, he had thrown it carelessly in a nearby corner, as if it -did not matter what became of it, though he kept a wary eye upon it. - -He said it was likely that the train to take him back to Khabarovsk -might not arrive till that night. I immediately asked the commander of -the train if I might take D---- with me, and he gladly assented. So -when the train moved out, D---- shared a lower shelf with me. - - - - -IX - -A RED SWEATER AND THE GENERAL - - -It happened that I wanted to get off at a little station, called Bira. -And I understood that the Japanese troop-train would stop there to -feed and water, making a sufficient stop for me to visit the company -of American soldiers quartered in box-cars on a siding. But we whisked -through Bira at an early hour, and we were well down the line toward -Khabarovsk, before I learned of the change of plans of the train -commander. - -But I planned to leave the train the next morning, and double back, -visiting our detachments on the way. Besides, I wished to locate a -certain English-speaking Russian, who wore a red sweater and made it -his business to work or loaf wherever we had soldiers and to mingle -with them to strike up acquaintances. This man had worked several years -in the United States, and he was busy at his special propaganda among -our troops. - -It was not so much his work and spying which I wished to investigate, -but I was interested in his methods, and I wished to determine if -possible who was supplying him with money and who was directing his -efforts. He was not merely a man who professed a dislike for the -United States, but he evidently belonged to a coterie which was well -instructed as to how to build up an enmity between the Russians and the -Americans. - -I had talked with this man twice, or rather he had sought me out and -tested my knowledge on what the United States intended to do in Russia. -I had discussed matters with him as if he were what he pretended to -be--an uneducated working man. As a matter of fact he had been a lawyer -in Michigan, making a poor living among Russian and other immigrants, -and none too ethical in his ways of making money. - -Such detachment commanders as I had talked with on the way up, when -asked as to suspicious characters, all declared that they had noticed -no persons who appeared to be worthy of attention--and all told me of -Red Sweater. The usual story about him was about this: - -“There is a man in a red sweater who worked here on the track a few -days, with the section hands. He talks English. He hung around our men, -generally showing up at mess-time, and asking for some American food. -He has ‘joshed’ the men about being in this country, but they don’t pay -any attention to him. He finally went away, and we haven’t seen him for -a couple of weeks. But he doesn’t amount to anything--just kind of a -poor simpleton, who thinks he knows it all because he can talk a little -English.” - -That sounded reasonable enough the first time I heard it. The next -time I heard it, I began to take notice, and a day or so later, Red -Sweater attached himself to my train in the capacity of a provodnik, a -man who keeps up the fires, pretends to sweep the car, and gives out -the candles. - -Red Sweater worked first on my interpreter, and then felt his way along -with me in English. At that time, I was confident that our expedition -would take such action as was necessary for the good of Russia, and -in time proceed to establish a new Russian front against Germany in -association with all the available forces of our Allies. Of course, -this was some time before the armistice, or early in October. But I -professed to be entirely out of sympathy with any American action in -Russia. That attitude was far more likely to bring to my attention such -Russians, or enemy agents, as secretly opposed us, than an attitude -of desiring aggressive action by my country. And in their eagerness -to find an American who upheld their contention, Bolshevist agents -and others, walked into the little trap and revealed their lines -of propaganda. It is remarkable how the person who appears to be a -malcontent, attracts the professional agitators--they seem overjoyed -at the prospect of making a convert, or in having their reasoning and -actions justified by others not in their circle. - -And Red Sweater was dangerous, not because of the falsity of the things -he said, but on account of the truths he uttered, and his subtlety -in perverting truth to fit his ideas and theories. It was probably -such chaps, working among our troops in Archangel, which caused the -reported “mutiny” in our forces there--just “kind of a poor simpleton,” -saying silly things, and not worthy of attention. - -Red Sweater was clever in his ways. He made no statements on his own -responsibility, but always quoted the “Russian people.” As I listened -to his arguments, I was led to believe that he must have held a -plebecite which included every inhabitant of Siberia and European -Russia, and to him alone, had been revealed the desires and intentions -of two hundred million inhabitants. - -“The Russian people do not trust the United States,” he said glibly, -after he was assured that I was “safe.” “You are a capitalistic nation, -and they know it. You say you are friends of the Russian people but the -Russian people ask: ‘Why are you fighting Russian people near Archangel -if you are our friends?’ - -“You are not fighting the Russian people here. They ask why not? And -their answer is: ‘The capitalists of the United States do not fight us -here, because they wish to steal our trans-Siberian railroad.’ - -“The Russian people say they have freed themselves of capitalists. The -United States say they are free people--but the capitalists of the -United States have conscripted the ‘free’ working men of the United -States, and compelled them to come here to Russia to fight the free -Russian working men. That is what the Russian people say. You think you -are serving your country by being here. The Russian people say you are -serving your capitalists, to again enslave the Russian working men. -The Russian people say they have a right to run their own country in -their own way, but the capitalists of the United States send an army of -conscripts over here to prevent the Russian people from keeping their -freedom. If the working men of the United States were satisfied with -their country, would they want a Russian army to go over there, and -tell them how to run it? But the Russian people know that the people -of the United States did not send this conscript army over here--the -capitalists did that. And for that reason the Russian people do not -want to fight you--they do not want you to fight them. Japan and -England do not want a republic here--they want to put the Czar back. -Both those countries have thrones, and their rulers do not want to see -new republics. And the reason they want to see the Czar back here, -is that they can make secret treaties with the Czar, but they could -not make secret treaties if we had a government of the people. The -Russian people say the American capitalists sent an army here to help -Japan and England put the Czar back on his throne. If he is put back -on the throne, and partly by your help, are you sure that the Czar, -the Emperor of Japan, and the King of England, will not combine, and -some day send their armies to force the people of the United States -into having an Emperor? The Russian people say to you: ‘Comrades, we -understand. You, too, must overthrow your capitalists, as we have done, -and control your own country for the benefit of the working men.’ The -Russian people say you are not free yet--no man is free, if he can be -conscripted for the benefit of capitalists, and sent to the other side -of the world to fight the working men of another country.” - -And some officers thought Red Sweater did not “amount to anything.” -This was because they had no way of knowing that his itinerary included -every station where American troops might be found, and because he was -clever enough to look like a poor tramp, and wise enough to act the -fool when the occasion demanded that he conceal his purposes. - -He deserted my train after he had traveled far enough to plant his -insidious propaganda in my mind. The next time I saw him, he did his -best to get me to ask the Japanese troop-train commander to let him -ride with us. I did no such thing, whereupon he concealed himself -between the cars, and I was now interested to see at what point he -would leave us. This was one of the reasons I was willing enough to -pass through Bira. - -The night following our passage through Bira, I got to sleep about ten -o’clock. At a quarter to eleven I woke with a start, for no apparent -reason. D---- was sleeping soundly beside me, and my interpreter was -snoring on an upper shelf. The train was toiling up hills slowly, and -then dashing down the other side recklessly, or so it seemed to me. -Many bridges had been blown out by the Bolshevists, and small rivers -and gullies were crossed by the railroad over temporary trackage, laid -on amazing grades, and poorly ballasted, for the purpose of making -detours around the wrecked bridges. - -I felt the train making painful progress up a slope. The engine puffed -laboriously. We reached the crest of the hill, and suddenly began to go -down at a rapidly increasing rate, and at the same time I missed the -noise of the engine, some thirty or forty cars ahead. Our car was the -last on the train. - -There was a terrific crash, far ahead, and then every moveable thing -on our car started for the front end. My interpreter was hurled off -his shelf amid all the cooking utensils and food in the car, D---- was -slammed up against the side of the section, and I skidded on my elbows -out on the floor, barely avoiding taking an iron support which held the -shelf above me, off with my head. - -The car swung round sidewise and lurched downward, and amid the sound -of rending timbers, appeared to be headed for a river below. I was sure -we had gone through a blown-out bridge. - -But the derailed car settled over gently on its side, and came to rest. -We got out as quickly as possible, not sure that the wrecked train -was safe from attack by Bolshevists. Under a cold, clear sky, we saw -that the train had been shattered in the center, the wreck occurring -on a sharp down grade between the banks of a cut. Several of the small -and light box-cars, containing horses and Japanese soldiers, had been -smashed, but the damage was not great, due to the fact that the shock -had been absorbed by the cars bulging upward into an inverted V. The -Japanese were busily engaged in getting out horses, and in checking up -their men, to ascertain if any had been killed. There were a few minor -injuries. - -It was too cold to linger outside long in my pajamas, and I went back -to the car, and finding our electric flashlights, sorted ourselves -out and went back to sleep. In the morning we learned just what had -happened. - -The train had broken open in the middle at the crest of the hill. -The engine, with the forward half, had run down into the valley over -temporary trackage. Then the engineer discovered what had happened. -The tail end of his train was just gaining headway over the crest, and -coming down with increasing speed. So, in order to go back and get -it, he reversed his engine and came back at top speed, meeting us in -the cut when we had acquired good speed from the descending grade. It -was a splendid example of how not to recapture the runaway half of a -troop-train. - -[Illustration: RUSSIAN SOLDIERS CLEARING THE TRACK AFTER A WRECK ON THE -TRANS-SIBERIAN] - -[Illustration: JAPANESE OFFICERS TALKING WITH AN AMERICAN OFFICER] - -That is an impartial description of what happened. But there was every -reason to believe that the engineer, working with a confederate aboard -the train, knew the train would be split at the proper place to allow -the engine to get away, and then come back with the most disastrous -results. And I believe that Red Sweater split the train, for when a -wrecking train came the next morning to clear the tracks, the engine -of our train and such cars as would travel, going ahead to the next -station to allow the wreckers to get in at the smashed cars, Red -Sweater rode away with the first load of battered cars pulled out. - -During that day, and the best part of that night, the Russian wrecking -crew worked and talked and drank tea, on a job that would have taken an -American wrecking crew, two hours. Before a pair of broken trucks could -be ditched, there must be a discussion which suggested the Duma in -action against the Czar. But the Japanese, stoical and silent, were not -fooled--they recognized as fine a piece of sabotage as had ever been -produced. - -When we resumed our journey, we three were nearly famished for want of -food. We had brewed tea, and consumed a string-load of pretzels, and -as the Japanese had not noticed that we were short of supplies, we had -refrained from asking for any of their food. - -Train schedules were so upset, that I figured I might as well go on to -Khabarovsk, and get the next train out again to Bira. In the meantime -I might pick up the trail of Red Sweater among the railway detachments -strung along the line. - -So we made a long stop at a station called Poperoffka, some fifteen -versts from Khabarovsk. There was a platoon of Americans there, -commanded by a lieutenant, quartered in box-cars. D----, my interpreter -and myself lost no time in getting to the kitchen-car, where we bought -canned tomatoes, potatoes, bread and coffee, and bribed the cook to -prepare a meal. - -There we learned that the Commanding General had passed through, -bound north in a private car, with a private engine. And just as I -had attacked a mess-kit full of corned beef, my first square meal in -a week, soldiers came to inform the lieutenant in command, that the -Commanding General was returning, and that he was leaving his private -car with his staff. - -General Graves was making a tour of inspection. He visited our -kitchen-car, with a dozen or more officers. He was puzzled because -he had just visited a station where the commanding officer had not -heard of my presence in that part of the country. He was very wroth -because he had found some commanding officers away from their commands -on hunting excursions, and as it turned out, one of these officers -had talked to me on the up trip, and later left in command one of his -subalterns who had recently joined from Vladivostok, and naturally -could not know I was prowling about in that part of Siberia. - -I preferred to leave General Graves puzzled as to ignorance at that -place about me, for if I had made too full an explanation, the officer -concerned, already in the bad graces of his Commanding General, -might have been disciplined. And General Graves, travelling in a -special train with right of way over everything, appeared to have no -appreciation of the difficulty of travel on intermittent passenger -trains. And some members of the personal staff, accustomed to travel -in such special trains, persisted in regarding the trans-Siberian -line as if it were part of, say, the New York Central system. Being a -Commanding General has its disadvantages under such circumstances. - -General Graves suggested that I go back to Bira. As I had lost -considerable sleep and worn out several time-tables figuring out how -I could go back to Bira, I was in hearty accord with the General’s -wishes on the subject. And I eventually carried them out. And certain -officers, fully aware of what had happened, told the General some time -later that trains on the trans-Siberian line could not be trusted to -make the time between different points which the time-tables promised. - -And up to the time I left Siberia, those in the know generally greeted -me at mess, with: “Go back to Bira,” which always gave us a good -laugh--at my expense. - -And by going back to Bira, I lost the trail of Red Sweater, for the -last sight I had of him, was from that kitchen-car at Popperoffka. He -was evidently trailing General Graves’s special train. - - - - -X - -OVER THE AMUR RIVER ON HORSEBACK - - -When I left Bira for Khabarovsk, I was without an interpreter, for my -soldier had gone on to Khabarovsk from Popperoffka, ill. The train was -so crowded that there was no room for me in any of the cars, and all I -could do was load my heavy bedding-roll and grip on between the cars, -and then stand outside with it. - -The trip took all day, and till two the next morning. The weather was -too cold for comfort, despite my heavy sheepskin coat. But a provodnik -insisted that I share his compartment. - -Except for a little Russian, our conversation was limited, but all -through the day and night we entertained each other, exchanging English -and Russian lessons. He claimed to be a Pole from Warsaw, spoke German, -Polish and Russian, and his eagerness to learn English was pathetic. -He asserted that his one ambition was to get to America, and said he -had almost enough rubles to pay his passage, although it developed that -he did not know the price of a ticket from Vladivostok to Japan, and -thence to San Francisco. He probably had more than enough money to pay -his passage, for the lowly provodnik absorbs much money and smuggles -many commodities, from sugar to opium. And many provodniks are German -or Bolshevist agents--they make an admirable system for “underground” -lines of communication. - -The fact that I had to watch my baggage kept me from getting meals from -the stations along the line. But the provodnik filled his tea-kettle -with hot water, we brewed tea, and he came in with a monstrous loaf of -bread and big consignment of reddish salmon-roe. I never intended to -eat the latter stuff, for I had no gas-mask, but when my hospitable -provodnik plastered an inch of the stuff on a slice of bread and handed -it to me, I ate the eekrah to get the bread. I enjoyed it quite as much -as the baked sheep’s eyes once served me by an Arab in the desert. - -We reached Khabarovsk at two in the morning, our passenger train -coming into the yards in such fashion that some six freight trains -were between us and the station, which is generally the case. As the -freights were being shifted about continuously, it was impossible to -attempt to go under them with my baggage, and when, after an hour’s -wait, I got a porter, it appeared that we would spend the remainder -of the night running round the tracks of the yard. For having gone a -quarter of a mile to get round a line of freight cars on one track, -another train on the next track would come rolling down between us and -the station. It was nearly daylight when we got out of that moving -labyrinth. - -And the single drosky-driver at the station, knowing that he had a -monopoly on my business, for all the others had departed with incoming -passengers, demanded sixty rubles to take me to the American post. - -Without argument, I piled my baggage in, clambered aboard, and then -paid him his proper twenty rubles at the end of the journey. He did -not demur--such methods proved to him that I was a personage not to be -trifled with. Had I given him thirty, he would have chased me all night -to get the other thirty, for to display weakness by over-payment puts -one down as a person who can be brow-beaten and robbed. Generosity in -Siberia stamps the stranger as a fool. And as a matter of fact, I paid -him double rate, for the Imperial rubles I gave him were worth about -twice the local paper money. - -There was still a detachment beyond the Amur River, about twenty versts -away, which I had not visited. Colonel Styer gladly provided me with -a horse, and a mounted orderly to ride to this station, saving me -the two days necessary to make the trip by trains. And the Chaplain -of the Twenty-seventh, a hard-riding and hard-praying Southerner -representative of our best type of army chaplains, said that he would -go with me. - -The trip was arranged while I was dining as the guest of Colonel Styer -and Chaplain W----. - -Once more I was in quarters with Lieutenant-Colonel Morrow, the -regimental captain-adjutant, S----, and a second lieutenant, W----, -who had been commissioned from the ranks after several years in the -regular army. The building was large and roomy, having formerly been -the residence of a Russian officer and his family while a regiment of -Siberian Rifles had been stationed in Khabarovsk in the old days. We -used their silver and furniture, their rich table covers, candelabra -and samovars. - -The walls of the house are four feet thick, with hollow spaces between -connected with the flues of the many great stoves, in such way that -the smoke and heat from the fires circulate between the walls before -escaping from the chimneys. Fifty and sixty degrees below zero are said -to be usual winter temperature there. - -A stove in Siberia is not a stove at all, to use a Hibernism, but a -sort of tile temple built into the wall, reaching from the floor to -the ceiling. The front of this structure merges with the surface of -the wall, and the tiles being of various colors and designs, they add -to the interior decorations. And it is startling to come in of a cool -evening and touch a wall hot enough to suggest frying eggs upon it. My -memories of that house are permeated by a kindly old Russian _moujik_, -with long reddish beard, long hair, wrinkled and blinking eyes. -Whenever one had occasion to pass him, he abased himself--he was a most -pathetic demonstration of the Russian style of turning service into -servitude. He seemed to spend all the day and night stuffing wood into -the fireboxes. - -An old soldier who had been with Colonel Morrow had charge of the -servants; a soldier cook prepared the meals, and the house work was -done by the blond _moujik_, a Russian woman and her daughter. It was a -happy place--what the veteran regular calls “old army stuff,” meaning -that everybody begins by assuming that the other fellow is a gentleman, -knows his business, and attends to it without attempting to look, talk -or stand in imitation of von Hindenburg. These latter traits afflict -some persons new to the uniform of an officer, because many young men -gained commissioned ranks without going through the “shavetail” period -of their training. This term comes from the old style of shaving the -tail of a mule new to the army, which serves as sort of a warning -signal to such as may have dealings with him, that the mule has not -acquired proper discipline and a regard for the feelings of others. - -And no matter how high a cadet may stand in his class at West Point, -when he comes to the army, he is a “shavetail officer,” for about a -year, and admits that he has a lot to learn about army ways. This is -one of the reasons why the old regular officers, and the officer fresh -from civil life, have not always gotten on well together in the new -army. - -I do not always side with the regular. The regular army had a splendid -opportunity to send back to civil life several thousands of temporary -officers with friendly feelings for the regulars, and an appreciation -of the professional training of the regular. Instead, in too many -cases, the regular officers went out of their ways to point the fact -that the new officer was only an amateur at the game of soldiering. The -new officers, with a few exceptions, never pretended to be anything -else. They wanted to learn, but they resented being humiliated while -learning. - -As it happened, the regular army of England was forced to enjoy a -monopoly of the fighting in the early days of the war, with the result -that the regular officers were almost entirely wiped out. - -But one foolish amateur in an American expedition generally resulted in -all his fellows being judged by his inefficiency and his foolishness. -The regular army would not wish to be judged by its worst types. And -I refer to these things here to point the fact that if our regular -officers had shown the same spirit toward the strangers that Colonel -Styer and the officers of the Twenty-seventh United States Infantry -showed to the temporary officers of the Siberian Expedition, the -regular army would hold the respectful deference of those men who have -quit the officer’s uniform for civilian garb. - -Before we could cross the Amur to visit the detachment near Khabarovsk, -it was necessary for me to have a pass for the big railroad bridge -over the river, issued by the headquarters of General Oi. S----, the -adjutant, arranged it for me through the Japanese liaison officer. - -We rode down through Khabarovsk, and out on a road which would take us -to the bridge. A guide at headquarters said there was a passage over -the bridge for horses and foot-passengers, but he did not go with us. - -When we came to the bridge, we found that the “passage for horses” -consisted of nothing more than loose planks laid lengthwise between the -rails. And outside the rails, between the steel girders, were great -openings big enough to let a horse go through, in case he shied from -between the rails. And if we met a train, we would have to turn our -horses and come back. - -This bridge over the Amur is nearly a mile long, and consists of -twenty-two spans supported by great stone piers built up from the river -bed. It may be less than half a mile from the surface of the river, -but it appeared to be that far above the water as I looked it over in -contemplation of riding a horse across it. I had crossed it twice by -train, but late at night, when I had not appreciated its grandeur, so -to speak. - -There is a story that the Bolshevists planned to blow it out, but that -one Bolshevist leader had objected, and threatened to shoot his comrade -with the explosives, if the bridge were destroyed, saying it belonged -to Russia, and so much wealth could not be destroyed with his assent. -That Bolshevist must have been something of a patriot, for he saved the -bridge. - -The Japanese guards examined my pass. I consulted with W----. The -horses seemed steady enough, and I decided to attempt the crossing. -So starting off at a slow trot, I led the way. My horse shuddered and -snorted at first, but I did not allow him to stop and think it over. - -By the time we had crossed the first span, the others were trailing -behind. And everything went well, till I came to planks which were -underlaid with sheets of corrugated iron. These made a tremendous -racket under the impact of the blows of the horse’s feet on the loose -planks, and he began to prance and refused to go on. I dismounted, -and without looking back at him, led him across the bad stretch. He -followed meekly, and once we were clear of the sheets, I mounted again, -and went on at the slow trot. So we went over and back again without -mishap, and found it not to be so foolhardy a crossing as it had -appeared to be at first glance. - -My orderly was now out of hospital, and I arranged to leave for -Vladivostok. The train would leave at one o’clock in the afternoon. At -ten, I sent the orderly-interpreter to the station, to get two tickets -and book accommodations for us. At eleven we were at the station, in -order to assure ourselves of a seat, for the train came in a couple -of hours before it departed, and seats belong to those who get them, -regardless of seat-tickets or anything else, under that system of -“equality” which the Siberian has acquired. - -All my effects were dumped from an army wagon, in a blinding snow -storm. The Cossack commandant assured us that our seats would be -preserved for us. The train came in, and unloaded its passengers, and -immediately there was a wild scramble on the part of peasants and -Chinese, fighting their way into the cars. The commandant was with -my interpreter, finding our places, so I waited an hour, having an -abiding faith at that time in the polite assurances of Cossack officers. - -The interpreter came back looking disconsolate. He said the Cossack had -given up in disgust--there was no room in the train for us. And the -engine tooting for an early start, with my baggage rapidly becoming a -snow drift! - -I went to the station and found the Cossack officer. I displayed my -tickets, and cited the fact that I had taken every precaution for -transportation, and had taken him at his word that he would be glad to -reserve seats for us. I demanded that he make good his promises. - -He displayed a most laudable energy, and going aboard a car, opened the -door of a compartment despite the protests of four Russian men inside. -He waxed eloquent over the fact that an American officer and soldier -must travel on that train. They displayed pistols, but finally gave -way, and the six of us sat down in the compartment. My baggage was -checked, and away we rolled. - -It developed later that the reluctance of the four men inside to admit -anybody was due to the fact that they were carrying large sums of -railroad money to Vladivostok. And they explained to the interpreter -that they had showed the pistols for the benefit of the crowds in the -passageway of the car, and were willing enough that we should share the -compartment with them, for if we had not, they might have had trouble -with the exasperated travelers outside, who were compelled to stand -up all that day and most of the night, to get to Vladivostok. As it -turned out, we lived in that compartment as if in a besieged fortress. -At every station, new passengers demanded admittance, and fought for -some time to be admitted, claiming that there was room to sit on the -two upper berths. - -But the Russians drove them away with pistols, and by asserting that -the compartment belonged to “the Americanskys.” And Russian women with -children, scowled at me through the narrow aperture of the chained door -which ventilated the compartment, losing no opportunity by looks or -remarks, to express their opinions of people who came to Siberia and -prevented honest people from riding in comfort in their own trains. - -We got into Vladivostok about four o’clock the next morning, and hiring -three Chinese carriers, I got my baggage to headquarters, and set up my -cot in the Intelligence Office. - -During my absence, there had been a merry rumpus. - - - - -XI - -THE MACHINE THAT SQUEAKED - - -I found Headquarters in Vladivostok seething with secret turmoil. -It seems that the Staff resented the fact that fifteen Intelligence -officers had been sent by the War Department for duty in Siberia. At -least the Intelligence officers got that impression, and they claimed -that everything was being done to discredit them, and upset the general -plan of studying the Siberian situation in detail if for no other -purpose than to watch the Intelligence machine work. - -Although we did not know it, there had been some minor troubles before -we arrived. By the time the _Sheridan_ brought us, there had been one -reorganization of the Siberian military policy, which was brought -about by the arrival of General Graves, who put into play methods of -procedure reflecting the administration policy of “non-interference.” -This meant putting a stop to everything which called for any activity -with the forces in Siberia, crushed any ambition held by officers -of the Twenty-seventh and Thirty-first regiments of infantry for a -campaign, and resolved the whole situation into a matter of marking -time in quarters. - -This is not a criticism of General Graves. What he might prefer to do, -compared with what his orders were, is the difference between a good -soldier obeying his orders and a commander carrying out the orders of -his superiors. I believe that all concerned obeyed their orders, and no -higher compliment can be paid to soldiers. If their orders are not in -accordance with their personal desires, all the more credit to them for -obeying. So in discussing the situation as I found it in Vladivostok, I -wish to make it plain that I realized the difficulties under which the -Headquarters Staff labored. Its prime business was to obey orders, not -to be popular with anybody, in or out of the expedition. - -When the two regiments of infantry, tucked away in the Philippines and -apparently marooned from the war, got orders to leave for Siberia, -there was great joy. For the regular officers it meant activity and -service stripes, and probably medals, and a campaign in their records, -and experience and a chance for distinction. And many of these -officers, due to age, or the lottery of the service which sends some -officers to the front and immures others to a tropical cloister, had -given up all hopes of having a hand in the war. Suddenly a new front -was devised for them, and they were rushed off to make history. - -Colonel Styer was in command at Vladivostok, and at that time there -was every reason to believe that there would be lively times. The two -regiments prepared themselves accordingly, and were ready for swift -and decisive action when they landed. With the quiet efficiency of the -regular, they overlooked nothing in order to be ready for whatever -developed. - -This little machine was running on a high gear, when General Graves -arrived. He drew the fires and stopped the engine. Presently two more -transports arrived, with reinforcing troops, and our Intelligence -party, direct from Washington. Our officers had presumably been -selected for Siberian service because they were experts in their -various lines, and necessarily being enthusiasts for their own line of -endeavor, showed great interest in the situation. - -They laid down a barrage of questions on the staff, ranging from -where they were to sleep, to data on the available coal supply from -the Golden Horn to the Urals. They had been cooped in a hotel and a -transport for some two months since leaving Washington, some of them -had never been away from the United States, and they brought an element -of romping boyishness to the sedate, quiet and somewhat bored staff. -Some of them, though captains, had never been near an army, and their -civilian enthusiasms jarred headquarters. - -Having quelled one epidemic of enthusiasm, the staff rather crossly -and tactlessly set about stamping out this fresh access of desire for -picturesque action. The staff, it was said, assumed the attitude that -it was competent to run the Siberian expedition without the aid of a -“lot of theorists and amateurs from civil life.” - -The younger officers on duty, fresh from West Point and feeling much -exalted at finding themselves wearing insignia of rank which in the -old army sometimes took twenty years to attain, reflected the attitude -of the elders, and two hostile camps developed in a single building. -And this was the war I walked into, all unknowingly, when I came back -from Khabarovsk. - -I found myself “one of that Intelligence bunch,” and no matter how -politely I asked for some action of a routine nature in order to carry -out my own orders, I found that the wheels did not turn for me. Of -course, there was not a flat refusal, but there was what might be -called “mental sabotage”--my requests were forgotten till I had to -resort to plain language to get what I needed. - -And the Intelligence party, I was informed, had been summoned and told -to “keep quiet, to betray no initiative, not to criticise, and to -keep busy doing nothing.” And in order to nullify as far as possible -all attempts of the individuals of the party to accomplish anything -in their own lines of endeavor, the “chart” of the organization was -dismantled, and each officer put at some duty with which he was -unfamiliar. For instance an expert on ciphers was sent far into -the interior, and an expert on maps was put in charge of several -translators, though he had a most limited knowledge of Russian. And -the Chief of Intelligence found himself with some fifteen officers -who had been shipped half way round the world at government expense, -and drawing an average of two hundred dollars a month in pay, buzzing -indignantly about his ears, and doing little but making his life a -burden. - -Most of these officers were quartered in a warehouse some five miles -from headquarters, and an irregular launch taking them back and forth -across the bay for meals, with the consequence that most of the time -was spent traveling or waiting on the pier for the launch. - -And when the launch was taken off the run, an automobile was provided, -which held five persons, to transport a dozen officers and as many -field clerks, in a single trip, from and to quarters. About the time -the Intelligence detachment took ship for home, a truck was provided. -But in order to avoid the loss of time in going back and forth, many -of the officers had hired at their own expense, rooms in crowded -Vladivostok. - -There is something on the other side of the shield. This obvious -attempt to humiliate the Intelligence detachment, probably grew out of -the reports which reached headquarters with us. The officer who had -been bedeviled by Smith in San Francisco, came in the transport _Logan_. - -He had apparently judged the whole party by Smith, and had given us -a bad repute. However that may be, the Professor engaged by Smith as -“advisor,” as told in a previous chapter, got anything but a pleasant -reception when he came to report his status. - -As related to me, General Graves was most indignant when he learned how -and why the Professor had been thrust upon the expedition. He was told -that his services were not required, and he was paid off at the rate -allowed a field clerk. He refused to acknowledge the money received -as payment in full, and charged poor Smith with having misrepresented -his authority, asserted that he had been damaged by quitting his -positions in San Francisco as undoubtedly he had been, and took the -return transport threatening suit against Smith and a claim against the -government. - -There is every reason to believe that this incident established the -“Intelligence bunch” as a group of high-handed incompetents. The Staff -to my mind, had every reason for withholding from the members of the -party that measure of confidence and respect which an Intelligence -Department must have before it can operate with any efficiency. - -A Commanding General and his staff in a situation such as confronted -them in Siberia, has something else to do beside test individually a -lot of officers who from previous acts by one or two of them appeared -to give every evidence of having no judgment. It is safer to assume -that they are all Smiths, and put them at such simple tasks as insure -that they will not do something disastrous. It is also cheaper to pay -them to do nothing. - -In time, most of the officers were sent away to inland cities, where -they remained as observers, till they signified their desire for -discharge after the armistice in accordance with the terms of their -commissions. And in justice to the majority of these officers, I wish -to assert that they were highly efficient in their various vocations, -and that most of them had distinguished themselves in civil life. One -had been minister for the United States to foreign countries and was -schooled as a diplomat; others were professors of history and could -tell the various life-careers of big and small nations; some were -ethnologists, and could give the pedigree of any nondescript person -found in the motley throngs all over Siberia; many had previously been -in Russia several years, spoke the language well, and found themselves -in familiar surroundings. With a few exceptions, they did the duties -of glorified office boys, while attached to an expedition which -needed above all things, an alert and efficient system of Military -Intelligence. They did their best under disheartening conditions. - - - - -XII - -AN ARMY IMPRESARIO - - -For a week or two after my return to Vladivostok, I familiarized myself -with the Intelligence organization at Headquarters. So far as I could -see, we had no authority over anybody who happened to be suspected of -enemy activity, or actually guilty of some act against the American or -Russian laws. - -When we found a man who had come in under a fraudulent passport, and -had in our files data which proved him to be a Bolshevist agent, or -sympathizer, we could take no action, other than hold his American -passport. Then we notified the Czech commandant, and he was arrested -after passing from our custody. - -So we exercised no military or police authority over anybody but our -own nationals, or such Russians or other foreigners as fraudulently -claimed American citizenship and attempted to travel as such. - -In order to watch the incoming ships, all the Allies sent passport -officers aboard them, and each officer conducted the examination of his -own nationals. There was a line of Russian steamers, running between -Tsuruga, Japan, and Vladivostok, known as the Russian Volunteer -Fleet; and a similar line owned by the Japanese. These little steamers -served as ferry-boats, gathering in Japan all travelers bound for -Vladivostok who arrived in ports of the Far East in liners--this was -the funnel through which passed the stream of civilians who came first -to Shanghai, Nagasaki, Yokohama and other ports. - -And before these steamers docked, they were boarded by a Japanese, a -Czech, a Russian, a British, an American and a French officer, and the -polyglot lot examined before they were allowed to land. I attended some -of these examinations, provided with a list of suspicious characters, -and with the various interpreters in action, the smoking-room put to -shame anything that must have been heard at the Tower of Babel. - -But so far as we were concerned, it was all a silly farce. Technically, -we had no right to examine anybody. I once asked an Allied officer the -basis for his authority, whereupon he told me that the city was under -martial law, and controlled by an Allied Council which delegated the -powers of examination to all the Allies. But this was promptly denied -by another Allied officer. - -In fact, it appeared that we Americans, in an effort to avoid -interference, claimed no rights of control over anybody on Russian -soil, making it necessary for us in order to question suspected -enemies, to resort to autocratic methods. That is, we disclaimed all -intentions of interfering and asserted no authority, except this plan -of going through the motions of authority, which was a taking of power -which might have been granted had we asked for it. - -For my part, I prefer an autocracy working in the open, to a power -which denies it is autocratic and then proceeds to act autocratically -without any warrant. Such methods puzzled the decent Russians, and they -began to doubt the things which we wanted them to believe, and which it -was essential that they believe if we were to have the confidence of -the Russian people. - -A few days after I had raised the question of the rights of the -American officers in passport control, we relinquished by order the -rights we had been exercising. When Russian or other officials held -men or women as suspicious, who professed to be American citizens, -they brought them to American headquarters, where the examination took -place. And if the facts cited by them were refuted by our information, -we could do nothing but advise the Czechs of the case, and let the -latter act without any suggestions from us, thus, like, Pilate, washing -our hands of the whole affair. - -A Czech officer, upon being asked what he would do with a certain -suspect, said casually, “I don’t know--maybe we shoot him.” And maybe -they did. No doubt we had to “save our face,” and if the Czechs -were willing to serve us as jailers or executioners, that took a -disagreeable job off our hands. - -I am not, mind, asserting that the Czechs dealt out injustice, or that -we should have executed anybody or everybody arrested. I object to -heads in our government who lack decision as to what should be done, -and resort to chicane in attending to disagreeable tasks. I object to -an expedition being sent into a country, the hands of the commander -apparently tied, and yet demanding that certain results be attained in -a left-handed manner so that the responsibility may be shifted to other -shoulders. This country is altruistic and generous toward all other -nations in trouble, and we should demand from our representatives who -attend to our business, the kind of leadership we are entitled to, and -the clear demonstration before such foreign peoples as we come into -contact with officially, of our honest motives. - -From toying with various parts of the Intelligence machine, I turned -my attention to distributing fifty cases of books which had been sent -to the troops by the American Library Association. Our men, living in -the stone-floored Russian barracks, which were cold and damp and dirty, -found these books most welcome. It was a most dreary environment for -young and active men, most of them too far from the city to get any -entertainment from it, and when its novelty was worn off, they found -even Vladivostok dull and disheartening. - -The Chief of Staff suggested that a vaudeville show be organized out -of the forces, and I was put in charge of it. Some fifteen men who had -vaudeville experience were detailed from various companies. And to -provide something with “local color,” the Chief of Staff suggested that -we might hire a trio of Cossack dancers appearing at a local cabaret -known as the “Aquarium.” This show began at midnight. The Chief of -Staff, Donald Thompson, the war-photographer, Mrs. Thompson and myself, -attended a performance. We sat in a gallery box, and drank coffee from -nickel coffee-machines to keep us awake. It was a cheap and tawdry -show, and the floor below was filled with a throng of people sitting at -little tables and drinking and eating. The Cossack trio--two brothers -and a young woman--gave an interesting exhibition of Cossack dancing, -interspersed with dialogue in Russian, which delighted the doughboys -present. - -In a couple of days we put on a show of our own at the Aquarium, -which General Graves, and many officers from all the Allied commands, -attended as his guests. We had gymnasts, black-face comedians, vocal -and stringed quartettes, and a regular vaudeville program of some -dozen acts, including the Cossacks, with the regimental band of the -Thirty-first Infantry. - -It was a “hit,” probably due to the fact that I interfered not at all, -but told the performers to “go ahead and get your acts ready, tell -me what you will have, and we’ll write a program.” When you want the -American doughboy to do something outside his regular line of duty, let -him alone and he’ll come home--he needs no Bo Peep. - -The Cossacks were to provide two acts, one that they supposed to be a -refined American cake-walk, done in conventional evening-dress, and the -other their dance, in native costume. Of course, they took more pride -in their American act than in the dance, which we wished to place in -the program so that it would be the “star” attraction. - -It was suggested to them that they be third on the bill with the -cake-walk, to give them time to rest and get into costume for the more -strenuous effort next to the finale. They agreed, perfectly satisfied, -and so they were billed. - -I remained back stage. To my horror, when the act preceding the -cake-walk was in progress, and the Cossacks were called from the -dressing-room somewhere in the cellar, they appeared in their -outlandish Cossack costume and makeup. For this act they required -stage-sets and improvised lighting, which of course were not ready at -that time. - -I told my interpreter to ask them to change as quickly as possible, as -they must have misunderstood the agreement about how their acts were -placed on the program. But they averred that they had simply changed -their minds, and intended to do the Cossack dance first, because the -regular Aquarium show followed ours, and they would have to do their -exhausting dance twice almost in succession if they appeared on our -bill last. - -I was willing enough to announce the change, and let it go at that, but -although I surrendered to their wishes, they persisted in continuing a -loud and long Russian conversation behind the curtain in competition -with the monologuist who was amusing the audience. Then, when it was -all settled that they would appear immediately in the dance, they -changed their minds again, and went below to change costumes at the -moment they should have gone on. - -Luckily the monologuist got several encores, and being known to many of -the soldiers out front, they demanded certain of his stories, and he -pieced his act out long enough to conceal the wait for the Cossacks. - -This example of mental instability I found to be typical of most -Siberians--they will spend hours settling a problem, and having -threshed out all the details, and arrived at a logical conclusion, -somebody remarks: “Maybe we are wrong after all,” and away they go -again on the argument, from the beginning, getting themselves more -enmeshed in doubts than ever, and finally have to quit in exhaustion -without reaching any decision. - -Before we could start touring with our show, the Cossacks had to go to -Nikolsk-Ussuri to fill an engagement at that place. And our troupe had -to get costumes and rehearse, cars must be provided for winter travel, -and we had to work out songs with the members of the band. - -When the Chief of Staff engaged the Cossack trio, it was at the rate -of four thousand rubles a month and all expenses, food and quarters. -At that time, with the current rate of rubles, which was ten rubles -for the dollar, the salary stood us four hundred dollars. But having -in mind the dollar basis, the deal was made in rubles. When I went to -Nikolsk to advise the Cossacks that we were ready for them, rubles had -gone to six for a dollar, so were more valuable--and of course, the -Cossacks wanted their pay in rubles. - -They reached Vladivostok late at night, and with the city over-crowded, -they had difficulty in getting quarters. They were temporarily sent -to a Russian house across the bay, and then a fourth-class car was -arranged for them on the siding at the Base. The weather was getting -very cold, the car was unsatisfactory to them, they objected to being -halted by our sentries when they came to the car late at night, and -despite two stoves kept going by a German war prisoner, they said they -nearly froze to death. - -I began to understand some of the troubles of impresarios with foreign -“artists.” They objected to rehearsing with our band at nine o’clock in -the morning, the only time the band had available time, because they -were accustomed to getting their breakfasts at eleven--they talked the -most violent Russian at me at all times possible, regardless of whether -my interpreter was present or not. I was sorry for them. - -At this stage of affairs, I got sudden orders to proceed to Chita, -two thousand versts away, and take station as the American officer on -Intelligence duty. There were no American troops there, and it was -reported that the American officer of Philippine Scouts whom I was -to relieve, had been threatened with assassination. My “circus” was -turned over to another officer, and with my interpreter, First Class -Private Werkstein, I went aboard a Red Cross train bound for the front, -to take station at Chita, Trans-Baikal, where Ataman Semenoff had his -headquarters with his Cossack and Mongol army. - - - - -XIII - -AWAY TO TRANS-BAIKAL - - -Our Red Cross Train left Vladivostok just before midnight, December -11, 1918. It consisted chiefly of box-cars full of medical supplies -and clothing bound for Omsk; there was an International sleeping car -for some twenty Red Cross nurses, Russian women doctors, American -missionaries from Japan serving as refugee workers, dentists and -physicians. Some of the men had just arrived in Siberia from Manila, -and some of the women from Japan, and knew little of travel on a -Siberian train. There were two men sent out by our War Trade Board to -investigate the supply of raw materials and the wants of the people for -manufactured goods. The sleeping car compartments for four persons, had -to accommodate six. - -The train had been combined with a Czech train, carrying supplies -for the Czech army at the front, and two fourth-class cars were -provided for Czech soldiers. There was also a fourth-class car full -of wounded and sick Czech soldiers, most of the latter suffering from -tuberculosis, to be left at Buchedo, a station far up the line where -there was a hospital. - -An American Infantry captain bound for Harbin to take command of a -company there, serving as guard for the consulate, shared quarters with -me in one of the fourth-class cars, with the Czech soldiers, and my -interpreter, Werkstein, was with me. - -There was a dining-car improvised out of a small and springless -ordinary box-car, by building a range into one end, cutting a door in -the other, and building a table down the center. Along the sides were -piled our food supplies, our bread hanging in sacks from the roof, and -under the table our feet rested on frozen cabbages, potatoes, and beef. - -The cook got off now and then, and having, with mere money, wheedled -the “starving populace” into parting with fat pheasants, threw the -dead and frozen birds into the cook-car with brutal disregard of the -needs of the natives. And as a further example of dire necessity, of -food shortage, I observed at one place some peasants (not pheasants) -so close to starvation, that they had nothing with which to grease the -wheels of their wagons but best Siberian butter! We heard about this -time by cable that the Congress of the United States would be asked -to appropriate a hundred million dollars for the purchase of food, -which food was to be sent to wheatless and meatless Europe in order to -prevent the spread of Bolshevism--that same Bolshevism which had swept -Siberia “as the result of a lack of food.” - -Chang, a wily Chinese, bossed the “China boys” who did the cooking and -waited on the table. And a place at the table generally meant being -frozen, or roasted, according to whether one sat at the end away from -a red-hot stove near the door, or near the stove. And it seemed that -the engineer picked out the roughest part of the road-bed to show his -best speed, when we were at meals. - -A doctor once asked me to pass the cheese. At the same instant, we hit -a curve, and a whole round of cheese from the top of the pile of stores -behind him over his head, toppled over, sailed over him and alighted on -his coffee. - -As we got into Manchuria, the temperature dropped to about forty -degrees below zero. The door of the diner, from which emerged the warm -air, was draped in great icicles, and when the door was opened, we were -met by a rush of steam--the warm air meeting the cold. - -The women nurses, having modern ideas of ventilation, left the windows -of their compartments slightly open one night. In the morning the -heating-pipes in that car were useless, for it was a hot-water system, -and the provodnik had allowed the fires in the heater to go down during -the night. The sleeping car, for the rest of the trip, might have -served well as a cold-storage car. - -With two stoves going continually in our fourth-class car, even though -they burned Manchurian coal and gave off a yellow smoke, most of -which escaped into the car, kept us comfortable. We were warm, if not -sanitary. And when the weather got to sixty below, I gave up all ideas -of hoping for fresh air while sleeping. - -And during the day, at every stop, we three Americans got out for air, -risking having our feet frozen in the process. The Czechs did not seem -to mind--they went on with their cooking, and stoked the fires all the -harder to warm the air we had cooled by opening the doors to go out. - -Everything that was metal inside, became covered with heavy -frost--pistols, iron braces, nail-heads, bolts. And to touch any of the -iron work with bare hands, getting on or off the car, meant leaving a -palm sticking to the iron. - -At the same time that the water-bucket on the floor under my bunk was -freezing solid, when I stood up to dress my head was in smothering heat -gathered at the top of the car. And the passing landscape was obscured -by tropical foliage, etched in frost, on the double windows. - -In such a climate, I can well understand that the Russian peasant cares -little who rules in Petrograd, for his mind is concerned only with -having food, shelter and warmth. Such cold probably accounts for much -of the mental stupefaction of the Siberians, and explains why the Czars -held their power so long. - -When Siberia was chosen as a place of exile, to cure people of -thinking, the person who selected that frozen land for prisons -doubtless knew what terrible cold will do to the human brain. It -killed many exiles, but it acted as a preservative of their ideas, and -they bided their time, waiting for a chance to get freedom, so that -they might go on a spree of destruction. It will take more than a few -months of education to turn such people from their age-old lessons in -oppression, cruelty and annihilation. - -There was a merry wag among the Czechs. He had lost two front teeth, -he was poorly clad, but he relished his soup, enjoyed his sleep, and -was always smiling and chattering gaily. One cold night, when we were -out of coal, he dug from his boxes a gorgeous robe, blue outside and -embellished with red decorations of barbaric design. It was lined with -long, white Angora-goat wool. As he wrapped himself in it, he looked -like some Mongolian prince, preparing for a royal audience. - -This garment roused my curiosity. He said it was from the Khirgiz -tribes. I asked its price, and Werkstein interpreted this: - -“A man’s life.” - -“Whose life?” I asked. - -“The man who had it.” - -“Who had it?” - -“A Bolshevist.” - -“Why did it cost him his life?” - -“Because I killed him and took it.” The wag smiled a gentle smile. - -“He got that rifle, and that pistol he has, from the same man,” said -Werkstein. And the wag rolled up and went to sleep, evidently not at -all concerned about the ghost of the Bolshevist who had owned the robe. - -“He was in an Austrian regiment,” continued Werkstein, giving me -some of the merry one’s history. “He deserted with his regiment to -the Russians, for the Czechs did not want to serve the Germans. In -reprisal, the little business he had at home was confiscated, his wife -became crazy when his two children were taken away, and he does not -know what became of any of them. He is waiting now to get back to that -Austrian village, and he swears he will kill till he is killed when -he gets there. He does not care what happens to him--he will get his -revenge.” - -And without doubt the wag will. - -In about a week we arrived in Harbin, and stopped there some three -days. The city appeared very dull by day, but at night the restaurants -and theatres were crowded with gay throngs. - -I found a young officer on duty there, who had shared my stateroom -on the transport, and we dined at the Hotel Moderne. The prices were -extremely high, but the food excellent. The restaurant was full of -Russian officers, and wealthy civilians, for Harbin is really the -center of high life for the Siberians, it being in Manchuria and -somewhat safer than other cities. - -Here gather all the intriguers of all factions, here are hatched the -plots and counter plots of the monarchists and anti-monarchists, the -Bolshevists and anti-Bolshevists of Siberia. - -The man who seeks power and wishes to draw to him his adherents, goes -first to Harbin to perfect his plans, and the man who has lost power, -goes there to escape the fury of the populace and lay his plans for -regaining his old position. It is quite likely that among the crowd at -the opera that night, there were former Grand Dukes waiting till the -time is ripe for a _coup d’etat_; if the former Czar is still alive, he -is probably hidden away in Harbin, and if a Romanoff ever returns to -the throne, Harbin will probably harbor the heads of the plot for the -restoration. - -Among the Russians I met there, was a nephew of Tolstoy, wearing the -uniform of a lieutenant. But officers of higher rank appear to prefer -civilian attire. And when introduced to them, I found that the ranks -mentioned with their names, were pronounced in low tones. And it is not -at all uncommon to be introduced to somebody with the name given in a -conversational tone, and later to have whispered to you, the real name -and title of the new acquaintance. - -Judging from some of the acts of the cabaret near the Moderne, Harbin -is not wholly a royalist center. A singer, in the rags and chains of a -Siberian convict, sang in dismal notes the story of his sufferings, and -“died” on the stage. He had to respond to a dozen encores. - -But I suspected some of the excessive applause to come from persons who -were of the old nobility, if not of imperial blood. Living incognito in -Harbin, it might not be safe for a Grand Duke to hiss such an act, and -in such a case, a man may save himself from assassination by bursting -his white gloves in sympathy for a stage exile. - -We took on food supplies at Harbin, and the Czechs loaded their cars -with cigarettes and wine for a Christmas celebration at the front. - -They had one car nearly full of cases of wine, and worried lest it -might freeze. They consulted me about it, but not knowing the amount -of alcohol it contained, I refused to give an opinion as to what might -happen to it in such frigid weather. So they set up a stove in the car, -and took turns keeping the fire going, day and night. - -The hardships of a Siberian winter, with famine stalking about, can -only be realized when you face the problem of keeping a whole car-load -of wine from freezing in sixty-below temperature. The soldiers who were -not on duty sitting up with the wine, spent the nights in my car, where -I was trying to sleep. They talked about the danger to the wine--talked -in ear-torturing Czecho-Slovak. They also rambled around with candles -that leaked wax upon the countenances of their sleeping Allies. Rest -was not for those Czechs (nor for anyone else), and their faithfulness -and fortitude in preserving that wine is a thing to stick in the -memory. They ought to be decorated. A certain irritable Red Cross agent -came near doing it. - -We passed many hospital trains coming from the front, filled with sick -and wounded Russians and Czechs. And it was on this trip that I saw the -awful refugee trains, with box-cars full of men, women and children -suffering from typhus and other diseases. - -And it was said that one of these trains, having come thousands -of miles carrying dying and dead huddled together in straw, were -turned back at a certain station by the Russians, because they feared -contagion. And from these cars were taken many dead, frozen and lying -among the sick. And from the crevices of the floors of the cars, and -from the interstices under the doors, hung great red icicles! - -I observed many educated Russians look at such scenes with little -sympathy. At least, their attitude was that the people had brought such -sufferings upon themselves by overthrowing the throne of the Emperor. - -While waiting for the “second table” in the diner, I had occasion to -discuss the country with a young Russian woman, bound for Perm to seek -her father and mother, from whom she had not heard in a year and a -half. There had been much fighting there with the Bolshevists, and she -was unaware of the fate of her parents. - -“My father superintended the building of this section of the railroad,” -she said. “I lived with him on his private car as the line was built -through this part of the country, so I know every mile well. Little I -dreamed then that my great country would be ruined as it is now. Court -life was so fine--the fine clothes, the nobility, the great dinners, -and the imperial dances--it is too bad that all such things are gone. -Maybe they will come back.” - -“But the people suffered under that régime,” I said. - -She looked at me with surprised eyes. - -“Suffered! They were never so happy, and they will never be so -happy again. They do not know what they want. I went into a refugee -barrack last month outside Vladivostok, and found there an old woman -who had been one of our servants for years. She was afraid to speak -to me--afraid that I would be marked as one of the aristocracy, and -probably suffer for it. But I talked with her--and how she wished that -she were back in our happy home. She knows she was better off with us -in the old days, than she can ever hope to be again. She would have -lived a few more years in peace and comfort as our servant, and wanted -nothing. Now she will probably have to live and die as a beggar. The -poor people suffer more by this than the wealthy do--even if a few rich -people are killed, and their property taken. My Russia was all right, -as it was. And if I don’t find my father and mother, I am going to -South America.” - -As an individual attitude, the expressions of this young woman might -not be regarded of much value, or at all typical of the well educated -Russian. Yet I found her ideas to be general with all the better -class Russians I met--that Russia under the old régime was an ideal -country, and that the peasant and servant classes were as happy as -they wished to be, and better off than they would be if they lived -under a democratic form of government which gave them all a hand in the -government. - -It is an attitude similar to that held in the South regarding our negro -slaves--they were better off as slaves, than they could be if free. It -is a feudal frame of mind, in which it is granted that there are two -classes of people in the country, those who know all and have all, and -those who are inherently inferior in brain quality and so require to be -held in leash, giving their labor in exchange for such kindnesses as -the over-lord wishes to dispense to them. - -This mental attitude toward an inferior class, held by the upper class -of Russia, accounts for the American failure, generally speaking, to -understand Russia and the Russians. We persist in thinking of all -Russians as the same, with the exception that some are better educated -than the others, when as a matter of fact there are two different -peoples in Russia. One is a class which expects as a matter of course -to have all the best things which the country provides, and the -government is merely a system upon which hangs a social code, and which -gives out orders, titles of nobility, and administrative positions -which provide incomes. - -In a way, the feudal attitude in old Russia was the proper one, -provided the ideal feudal system was carried out; that is, if the -over-lords all used their power to lift up such of their menials as -gave evidence of being possessed of some mental ability. - -But the feudal system as it operated, granted no mental ability to any -underling, or “low-born” person, and worked with no other object than -to keep the low-born submerged, and lift to power and position even -worthless members of the upper class. - -The son of the noble who could not pass his examinations, graduated -from the university and despite profligacy and licentiousness, rose to -power in the government. - -The commoner, though displaying great brilliance, found himself unable -to pass in his examinations year after year if he ever entered the -university at all, and had to give up in despair. But in the arts, -genius succeeded, and produced authors and painters--and the result was -that all writers of great natural ability became revolutionists. - -Through them we got our sympathy for the peasants, and as these writers -understood that the lower classes were victimized and exploited by -the system, they presented to us all Russians as people of great -ideals--they extolled the virtues of the exploited and minimized their -faults and limitations. At the same time, they depicted with great -power all the cruelties of the ruling classes. - -Thus the Russian peasant reasoned that he had no faults, that if he had -the power he could produce an ideal government, and that because the -ruling classes ruled badly, all that was needed to run the nation was a -kind and generous heart. Thus also the Bolshevist leaders found it easy -to take the Empire into their hands. The upper class of Russia made -Bolshevism possible by keeping the lower class ignorant. And ignorance -is the greatest menace to any nation--the spark in a powder magazine. - -As we went eastward, I studied the people, keeping in mind the attitude -of the young woman who felt that Russia was ruined because all the good -things she had known were gone, and because the peasants were worse -off than ever. - -And I found that the peasants did not consider themselves any the worse -for having destroyed the old régime; at least, they seemed willing to -endure the hardships they had imposed upon themselves, in the hope that -in due time things would be better. - -But my feeling was that they will never live to see things bettered, no -matter how long they may live. There may be less disorder of a kind, -but I doubt if these people will ever escape being exploited till -they have acquired a leaven of education. But to educate them in the -sense by which we define education, means to change their whole mental -attitude toward themselves, their country, and life in general. - -To the Russian of the lower class, who has been inarticulate for -generations, there are no degrees of education. He does not realize -that among a thousand persons who have, say, graduated from a -university in the same class, all members of which have taken the same -courses of study, there is any variation of intellect, and difference -in ability, any deeper sense of meanings of things in one individual -than in another. Why should there be? he asks. Are they not all -educated? He thinks of education, as a certain moment in which the -student becomes aware of all knowledge, and acquires all wisdom. And to -the primitive minds of these people, “education” means the ability to -read, write, and figure. - -At one station where we changed train crews, a big fellow, with a -gigantic wooly cap, came into our car and sat by the stove. His -assistants paid him much deference. He began to talk with the Czechs, -and once set going, went on like a great phonograph. The Czechs finally -ignored him, and he began to question Werkstein, my interpreter. -Werkstein had difficulty in concealing his amusement at some of the -things the big fellow said, and I got into the conversation. - -“This chap is educated,” said Werkstein. “That is why the provodnik and -the brakeman sit here and listen to him talk--they feel that they are -learning something. They almost worship him because he can tell them -things he has read in books.” - -“What books has he read?” I asked. “Gorky, Puskin, Tolstoy?” - -The conductor threw up his hands in a delirium of joy as he heard me -pronounce the names of the Russian novelists. Now he could show his -fellows that he could talk to the American on common ground. - -But when I asked him to name some of the works of these writers that -he had read, he pushed back his cap and scratched his head with a -ponderous paw. He could not remember the titles--but he had read all -their works. But he was utterly ignorant of anything Tolstoy or Gorky -had written--he merely recognized the titles when they were mentioned. - -He changed the subject by asserting that we Americans wanted all -Russians to agree on a government, when we Americans could not agree on -our own. I agreed that there were some differences of opinion as to -government in our country, but that in general we agreed fairly well. - -“Then why do you have so many presidents?” he asked in triumph. - -“We try to have but one,” I said. - -“You have more than fifteen now,” he replied, and dug his elbow into -the ribs of a brakeman sitting behind him, to indicate that he had made -a point which I could not refute. - -“Who are they?” I asked. - -“I cannot remember their names,” he asserted, but holding up a hand, -he began to count on his fingers: “You have presidents in Brazil, -Argentine, Chile, Mexico, ----.” The Czechs interrupted him with roars -of laughter, and Werkstein explained to me. But he insisted that he was -right. - -He switched to a map of his own country, a lithograph advertising -American harvesting machinery, and showing by red spots the size of a -dime, the location in Russian cities of their agencies. Naturally, the -spot over Petrograd was as large as the spots on the smaller cities in -the grain districts of Siberia, but he proudly asserted that all these -spots represented cities the size of Petrograd. No, he had never been -to Petrograd, but was it not as big as Harbin? - -India, he said, was somewhere near Japan. He had read of Venice, -and its streets of water, but Venice was not in Italy. How could it -be in Italy? Venice was somewhere in Europe, and Italy was not in -Europe--the book he had read about Venice had stated that Venice was -not in Italy, and he stuck by the book. - -This man was educated to his fellows. “If this man should go to a small -Russian town, and read from a newspaper for the people of that town, he -could become mayor,” said Werkstein. “He is so ignorant that he thinks -he knows a lot.” Which is not an uncommon delusion, even out of Siberia. - -He was also in sympathy with the Bolshevists, having as his only -argument in their favor, the fact that they were “good people.” Now -this man, being a conductor, had a considerable influence over such -peasants as he met, for as a railroad man he travelled much, and as -an “educated man,” had read much. Many gave heed to what he said. And -compared to thousands of Siberians that I encountered, his intellect -was amazingly powerful. - -Yet at home I found people who felt that the peasants of Siberia -know what they are doing, and are actuated by a desire to create a -democratic government, and that in a short time they will, and operate -it. But Siberia will fall a prey to some autocrat, who will rule it -by the sword, independently of Petrograd. Such a vast and such a rich -territory, peopled with human beings in the darkness of the Middle -Ages, can have no other fate. - -Our progress was delayed for various reasons, the chief one being the -fact that wrecks occurred ahead of us with startling frequency. As a -matter of fact, Bolshevists, or Bolshevist sympathizers, or railroad -men in Bolshevist pay, were causing the wrecks. It was all a system -of sabotage, and being done to hamper the Allies in every way from -opposing the Bolshevists who were fighting. - -And as we came into the yards of Manchuria Station, or Mandchuli, at -about daylight one morning, switches were thrown in such a way that -our train, laden with medical supplies for Russian wounded and sick, -and with one car full of women nurses, was derailed, and put on three -tracks. The immunity which we might have claimed from being wrecked, -was lost because we had combined with a Czech military train. - -Our Czech commandant took a squad of soldiers to the station, and -demanded the man who had derailed us. But the station-master asserted -that the culprit had disappeared. So no vengeance was taken. - -It was forty below zero that morning. The shaggy camels that passed -us, appeared to wear great white coats, for every hair on their bodies -stood out straight, covered with frost. So we had breakfast in the -station restaurant, and waited through the day for the railroad men to -get us back on the rails. - -I found the American officer on Intelligence duty at that station, -living in a Russian home, and we went and lunched with the Railroad -Engineers of the Stevens contingent. One of them was an excellent -cook, and we had a splendid meal, the prize of the household being a -large jar of gooseberry jam. The house was fairly good, but despite -its massive proportions, cold as Greenland. And in the time I spent -in Siberia, I never found a house or a hotel that was comfortably -warm, even when I was clad in the heaviest clothing, except the house -occupied by Colonel Morrow in Khabarovsk. - -We arrived in Chita, Trans-Baikal, thirteen days after leaving -Vladivostok. As I looked out that morning, over a drear landscape -partly concealed by frozen fog, I had in mind the thousands of exiles -who had marched overland to Chita, for the city in the old days had -been a distributing point for convict labor destined for the mines to -the north. - -It was fifty degrees below that morning. I saw a low, white plain, shut -in on three sides by hills, studded with huts. The huts were marked by -white pillars of steam rising straight into the sky--warm air escaping -from the chimneys. The station door was shrouded with ice, and whenever -it opened there was a burst of white steam outward, but upon entering -there was no steam inside--only a warm, odoriferous air. Great icicles -over the door, some of them a foot through, are characteristic of -public buildings in that country during the cold weather. - -We learned that we had passed through the city station of Chita, and -had come three versts beyond to “Pervia Chita,” or First Chita, that -being the name of the first station built as the building of the road -progressed toward Vladivostok. - -Werkstein got a man with a pony and a cart, and we loaded our baggage. -Then, trailing along after it, walking in order not to freeze our -feet, we skirted the railroad, and came to a railroad bridge over a -gully, which was to lead us to Chita proper. - -But just as our wagon approached the bridge, a Russian ran out of a -hut, and let down bars, blowing a horn loudly meanwhile. Our pony had -to stop, and we had to wait. - -We spent the time walking to and fro in an effort to keep warm. -Werkstein said there was a train coming, and the bridge guard could -not let us cross after he had been warned. And the time between when -the guard closed the bridge, and the freight train crossed and we -were allowed to pass, was forty-five minutes. At both ends of the -bridge long lines of traffic had been held up, and men and horses -obviously suffered greatly from cold. But _Nitchyvo_! The people are -too good-natured to protest. What does it matter? Nothing, except that -I have observed in lands where people are noted for their good nature, -those people bow their necks under the yoke of a foreign conqueror. - -There is a system of philosophy used as a thesis for happy books in the -United States, somewhat akin to New Thought, which can see no evil in -any thing or any person. The heroes and heroines of such books being -depicted as living in happy American homes, insist that everybody -should be happy and can be happy, merely by seeking happiness. But -while these youngsters are being happy, father is making money, and -somebody does a deal of work that the machinery of government, and the -machinery of modern life, may be kept going. And such books sell by -the millions to American people. Happiness should not be the result of -wearing mental blinders. For the curse of Russia was not the Czar, but -the peasants _Nitchyvo_--“no matter.” - - - - -XIV - -THE CITY OF CONVICTS - - -My first impressions of Chita were good. It had an excellent though -dirty station, and the buildings were substantial, most of those in the -business district being of stone or brick. There were two big Russian -churches, a synagogue, and a Mohammedan mosque, two local newspapers -being published intermittently, banks which did not at that time boast -of their assets, trade-schools, high schools, and a school conducted -by the clergy but which was temporarily closed, its building having -been commandeered by Ataman Semenoff, the chief of the Trans-Baikal -Cossacks, for an officers’ school. The population was between fifty and -sixty thousand. There were two fairly good hotels, the better one held -by Semenoff as quarters for his officers and their families. - -The streets were wide and laid in straight lines. And oddly enough, -in a country which we assume to be buried in snow during the winter, -to walk the streets meant to sink ankle-deep in dust. All the snow I -saw in Chita was a mantle of fine particles on ground which was not -disturbed by traffic. It was too cold to snow. - -We found the officer I was to relieve in the Hotel Dayooria. The room -was dark, because the single window was an inch thick with frost. But -there was an electric drop-light. On the window-sill were tea, sugar, -bread and a mess-kit. The scant furniture was dangerous to use, for the -Bolshevists had gone through the hotel and wrecked it. - -I was offered a room for myself and interpreter which was bare of -furniture, the walls stripped clean of paper, the window repaired -poorly, at the rate of twenty-five rubles per occupant, or at the then -rate of exchange, about five dollars a day for both. - -The halls were filthy dirty, and the odors nauseating. The toilet on -the main floor had plumbing, but not water, and it had been in use -for several months. There was no light in it, and its ventilation was -attended to by the door which opened into the dirty hall. The place -made its presence known throughout the building, and neither proprietor -nor Russian guests felt that there was anything out of the ordinary in -their surroundings. - -To travel over the country and find such conditions everywhere, -regarded by the native population as normal, and then to hear of -epidemics which were being fought by the Red Cross doctors, and -thousands of dollars in medical supplies and medicines being shipped -into the country as gifts from the American people, made me wonder if -it would not be better to first use a knout on those responsible for -insanitary conditions beyond description or belief. - -There was a great clamor about the danger of typhus, and our medical -men, military and civilian, were much concerned about its spread. There -were slips of paper distributed, printed in Russian, telling what to -do when afflicted with typhus. It was described as a disease caused -by body vermin, and urging personal cleanliness. I have seen many -Siberians read that warning, while they casually scratched themselves. -Generally speaking, the people regard lice as things which create a -slight discomfort, but are not worthy of much attention--about on a par -with flies. - -One thing the Siberian does thoroughly--he takes a funeral seriously. -He turns it into a dramatic pageant, and no detail is overlooked. But -he will not turn his hand over to take any precaution against disease, -or the conditions that create it. I asked several Siberians, merely -to get their attitudes, if it would not be well to improve sanitary -conditions. “You will all be sick and die,” I said to one man. - -“We may be sick, but we will not die,” he said. “What if we are sick? -The Americanskys are sending medicines to cure us.” - -Probably if we demanded good sanitary conditions before we would supply -medical goods, we would be interfering with the people. But if we were -going to contribute medicines to a locality at home which allowed -breeding spots for disease all over the locality, I am willing to wager -that we would demand an improvement of the sanitation, and see that it -was accomplished, even if we had to use some kind of force. - -One of my first duties was to call upon Lieutenant General Oba, -commanding the Japanese division, with headquarters at Chita. The -Japanese staff occupied a four-story department store which covered an -entire block. This building had been swept clean of its contents by -looting Bolshevists. - -It happened that the Chief of Intelligence in our forces, had been in -Chita several days, and was preparing to return to Vladivostok. He went -with me to Oba’s headquarters, and we took with us a Y. M. C. A. man -who had been a missionary in Japan and who spoke Japanese well. - -In the hall there was a wooden dial on a table, with a wooden arrow. -In sectors of the circle, were written Japanese and Russian sentences, -arranged so that when you read the Russian sentence which applied to -the officer you wished to call upon, and turned the arrow to that -sector, it also pointed to a translation in Japanese. Then the guard on -duty learned from this automatic interpreter, your business, and sent -your card in to the proper officer. - -We were conducted to a room where we removed our heavy coats and furs, -and presently we were ushered into the presence of Oba. He is a small -man, of dignified but unassuming manners, and most amiable. I liked him -extremely. If I remember correctly, his foreign training was French, -and I missed the Germanic bluntness and the striving for dignity which -so many Japanese officers have as the result of acquiring or copying -German military manners. - -Most Japanese officers who attain high rank are in addition to -being accomplished soldiers, astute diplomats. At least that is the -impression they give me. It may be that what I ascribe to astuteness, -is in reality an avoidance of discussing many of the things which -other foreign officers will discuss together with more or less -frankness. Silence is often mistaken for great wisdom. It may be wise -to be silent--if one wishes to appear wise. In a newspaper experience -covering nearly a quarter of a century, I have sometimes found many men -supposed to be oracles, merely to be clams. Once they could be induced -to talk, their limitations were apparent. - -I would say that Oba has all the French love of conversation, and in -addition is most frank. There was no reason why he should plunge into a -discussion of Japan in Siberia, and there was no reason why he should -be more than formally polite. Yet every time I had occasion to call -on Oba, he made me feel thoroughly at home, and such occasions proved -to be in the nature of a pleasure rather than an official ordeal. His -abilities as a soldier I do not doubt, but I believe he would serve -Japan well as a diplomat. - -Technically, it was proper to call first upon Ataman Semenoff, but -at that time he was confined to his bed suffering from the wounds -inflicted by a bomb thrown at him in a theatre of Chita. So we called -upon his chief of staff, General Verego. There was much intrigue in -Semenoff’s little army of some five thousand, and Verego lost his power -in time, and went away to Harbin. - -We also called upon the head of the civil government, or who would -have been the head of the civil government of the province had there -been any civil government--a Mr. Tashkin, who at one time was a member -of the Duma. He proved to be a typical Russian statesman, including -whiskers and glasses. His keen eyes impressed me as being able to see -and understand many things, and I felt that he was only biding his time -till certain military autocracies could be pushed into the background. -He is the type of man upon which Russia will have to depend for -statesmanship, when it gives up government by the sword. - -Oba, Semenoff, Tashkin--to me, those three symbolized the situation -in Siberia. Oba, to a certain extent, with the power of the Japanese -Empire behind him, stood behind Semenoff; Semenoff was at outs with -Kolchak, who in Omsk proclaimed himself the Supreme Ruler of Russia; -Semenoff had fought the Bolshevists with his little army while Kolchak -remained inactive in Harbin; Kolchak, the way cleared by Semenoff’s -army, jumped ahead of Semenoff to Omsk and became the chief of all -Russia in theory; Semenoff, ambitious to set himself up as a local -prince if not ambitious to be the dictator of all Russia, resented -being called upon to subordinate himself to Kolchak and have his wings -clipped. - -Kalmikoff, being a Cossack, stood with Semenoff so far as he dared, -he in turn backed by Oi, the Japanese commander at Khabarovsk. The -United States stood aloof, merely pleading that all parties come to -agreement. Tashkin remained quiet in the background, holding the thin -thread of his civil power. - -Semenoff was charged by Kolchak with treason, and blocking the railroad -and cutting the wires near Chita. Semenoff denied the charges, and -some of his own supply trains were held up near Harbin by General -Horvat, head of the Chinese Eastern section of the Trans-Siberian. -Horvat is said to have taken that action to aid Kolchak in forcing -Semenoff to put his army and himself under the orders of Kolchak. In -the meantime, while these forces should have combined and been whipping -the Bolshevists, the latter were gaining strength and cutting Russia’s -throat. - -My chief dined with a Russian family the night he left and expected -his train to arrive about ten o’clock. His interpreter went to the -station and learned that the train would be in about seven. So we sent -hasty word to the colonel, and he left the dinner and hastened to the -station. We pried our way into the usual crowd of refugees and sat on -the colonel’s baggage in the evil-smelling restaurant. - -Seven o’clock came, but no train. Inquiry resulted in the information -that it would be there “Sichass,” or presently. The train came at two -the next morning. It was stuffed to suffocation, as usual. The station -commandant fought his way into a second-class car, found a compartment -with accommodations for four persons which held eight, and routed them -all out. The passage in the car was so jammed with people that we had -difficulty in getting in, and had to pass the baggage over the heads of -the crowd. And the eight who had been evicted, together with their food -and cooking utensils, stood around and cursed the commandant. - -In order to reach the train, we had to first climb over ice-covered -freight cars, which stood between the passenger train and platform. -The night was dark, the tracks were coated with ice, and everything -was slippery. But we managed to transfer all the colonel’s belongings, -and left him with a guttering candle in his compartment. A Chinese -colonel and his interpreter were put in with him, and the train pulled -out for Vladivostok. Werkstein and I went back to our hotel, and to -bed. We represented the United States in Chita. The next morning two of -Semenoff’s officers were found assassinated in the streets--their backs -had been blown out in the frozen fog of the night before. - - - - -XV - -ATAMAN SEMENOFF - - -It will be remembered by the reader that the officer whom I relieved at -Chita, feared assassination. I have no reason to believe that he did -not have good grounds for his fears. Naturally, I assumed that I was -taking over his dangers, when I took his post. And despite the presence -of Semenoff’s army, and his armored train in the railroad yards, there -was a feeling of uneasiness in the city. Sentries were posted in the -centers of the streets, and kept their little fires burning every -night. There were rumors every day that the Bolshevists in the city -were about to rise and slay, or that Bolshevist bands were going to -swoop down upon us from some other city, and complete the destruction -they had begun before Semenoff drove them away. - -[Illustration: ATAMAN SEMENOFF, CHIEF OF THE TRANS-BAIKAL COSSACKS] - -[Illustration: MONGOL AND TARTAR DESCENDANTS OF CONQUERING HORDES WITH -1919 MODEL “CARS”] - -And the fact that the man who threw the bomb at Semenoff in the -theatre was a private in one of the Ataman’s infantry regiments, kept -the officers on the alert. The bomb-thrower, who said his name was -Bernbaum, was reported to have confessed coming from Irkutsk where he -had drawn the number which delegated to him the killing of the Ataman. -He asserted that he had been instructed by the “Maximalists” or -Bolshevists, to go to Chita and join Semenoff’s army, and wait his -chance to kill. His bomb killed a woman in the Ataman’s box, and -wounded several men, the Ataman suffering several wounds from bits of -the bomb. - -There were stories of mutinies among Semenoff’s troops, and there were -whisperings that all of Semenoff’s officers were not loyal. Most of his -men were mercenaries anyhow, and the bulk of his forces was made up of -Mongols, Buriats, some Russians who were truly anti-Bolshevist, and -many who had wisely attached themselves to an organization which gave -food, clothing and shelter in exchange for carrying a rifle and doing -guard duty. - -When the bomb was thrown from the gallery, one of Semenoff’s officers -jumped up and cried: “I will have everybody in the gallery shot, if you -will give the order, Ataman!” - -“No, no, we must not do that!” replied the stricken Ataman. But there -were many arrests, and shortly afterward there were several executions. -Later, the actual bomb-thrower was arrested while escaping toward -Blagoveschensk. I never learned his fate, but heard that he had given -several names to the Ataman’s officers, and that the men mentioned were -not far from Chita. I suspect that on one of the nights I was being -banqueted, there was a shooting party. - -I had sent word to the staff that when the Ataman had recovered, I -wished to pay a formal call. We had not recognized Semenoff as an -official governmental head, yet we did make calls on him, just as we -talked with anybody who could give us an inkling as to what was going -on. Instructions were in general to meet everybody on a friendly basis, -but to take no sides. - -One evening I got word that the Ataman would see me. I set out for his -residence with a Russian civilian agent, who had come from Manila with -the expedition. His name was Nicholas Romanoff, a name which amused -many of the Cossack officers. - -But Mr. Romanoff knew the Ataman intimately, and Mr. Romanoff kindly -suggested to me the things I should say to the Ataman, just as no doubt -he suggested to the Ataman what the Ataman should say to me. This state -of affairs indicates to some extent the ease and ability of American -officers getting an absolute American viewpoint on Russian affairs, and -the Russian and Cossack officers being able to understand fully the -American attitude. - -I considered it about as satisfactory a proceeding, for Russian and -American interests, as getting a kiss through a plate-glass window. -I imagine that the interpreters got satisfaction, for they were -automatically turned into diplomats, and controlled both sides. And the -power granted them, made it possible for them to reflect the point of -view from which they might acquire for themselves the most prestige. -But in the case of Mr. Romanoff, there was every evidence that he -displayed discretion and tact. He was the personal interpreter of the -Chief of Intelligence, who had brought him to Siberia from Manila. And -Mr. Romanoff had known Siberia well before he had changed it as a place -of residence, for the Philippines. - -At that season of the year we lost the sun about four thirty in the -afternoon, and it was getting quite dark as we approached the Ataman’s -residence. We were halted by the sentry, and on explaining our mission, -were admitted to the hall. Here we were met by officers of the Ataman’s -personal staff, and after the usual bowing, and heel-clicking, left our -furs, and were ushered into a large drawing-room. The room was richly -and tastefully furnished. The high-posted walls were hung with splendid -tapestries, and the floor beautifully carpeted. - -There were a few pieces of black furniture, which appeared to be of the -ornately-carven Chinese variety. The whole effect was more oriental -than Cossack, though of course the real Cossack is probably more -oriental than anything else. And, in fact, I had heard that Semenoff -was more of a Mongolian than a Cossack, being according to report, a -Prince of Van. The only place of which I know named Van is in European -Turkey, though there may be a Van in Mongolia. - -The Ataman entered, on crutches. I saw a stockily-built man, of -medium height, wearing Prussian blue trousers rather small at the -bottoms of the legs, suggestive of being habitually worn with boots. -He had on slippers. His face was heavily-jowled, very dark, his chin -chubbily-protuberant in the Rubens style. He wore heavy drooping black -mustaches, his black eyes keen and somewhat suspicious, his hair -suggestive of scantness on top, and a Napoleonic lock down over his -low, broad forehead. - -His photographs were always made so as to bring out his Napoleonic -points, which I had heard he prided himself upon. He was credited with -carrying a book in his pocket which told how Napoleon acted in every -situation which required a decision, and that when he had to decide -anything, he first consulted the book. Evidently my visit brought up no -point which required a Napoleonic decision--at least, I did not see him -consult the book while I was there. - -I was bowed to a chair, and the Ataman let himself down gently on a -couch. He seemed a trifle worried, but he may have been oppressed by -pain. He had only recently induced the banks of Chita to loan him -several million rubles to pay off his army--and a local banker had -called on me that day. After we had talked a little, and I had told the -Ataman that I had heard of his ability as an organizer and leader of -armies, and of his prowess in battle, he appeared relieved, and pulled -the lock on his forehead down a bit more. - -The lady who presided over his Chita household came in. The slight view -I took of her as I rose and bowed, leaves me no recollections. Even -had I desired to be courteous to a woman in her position, discretion -counselled as little notice as possible. - -I had heard that more than one Russian officer with an admiring eye for -“wives” of other officers, had been picked up dead in the streets. A -sharp look from the Ataman, and the hostess did not linger. I remember -that she did not have on the pearl necklace for which the Ataman was -said to have paid several hundred thousand rubles in Harbin, at a time -when he was short of money for his troops. His domestic régime was -reputed to cost him as much for upkeep as his army. Perhaps, after all, -I was not introduced to the lady who got the pearls. - -I had a cigar, and we talked of safe trifles. I was there some twenty -minutes. And as we passed through the line of sentries about the -Ataman’s palace-like mansion, into the cold crisp air, I saw on the -plain below, thousands of lights burning in rude log huts. It was all -so typical of Asia--few palaces and many huts. One man, with an army at -his back, “borrowing” from the banks to cast pearl before swine. What -better conditions to breed Bolshevism? But the same conditions exist -among the leaders of the Bolshevists, who merely play the mobs against -the military exploiters of the people, to get control of the banks and -the money, and to have wealth for spending in the same style. Thus the -ignorance of the people prevent them from escaping exploitation in some -form or another. We of the United States think that it will be settled -by waiting for the people to organize themselves, so that they may -express their will. It is a case of waiting till new generations have -been educated. - -People have said to me: “There maybe disorder now in Siberia, but I -believe that the common people know what they are doing, and will do -what they want to do.” - -They know what they are doing in the same style that the country yokel -at home knows what he is doing when he goes to New York and buys at -bargain prices several lots in Central Park. The difference between -what he is doing, and what he thinks he is doing, costs him dearly. -The Bolshevists the world over are in the hands of a crafty lot of -confidence men. - - - - -XVI - -FAMINE IN CHITA - - -There had been much discussion at home in the newspapers about famine -in Siberia, and in Vladivostok this fear of famine was uppermost in the -minds of diplomats, military chiefs, and civilian relief agencies. In -fact, there was every evidence in Vladivostok that the inland cities of -Siberia were already suffering from hunger, and with a severe winter -ahead, there was much apprehension for the country people. - -The refugees pouring into Vladivostok, clamoring for food, depicted a -state of starvation in the towns from which they had come. And data -on food-prices gleaned from refugees and the inland press, as well -as reports by travellers, all combined to strengthen the belief that -famine faced the whole country. - -And my first meals in Chita made me suspect that there was much truth -in the reports that Mother Hubbardsky’s cupboard was bare. I went to -dinner with my chief the first evening in the city. We sought the best -restaurant and scanned its menu with care; and after considerable pains -we were able to order a meal--a modest one--at a cost of about twelve -rubles each. Our rubles had cost us a dollar for eight in Vladivostok. -So our dinner amounted to a dollar and a half each. Then we spied four -scrawny, spotted little apples pyramided on a plate on the counter. We -ordered them, ate them, and asked for our bill. The apples alone had -cost us thirty-six rubles--or a dollar and twelve cents each! - -An officer has to pay for his own food. In Vladivostok at the officers’ -mess, three meals a day cost a dollar and a quarter. In Chita, six -dollars a day, without apples, was the prospect ahead. My orderly was -allowed a dollar and a quarter a day for his subsistence. With that, he -could buy exactly one poor meal. The situation was rapidly losing its -humorous aspect. After all, was Vladivostok right about that famine? -Yet all along the line I had seen an abundance of food for people who -seemed to be eating all the time. Evidently there was a wrench in the -machinery somewhere. It was a case of “Who’s looney now?” - -We stocked up immediately with rye bread, cheese and dried fish--all -purchased, the orderly said, from peasant women near the station. -The faithful Werkstein had brought with him a little sugar, some -tea, chocolate in bars, and a few cans of army beef. He turned my -wardrobe in the hotel room into a pantry; and with a samovar from the -kitchen, prepared my meals. It was well below freezing in the room, -and I usually wore my furs. There were forests all around the city. -But no one could be hired to cut wood. Was not everybody free? (How I -wished that our Congress would ship me a consignment of those parlor -Bolshevists who were in the United States preaching the beauties of -Bolshevism!) - -One evening, some of Semenoff’s officers asked me to go to their -garrison mess. “A little Russian supper,” they explained rather -apologetically. The supper began at nine. We sat down at a tremendous -table covered with dishes, and glasses in groups. There was a startling -array of bottles. Presently a delicious soup was served. Then came -soldier-servants bearing great salvers on which were fishes the size -of young whales--decorated with fantastically carved vegetables. Next -arrived coveys of quail and partridge. Viands strange and barbaric -followed--dishes that suggested China and Arabia, others of Cossack -origin. O shade of Lucullus! O Herbert Hoover! - -The Cossack band in an adjoining room played national airs. The -different kinds of glasses were emptied in as many toasts. And to my -great relief, the speeches began. I say relief, because naturally, I -thought the meal was over. Not so. Still the heaped salvers came. By -now, I had reached the point where I could only weakly pretend to eat. -My hosts watched me like hawks, insisting that I rally my appetite. -They showed irritation when I demurred faintly. They demanded that I -eat and drink to prove the unlimited friendship of the United States -for Russia. And I wondered how our diplomats had ever survived the -hospitality of such a country. - -At last I saw that my only hopes lay in a limit to the Cossack -capacity. Again and again, I told myself, “They have reached -it!”--only to realize that what I had suffered was but a prelude to the -feast. - -At about three in the morning, the vodka and wines having been -exhausted, champagne was served--in large, stein-like glasses. And a -British officer who had just come to observe conditions, was startled -when Irish porter showed up in stone jars. “Why!” he exclaimed, “We -don’t have this at home any more! In England it’s a fond memory. And -here they have it by the case!” - -A little supper! And there was one such about every night. I had come -looking for famine: I began to fear I would die of over eating. One -could be forgiven a chuckle. The staff in Vladivostok had expressed -some remorse over having to send me away from a mess which boasted -three courses and a choice of two canned fruits for dessert! - -But what about the proletariat of Chita? These officers were eating, -but were the poor starving to death in cold weather? I visited the -open-air free market in a square of the city. The peasants were selling -cabbage, dried salmon, salmon-roe, spheres of cheese, rye and white -bread in tremendous loaves, quail, partridge, pheasant, beef, pork, -sausage, frozen milk and frozen soup--precisely the things I had eaten -at the “little supper.” - -The prices ran high. But--the people had plenty of Bolshevist money. -However, this money was greatly depreciated in value. Nevertheless, -the vendors at the market expected as many of my Imperial rubles for -any purchase as they asked the residents of the city, who, of course, -had local currency. So now I understood that the apple which I had -bought in the restaurant at a dollar and twelve cents (or nine Imperial -roubles), would, at nine roubles Bolshevist money, have cost a resident -of Chita, only about ten cents. What had happened to me, can best be -expressed in this wise: A man takes silver dollars to a city where -disks have been stamped “One dollar,” and where the merchants do not -care whether he gives them tin or silver--the price is the same! So -the apples were not high; the explanation is that money was plentiful -and cheap. And now I understood why Vladivostok was worrying over -interior statistics. The department heads mistook high costs reported -in Bolshevist rubles, for lack of food. - -But those statistics related mainly to sugar, tea, salt, candles and -other staples, commonly regarded as necessities, but turned by the -speculators into luxuries. Most of the Siberian speculators are of the -pack-peddler variety, because freight shipments are costly, and the -goods liable to loss. One Chita shipper paid seventy-five thousand -rubles for a car in Harbin to move sugar to the Trans-Baikal. The -engineer got one thousand rubles to haul it; the conductor of the train -got one thousand rubles to insure the car’s being cut off at Chita; -and I heard that the side-track was rented to the shipper while the -car was being unloaded. He assured me that he had doubled his money -in spite of paying so much “grease.” But the railroad men, who are -opposed to “Exploitation of the masses,” thought they were making the -capitalistic speculator pay the “grease!” Those railroad men had not -been paid for six months, and some of us Allied officers worried about -it, and gave the crews credit for staunch loyalty to the Russian cause -by sticking to their jobs. Also, a large Red Cross train went up the -line and presented these poor, starving magnates who ran the trains, -with new clothing! - -Captain B----, a Russian serving Semenoff, invited me to his room -in the hotel for tea. His wife brought from the wardrobe baskets of -cookies and candies. Trunks disgorged tinned fish, bar chocolate and -tinned milk. In one corner of the room was a sack of sugar; in another -were sacks of flour. Those living quarters resembled a corner in the -warehouse of a wholesale grocer. And everybody was stocked up like -that. Moreover, they all had orders with the local dealers to send them -more provisions whenever more arrived. It was a case of everybody his -own grocer. I had found the Chita stores bare. No wonder. - -I never saw any famine in Siberia. In fact, the only place that I -heard it discussed was in Vladivostok. There, the flocks of refugees, -seeking free food and shelter, were responsible for the belief in it. -No doubt many of them did need aid--especially the women and children. -And in the handling of those needy, our Red Cross did gallant service. -But among the refugees were hundreds of able-bodied men who found it -pleasant to be refugees. These men were not likely to report that the -districts from which they came were plentifully supplied with food. -And as these men kept pouring in from all parts of the country, a -consolidation of their reports presented a false picture of conditions. - -What I looked for in the interior of Siberia, contrasted with what -I found, was happily, if ridiculously, disappointing. But in 1920 a -similar hunt might result less humorously. To feed men stops their -work; to stop work stops production. And lack of production spells -future need. So next year,--who knows?--it may be possible to find -famine in Siberia--if meanwhile the people of that country consume -their total reserves on the strength of our promise of generous aid. -In my humble opinion, the United States should avoid, in Siberia, all -Christmas-Tree talk. - - - - -XVII - -NEW YEAR WITH THE JAPANESE - - -New Year’s Day, 1919, began for me at fifteen minutes after midnight, -with a thunderous knocking at the glass door of my room. This was -rather disconcerting, for there had been rumors the night before that -the Bolshevists were going to rise in the city, and slay. The glass -door, with its colored paper stuck in the panes, was not ideal for -siege purposes; but it had certain advantages, in that I could shoot -through it while the Bolshevists were breaking it in. - -I got out of bed without making any reply to the summons. I had opened -the tiny trap-door in the wall which served as a ventilator, and the -room was well chilled, for there was no heat in the radiators. It was -about fifty below zero outside--and about the same inside. - -Turning on the electric drop-light at my desk, I put on my purple -dressing-gown, and slipped my automatic into its pocket. Then I -unlocked and threw open the door, stepping discreetly to one side, a -habit one soon acquires in a country so free and equal as Siberia. - -The hall was quite dark. I made out a figure close at hand, and in -the light from my electric lamp I caught the gleam of gold shoulder -straps. A Russian officer clicked his heels, bowed, and spoke my name -in good English. - -I bade him enter, supposing he was an officer sent by the Ataman. But -he had just reached Chita by special train from Omsk, and was bound for -Vladivostok. He came to tell me of a Bolshevist uprising in Omsk, some -ten days before, which had been put down. Many Bolshevist prisoners -released from the prisons by their friends outside, had been shot. - -This news did not surprise me at the time. I had been told three -weeks before that the Bolshevists would rise in Omsk on that very -date, release the prisoners, and attack the Kolchak garrison. I made -an effort to recall who had foretold the uprising, and remembered a -drosky-driver who spoke English with whom I had drunk tea in a station -down the line. On the supposition that he was merely boasting for my -benefit when he claimed to be closely in touch with the Bolshevists, -I had let the story pass as idle talk, for if one attempted to report -all rumors, a dozen secretaries would be required by every officer in -the country. But now I realized that the drosky-driver was in reality -in the confidence of the Bolshevist leaders at Omsk, several thousand -versts away. He had foretold the exact date of the uprising now -reported to me. - -My Russian officer’s train had encountered Bolshevists at two stations, -and from the second his train had been run back for the purpose of -reinforcing his guard. When he ran down the line again to where his -progress had been opposed, he got through without difficulty, for in -the meantime the Bolshevists had been driven away. - -Having warned me of these facts, he was obliged to hasten back to his -train. With a click and a handshake he was away, and I went back to -bed, not quite sure I had not dreamed a chapter from a book with a -Prisoner of Zenda flavor. - -I shivered myself to sleep, having been chilled to the bone while I -listened to the adventures of the Russian officer, and carried on, as -the British say, till Werkstein came thumping at my door at eight to -tell me that I must hurry to catch a train for a New Year’s celebration -at a station some sixty versts away, where some of Semenoff’s garrison -was to make merry. Of course, it was thirteen days before the Russian -New Year, but the Cossack never misses an excuse to celebrate anything. - -I found myself with a violent headache, due to having taken cold while -sitting directly under the ventilating trap, which I had forgotten to -close while I talked with the Russian officer. Doubtless his haste to -get back to his train was induced by the terribly cold air flowing into -my room, but he had been too polite to call my attention to the open -trap. He must have thought me most inhospitable. - -The prospect of going away to a celebration was not alluring as I -looked out the window and saw Chita almost completely hidden by a -frozen fog. It was nearly sixty below zero, and rapidly getting colder. - -Werkstein ordered the samovar, and I had tea in bed. I do not wonder -that the Russians drink so much tea. We drank it all the time in -Chita, and my ordinary day’s tea-drinking ran as high as thirty hot -glasses. The effect was not good on my nerves, and I discovered that I -had become garrulous. Tea and much talk go together, which is why the -Russian produces conversation in great quantities. - -Mr. S----, the missionary Y. M. C. A. man, came to kindly offer -his services as an interpreter in case I would go to General Oba’s -reception at his headquarters at eleven. I am afraid that Mr. S---- -suspected the towel the faithful Werkstein had insisted on putting -about my head, but he was too broad-minded a gentleman to hint at his -suspicions. - -The Oba reception lured me. It was but a couple of blocks away, and if -I still felt badly when I got there, could leave and return to bed. -So I got up and shaved, and dug out a white shirt. After all, a white -shirt is a wonderful thing, especially if it comes out of a package -wrapped by one’s wife on the other side of the world, and redolent of a -subtle but familiar perfume. - -I also decided to discard temporarily the tremendous boots I had been -wearing, and got out my dress boots and spurs, considering them the -only fitting footwear with a white shirt and stock. Besides, a soldier -on a diplomatic mission cuts rather a sorry figure unless he can -produce the proper metallic click with his heels. - -So away with Mr. S---- to General Oba’s. Japanese sentries at the -door of the former department store, wearing bands over their noses to -keep them from freezing, came to the present arms smartly. We went up -the stairs and strode down a long hall. Little staff officers, smart -as paint and most affable, took our cards, and spoke in Russian to -Mr. S---- who startled and delighted them by responding in their own -language. - -A bevy of Japanese orderlies abased themselves and took our heavy -coats. The Japanese machine moves with noiseless precision, and without -any waste motions--one, our garments; two, bows and clicks; three, this -door, please. - -The door opens. Oba stands just inside, smiling a welcome. Clicks, -bows, handshakes. The season’s greetings. We enter. The room is -decorated with wistaria vines and Japanese dwarf trees. At a long table -running down the center of the room, and laden with bottles and food, -Japanese and Cossack officers are standing talking in various languages -and eating and drinking. - -A Buddhist priest, chaplain to Oba’s forces, wearing a conventional -frock coat, with an embroidered stole-like green and gold collar thrown -over his shoulders, addresses me in English, and tells me that he lived -seven years in Vancouver. He says I must have a potion of saki from a -lacquered saucer, presented by a Japanese soldier. The liquor is poured -from a vase-like china bottle. The Japanese custom, I am informed. As I -move down the table after drinking the saki, bowing deeply the while, -everybody clicks and bows. I meet another priest, who does not speak -English. Mr. S---- informs me that he is the head of another Buddhist -sect, and kind of an hereditary pope. - -A Russian doctor, wearing mufti, but displaying a couple of orders of -the old Russian régime, tries me in German, then Italian. We get on -quite well for a time, when he breaks into English--“My son--four years -Yokohama in school--she talks very good English--one, two, three, four -years. I study English two months.” I congratulate him on his ability -in English after such a short period of study. - -Japanese captains come smiling, to inform me that they do not speak -English, whereupon they proceed to do so with amazing facility. It is -the Japanese custom to deprecate their own accomplishments. - -I am urged to drink a glass of vodka with a Cossack officer, and at the -same time a Japanese officer asserts that he will be overjoyed if I -will drink with him a thimble full of saki. Another Japanese comes with -a bottle of brandy and holds out a glass for me, and on the other side -of the table a Japanese holds up a bottle of French wine and informs me -joyously that it is “White Wine,” and that I must have some with him. -While this is going on a Japanese soldier, egged on by the Buddhist -priest, is pouring me a glass of Sapporo beer because I have mentioned -the fact that I was once in Sapporo, Japan. I now have a half circle of -filled glasses before me, and in order to avoid drinking them all at -once, profess great interest in a dish on the table which appears to -be filled with raw shark, the skin still on the pieces. - -The Vancouver priest tells me it does not taste good, and makes a -grimace, but he says I must eat it, for it is Japanese custom. I do so, -while all my friends who have poured out liquors for me, wait patiently -for me to consume the contents of the various glasses. I have visions -of myself carried back to my hotel on a board, and wonder how diplomats -ever attain long lives. - -The Russian doctor catches my eye across the table once more. He goes -around the flank in great excitement, grasps the arm with which I am -feeding myself raw shark, and informs me in stentorian tones: “My -son--four years Yokohama--she speaks very good English. I study two -months.” I swallow the shark and congratulate him. - -My eye roves. It cannot evade the semi-circle of friendly eyes which -wait like wolves ready to attack, in case I do not drink from the -glasses before me. I take a sip from each glass, bowing deeply each -time I pretend to drink. I feel that while I may not be a brilliant -success as a diplomat, I have unsuspected possibilities as an acrobat. -I discovered muscles in my back which I never knew before that I -had--and they were getting tired. Everybody bows in triumph as I sip -from the last glass, and I am sure that the mixture of liquors I have -absorbed has poisoned me--if it has not, the shark will! - -Once more the polyglot conversation is resumed. I eat chestnuts from -a plate, and note the orders and decorations worn by Russian and -Japanese officers--colorful insignia gained some fourteen years before -on the millet plains of Manchuria, not so far away from Chita. I think -of the legions of dead burned like cord-wood, or buried in trenches, -of Nogi and his sacrificial battalions before Port Arthur. And Nanshan -and 304 Metre Hill, and the Baltic fleet fathoms deep in the sea of -Japan--the Czar, whose stupid stubborness led to that stupid war--I -wonder if he is really dead in a well. - -General Oba comes to me. He speaks appreciatively of the way in which -the United States “managed” the war with Germany. I reply through Mr. -S---- that the Allies appreciated what Japan did for them in China and -the Pacific. I am a bit taken aback at being thanked for winning the -war, but I suppose I represent the United States, and must not take the -splendid compliments too seriously. - -I wish General Oba a happy New Year, and great prosperity for his -nation. My group of friends dispersed discreetly when Oba approached. -He takes me to the other end of the room to explain some of the things -he has there for the New Year festival. The knot of rice straw on the -wall with white strips of paper hanging from it, is a Shinto symbol, -and a prayer for good crops. - -On the little table before it is a pyramid of fruits, shrine-like with -two larger rice cakes upon the pyramid--an offering to the gods who -make the rice grow. On them lies a strip of fishes skin, symbolical, if -my memory serves me right, of plenty. As the word for plenty and the -word for joy are nearly the same, the skin makes a pun. The Japanese -are fond of puns, and play upon words. Rampant against the pile of food -stuff is a red lobster, symbolical of agility, and on top of all, two -Japanese oranges which make another pun. - -Then we went to the door letting in from the hall, and outside, where -Oba explained the pine tree, bamboo poles tied along its hole, and the -blooming plum shrub at the base of the tree. General Oba says: “This -bamboo signifies that a man’s character must be upright, the tree -signifies long life, for the pine grows to great age, and as the plum -bush blooms early, coming to flower despite the cold of early spring, -it stands for perseverance in the face of adversity.” - -Japan is a land of beautiful symbols. These stands of triple symbols -are shown before every home in Japan on New Year’s Day. - -We return to the guest table, and I thank Oba for his kindness in -explaining the various decorations. We have a thimble of _saki_, and -bow. He turns to speak to a Cossack officer, and the smiling little -Buddhist priest with the green stole comes to chat with me again. Once -more the Russian doctor comes to tell me of his son in Yokohama and -how well he speaks English. He drags me to a great Japanese map of -Russia on the wall and shows me how close Japan is, and then with an -all-embracing sweep of his hand, informs me that America is far away -across the Pacific. I agree. - -A Japanese officer looks at the map, and comparing the size of Russia -with the little island Empire of Japan, observes whimsically that Japan -is very small. I tell him that greatness is not always measured by -size, and wonder if in an effort to be polite to Japan I have not given -Russia a left-handed compliment. But the Japanese bows and hisses, -evidently well pleased. - -Cossack officers with great swinging sabers, more like scimitars than -anything else, come and shake hands with me solemnly, and rattle their -spurs. Once more the Buddhist priest takes me in tow and swears I must -drink one more drop of saki with him if the cordial relations between -Japan and the United States are to be preserved. We preserve the -cordial relations between the two countries, and the thought of myself -on a board recurs--I begin to fear that the Russian doctor across the -table, now regarding me with serious mien, is about to dash around the -table again and tell me once more about his son in Japan. - -I decided that it is time to go, and spying Oba near the door, I work -my way toward him, and when he is disengaged, come to attention with -my loudest click. We bow and shake hands. I step backward four paces, -about face, and find myself in the hall. Staff officers come forward -in a rush and make a great ceremony of my coat and furs, and I go down -the hall amid a perfect orgy of bows, while the bayonets of sentries in -the long hall shoot upward at the present, to do me honor. I plunge out -into the frigid air. East and West have met, and I like General Oba -and his staff. - -When I returned to my room, I got word that General Knox of the British -Indian army was in his train at the station. I went down to call. His -train had arrived from Vladivostok, and he was on his way to Omsk. I -found a group of British officers in splendid first-class coaches, and -palatial dining-car. They fairly hustled me into that dining-car, and -on came the tea and jam and cakes. - -Colonels, majors, and captains wearing service stripes which proclaimed -the fact that they had been in the war a long time, sat round and -talked. I noted many of the red chevrons which marked their wearers as -members of the gallant old “Contemptibles.” - -Britain never loses a chance to turn a slur into an honor, and every -officer and man who was at the front or on the way over seas to fight -for the motherland at the time that the Kaiser referred to England’s -“contemptible little army” gets the red chevron on his sleeve which -allows him to call himself a “contemptible.” Those are the little -things on which a great nation is built. - -These officers were as jolly and unassuming as a lot of school boys. I -like the way in which the British can, at times, forget rank and put -behind them the things they have done. They decline to take themselves -seriously--yet they manage to make the rest of the world do so. - -Other nations take themselves seriously, and have something in their -manner that suggests with more or less menace that you must have the -same attitude toward them. But the British have welded an empire out of -many queer nationalities with the simple idea that a gentleman does not -have to insist that he is a gentleman--the instant he does so he ceases -to be a gentleman. - -I do not believe the British have always been right, but they have -been right often enough to win my admiration. And the best any nation -can do is to try and be right all the time. Standards of conduct for -individuals and nations are always changing, despite the assertions -of many people that “human nature cannot be changed.” Quite true, but -human nature which displays barbaric tendencies can be controlled. - -At one time a man had to get drunk to be a gentleman, and he had to -fight a duel if challenged, or challenge to a duel if he suffered what -he considered insult. Human nature has not changed, but we have changed -the standards for decent human conduct. And some day there will be -no wars because human nature is willing to meet the new standards we -shall set up. In the meantime, we cannot end wars by throwing away our -own guns and allowing the other fellow to keep his. We must evolute -by education rather than by legislation, though continual legislating -internationally will advance the education by providing a free -interchange of ideas and a setting up of international ideals. - -I did not have the pleasure of paying my respects in person to General -Knox, for I think he was calling on Ataman Semenoff. But I left my -card. As I walked back to my hotel in the Siberian twilight, I passed -a Siberian _moujik_ staggering drunkenly from the effects of vodka. -And as I went on after letting him have all the road to pass me, I -philosophized in an amateur way in this wise: What is the difference -between this Siberian _moujik_ and me? Why should I feel myself his -superior? Was it anything that I myself had done? No. The difference -between me and the drunken Siberian _moujik_ lay entirely in the -fact that I had been luckier than he in my ancestors. My progenitors -established, and left to me a form of government which meant -opportunity instead of oppression. I had begun life as a factory boy, -but not as the descendant of a line of ignorant serfs. - -The men and women of my race who had stood for freedom ages before I -was born, were now dust in ancient graves. They had wrested from King -John of England the Great Charter of human liberties, and from German -George the Third, freedom for the American colonies. The _moujik_ had -only just begun to think of freedom, and was making rather a mess of -the job. If his ancestors had begun to fight for freedom a thousand -years before, I would not be in Siberia wondering what was to be done. -This was the real Siberian twilight--the twilight which precedes the -sunlight of full freedom, a twilight which reveals queer goblins, and -bizarre shapes burning and slaying through the night which must come -and pass before dawn. - -These musings were undoubtedly due to having been entertained by the -kindly Oba, and then the startling contrast of having been made to feel -at home with the hospitable British--or maybe it was the raw shark I -had eaten which made my mind wander. - - - - -XVIII - -DIPLOMACY AND--MICE - - -In a previous chapter I mentioned Captain B----, a Russian serving -in Semenoff’s forces, who had his room in the Hotel Select full of -food. This officer, and his wife, a frail little woman who had been -desperately ill and was still in the convalescent stage, became my -closest friends in Chita. - -Every afternoon at four I was in their room for tea, and Mrs. B----, -who was an accomplished musician, played Russian operas and sang. The -piano had been borrowed from the wife of a Russian doctor living in the -hotel. Mrs. B----’s few sheets of music were all that were left to her -from a large collection, after several encounters with Bolshevists, -in which the most of her baggage had been stolen or confiscated. This -couple had spent the previous year in flights from various cities. -They had escaped from Odessa, from Ekaterinburg, from Irkutsk--from -countless places. And many times they were in deadly peril. - -Captain B---- belonged to the old Russian aristocracy. He had an estate -in the Altai mountains, which had been destroyed by Bolshevists, and -gold mines. He had a villa in Japan. He had travelled round the world -many times, and knew Africa, for instance, like the palm of his hand. -He referred casually to Lake Nyanza and Victoria Falls in the same -matter-of-fact way that he mentioned his visit to Niagara Falls. He -spoke nine languages. He had been attached to the Russian Consulate in -New York for a long time. He spoke English fluently, and was a most -delightful chap. His saber-hilt had the monogram of the Czar--he was -close to the imperial family, without doubt, though he discreetly kept -off the subject of his former associations with the court life. - -Mrs. B---- came originally from Bessarabia, and had lived in -Moscow. She spoke French well, and was learning English. I picked -up considerable Russian at those teas, and Mrs. B---- practiced her -English on me, her husband laughing gaily at her mistakes. - -I remember one afternoon that the table cover had upon it embroidered -butterflies. And while Mrs. B---- was serving my tea, I put my -finger on one of these butterflies, and said, “Butterfly,” for the -purpose of giving her the English of it. She looked at her husband in -consternation after giving me a startled glance, and said something in -Russian. He was busy opening a can of jam, and looked up in surprise at -what she had said to him, for she was on the point of tears. - -He smiled and asked me: “What was it you just said? I did not hear. My -wife did not understand.” - -“I said this was a butterfly,” I replied, pointing to the embroidery. - -He dropped the can of jam and roared with laughter, at the time patting -his wife’s hand. - -It happened that the table cover was much the worse for wear, though of -fine linen. - -Captain B---- spoke in explanation to his wife, and she too laughed, -and began to chatter merrily. - -“My wife could not understand why you should mention the fact that the -table cover is very old and no good,” said Captain B----. “The Russian -word ‘butterclou’ means trashy, old and worn out--junk. And she thought -you were referring to the table cloth as no good, when you put your -finger on it and said ‘butterfly.’” - -I made my apologies. And then I told of the American of our Committee -on Public Information who arrived at Harbin at two in the morning, and, -ordered the drosky-driver to take him to a hotel. The driver looked -very surprised, but he drove away with the American, and they rolled -through most of the streets of Harbin, up and down and all around for -an hour. - -The American noticed that the driver peered in at shop windows, and was -in the mercantile part of the city, especially among the Chinese shops. -He demanded in exasperation why the driver could not find a hotel, but -all the poor driver could do was scratch his head and protest that he -was doing his best. - -Finally, they found somebody who could translate, and discovered that -the American had not asked for a “gasteenitsah,” or hotel, but had told -the driver that he wished some mustard, the Russian word for mustard -being quite similar to the Russian word for hotel. The driver had been -trying to find a grocery store open at that early hour. - -This inability to grasp the meaning of a sentence from the -circumstances despite a slight mispronunciation of the vital word in -the sentence, I found to be typical among most Russians. Every word -must be pronounced accurately, or the Russian is completely at sea for -your meaning. - -For several weeks I shocked waiters and waitresses in restaurants by -asking for cakes with my tea. They regarded me with distrustful eyes, -and plainly disapproved of me. I could not understand why when I asked -for a provodnik with my tea, I never got one, but did get a frightened -look. - -The explanation is that the attendants were taken aback at the -discovery that Americans are cannibals, despite all reports to the -contrary. For a provodnik is not a cake, but the man who looks after -the fires in a passenger car, and pretends to sweep the floor when you -want to sleep. Naturally, they did not serve me a provodnik--neither -did they give me a cake. I got my cake by going to the counter and -pointing it out. Yet provodnik strikes me as a far better name for cake -in Russian, than the word they use, which is proven by the fact that I -can remember provodnik now, but forget entirely the word for cake. - -I found that the British were not nearly so dependent upon interpreters -as we were. They had officers who spoke Russian perfectly, some of them -being Russian-born. This expert knowledge of the language may be due in -part to the fact that England for a long time feared Russia. Some of -Kipling’s early stories of garrison life in India express this mistrust -for “the man who walks like a bear.” And, in fact, the Siberian peasant -does walk like a bear, for his shambling gait, a great body slightly -stooped, with long powerful arms at his side, he suggests Bruin -amazingly. - -Captain B---- was commandant of the Hotel Select, used as quarters by -Semenoff’s officers and their families. His own room was down the hall -from mine, past the dining-room being used as an officers’ mess, with -German war-prisoners as waiters. - -I returned to my room late one afternoon, and met Captain B---- going -out. I spoke to him, and he scarcely replied. He had on his sheepskin -coat and Cossack cap, and I noted at once that he was not wearing his -saber. It was the first time I had seen him without it. He looked pale. -There was another Cossack officer with him. I sensed something wrong at -once. Nicholas Romanoff, the agent referred to before, was with me, and -Captain B---- stepped aside and said something to Romanoff in Russian -in a guarded tone, and then marched down the hall with the Cossack. - -Romanoff’s manner was troubled. We went into my room without saying a -word, and locked the door. - -“What is up?” I demanded. - -“Captain B---- has been arrested,” he said, sadly. “Arrested on order -of the Ataman, who is down the railroad toward Harbin.” - -“With what is he charged?” I asked. - -“He does not know.” - -Now to be arrested in Chita by order of the Ataman, especially while -the Ataman is absent, at that time and under the prevailing conditions -is no joke; and to be arrested without being charged with the offense -for which the arrest is made, is dangerous; and to be one of Semenoff’s -officers and be arrested, is doubly dangerous. Being arrested in such -manner is quite likely to mean being shot within an hour. There was a -good chance that while Romanoff and I stood there looking at each other -we might hear a rifle volley. - -It was no affair of mine. I could not prevent an execution. I had no -way of knowing what had been discovered against Captain B----, if -anything. It might be a private feud, it might be that Captain B---- -had entirely too many Imperial rubles of big denominations in his -trunk, as I well knew. It was quite possible that somebody in power had -taken a fancy to Mrs. B---- and decided to eliminate her husband on a -trumped up charge while the Ataman was away. And the Ataman might or -might not have ordered the arrest--anything was possible in Chita. - -Captain B---- was my friend. I made up my mind that not much time would -pass before I called upon the Ataman’s staff, to ask as diplomatically -as possible the reason for the arrest. Not that I expected to be told -the truth, but I did intend to apprise Semenoff’s headquarters that -I was aware of what had happened. And I did intend to imply that if -an officer was executed summarily without evidence against him which -justified such action, such summary action would be considered against -Semenoff’s sense of justice as a military administrator. - -Semenoff or Semenoff’s officers might shoot Captain B---- to satisfy -some Cossack whim if they wished to, but if they did so they could not -expect to have me regard them as people at all fit to exercise control -over any people or part of Siberia, or to talk with me officially or -unofficially. - -I was determined that if Captain B---- was shot I would know why, and -if disapproved, the relations existing between the United States and -Ataman Semenoff as represented by me, would be broken off immediately, -and that I would so report to my headquarters and if not upheld, -request my relief from duty at Chita. - -Knowing that Romanoff was close to the Ataman and his staff officers, -I apprised Romanoff of my attitude very quickly, and told him to come -with me to Mrs. B----. - -We found her in tears, and frantically dressing for the street. She -had not been out since she had recovered from a long illness, and -the weather was extremely cold. She said that her husband had been -arrested by order of a colonel who lived in the hotel across the -street, and that she was going over to talk with him and demand the -reason for the arrest. - -I sent Romanoff with her, and again charged him to unofficially inform -the colonel or anybody else concerned of my great interest in the case, -and that I would expect a proper trial in case there was a legitimate -charge against Captain B----. In other words, that the United States -was watching, and that while there would be no interference, Cossack -methods would be judged by this affair. - -Romanoff and Mrs. B---- were gone more than an hour, and when they -returned, Romanoff assured me that the colonel had promised to release -Captain B----, but Mrs. B---- was still worried. She was well aware of -the custom of shooting people first and making explanations afterward. -Many innocent persons suffered by this custom. When a mistake was made, -the official responsible generally shrugged his shoulders and asked if -there were not plenty more people in the world. - -The reason for the arrest was reported to be that Captain B---- had -given a room in our hotel to an officer of Semenoff, when the officer -showed an order signed by the Ataman that quarters should be provided. -There was but one room in the hotel available--a room which had been -occupied by the colonel who had ordered Captain B---- arrested. This -colonel had not lived in the room for weeks, but had moved to the -hotel across the street, leaving in his room in our hotel a small grip. - -It was charged that the order for quarters was an old one, and that -since it had been signed the officer had had trouble with the Ataman. -But Captain B---- did not know this, and accepted the order for -quarters for what it appeared to be on its face--still in force. - -But the principal crime committed by Captain B---- was said to be -having allowed the officer out of the good graces of the Ataman, -to sleep in a room while the colonel’s bag remained in a closet. -It may have been that the bag had been opened, or it may have been -that the bag contained documents which would have caused the colonel -trouble with the Ataman. But it all appeared to me as a fine piece of -subterfuge, if the facts were as given. But one rarely gets the facts -in Siberia. - -Romanoff and I remained with Mrs. B---- through the evening, waiting. -When she was not crying dolefully and wringing her hands, she was -playing for us on her piano, stopping at times to listen to footsteps -in the hall to see if they could be those of her husband, coming back. - -Romanoff’s room was right across the hall, and he stepped out for a -minute, leaving the B---- door open. While he was absent, Mrs. B---- -stopped playing suddenly and listened. Then she cried out in terror -and ran into the hall. I had heard nothing startling, and wondered -what had caused her perturbation. She ran in again presently, crying -“Meescha! Meescha!,” or so it sounded to me, and pointed to the corner -of her room, where a large sack stood. It was a sack of sugar, and as I -approached it, I heard a rustling. - -I looked in and saw two mice and then held the top of the sack shut so -they could not escape into the room. Finally I dragged the sack out -into the hall, close to the open door of the officers’ mess-room. It -was full of dining officers, and some of them looked out in surprise -at seeing me dragging a heavy sack through the hall. I opened the sack -and let the mice escape. They ran into the dining-room, but as no one -had noticed them it did not matter. So I dragged the sack back to Mrs. -B----’s room. - -About ten o’clock Captain B---- came striding down the hall. I supposed -the colonel had held him prisoner a few hours so as not to be too ready -to show any regard for my attitude. And being in Asia, the colonel had -to “save his face.” - -Captain B---- wrung my hand, and I pushed him gently through the door -to his wife. I went back to my own room, wondering if I had prevented -an execution. - - - - -XIX - -NEW FRIENDS, PRISONS, AND OTHER THINGS - - -Three British officers came to Chita to observe conditions for their -government. Lieutenant-Colonel H---- of the General Staff, Major K---- -of the British Indian Army, and Captain P---- who was an expert on -railroad conditions and gave his attention to matters pertaining to the -Trans-Siberian. - -This trio made my life a joy, for they were jolly chaps, keen on their -work and keen on play when it was time to play, as is the Briton -the world over. These gentlemen were much amused at first by my -“Americanism,” but in a short time they discovered that my American -idioms were provided chiefly for their entertainment and they declined -to take my exaggerated slang seriously. - -And as I spent much time in foretelling what would happen in Siberia, -they dubbed me “Old Moore” after the ancient and celebrated prophet in -England who publishes the prophetic “Old Moore’s Almanac.” - -And as we got franker, they asked questions in gentle criticism of -American institutions and I in turn told them what was wrong with -England and the British Empire. Colonel H---- had come through the -United States on his way to Siberia, and was puzzled by some of the -characteristics of American journalism, as well as startled by the -hospitality that had been accorded to him by new friends in New York, -and in the clubs of that city. Being a lover of tennis, a New York -tennis club had made his stay in the city a delight. He was still in -something of a daze over the way in which the courts and club-house had -been turned over to him to use as his own. - -Major K---- had with him his Indian orderly, who spent most of his -time lurking in the lower hall of the hotel, waiting to pounce upon -his officer and demand if there was anything that could be done. He -had been with Major K---- about sixteen years, and fairly worshiped -him. And it was most amusing, and significant, that in a very short -time this Hindu was prattling Russian to the waiters and samovar girls. -He swore that the Russian language was borrowed from his own precious -Hindustani, indicating that all Asia is linked together far closer than -the casual observer might believe. - -And I wonder if Britain’s old fear of Russia was not based on an -understanding of the fact that India and Russia might find it easier to -coalesce into one nation than India and England. India and Russia have -had much the same training in understanding and submitting to a form -of government headed by a cruel and powerful emperor. They respect the -sword and scoff at the commoner who presumes to rule too kindly. - -Both countries have produced large numbers of ignorant peasants with -profligate native ruling classes. Also, both countries are filled with -diversified tribes, with climates ranging from tropical to frigid -zones, or at least with magnificent distances. Also, both countries are -very rich in natural resources, yet in those countries the human race -has allowed itself to be most enslaved. India had her great Moghuls, -Russia has had her cruel dynasties. And the masses of the peoples are -more concerned with their crops than with their capitals. - -In this latter respect I have not found the Russian peasant hard to -understand. The Russian noble and land-owner presents to me a greater -problem. Here is a country in which the people love the land--they -love to sow and reap, to dig and make the land produce. In fact, they -demand little else. Yet the history of the Russian peasant is one of a -constant fight to use and possess the land, while the great land-owner -and the government, have persisted in thwarting him. This insistence -upon preventing the peasants from having the land comes from the feudal -idea that the upper class must be master of the land and master of its -servitors. - -So Russia has been ruled, and the peasant controlled, by a monopoly of -land. To allow that monopoly to wane, as the upper class saw it, was -to lose the power of ruling, which under the old régime was closely -identified in Russia with taxation and what we call graft. In order to -maintain these powers, the dynasty and its parasitic satellites, kept -the people ignorant. The result was Bolshevism--war between those who -own property and those who have been prevented from owning property. -So ignorance has almost destroyed the upper class in Russia, and will -destroy more of the common people than the most cruel dynasty could -execute and kill in prisons in a thousand years of ruthless reign. - -It is necessary in considering the people of Siberia to recall some -of the facts of its history. We know that the Czars and their agents -put “dangerous people” into cold storage in Siberia. And the thinker, -the idealist, the protesters against the government were classed as -criminals, and imprisoned with criminals. This, curiously enough, -established a bond of fellowship between the most vicious cut-throats -of the Empire and the highest-minded men and women it had produced. - -If a man or woman has spent half a lifetime in a stone cell where -the temperature drops as low as eighty degrees below zero for merely -daring to think of government, criticise it, and demand justice for the -ignorant people, that man or woman is not going to worry about cruel -methods in retaliation if freedom ever comes. And when such a political -convict has been chained to a murderer for work, and lives in such a -cell with a murderer, these two will join hands against the common -enemy. Centuries were spent building up such hatreds. Why should we -wonder at the cruelties practiced when the prisons were opened? - -I saw in Chita one of the old prisons. It was empty, with the cell -doors hanging from broken hinges--hideous doors of planks painted a -dull yellow, with small holes cut in them for passing in food, and the -edges of the holes stained black with the grime of countless dirty -hands which for unknown years had delivered food to prisoners. I got -into this prison unexpectedly one cold day while seeking another -prison--Semenoff’s military prison. And I wandered through it, and -examined it in detail. - -Stone benches had served as beds--two to a cell. The remains of the -sanitary appliances, if they could be described as sanitary at all, -were most crude. I went into one of these cells and shut the door, and -sat on the stone bench. The hole in the door, six inches square, gave -scarcely any light from the corridor. I put my flashlight on the walls, -and found them scratched on every inch with names, initials, and dates. - -One wall was covered with rows upon rows of scratches in the stone. At -first I thought there had been a rude attempt at interior decoration, -but the word for “years” was dimly revealed in many places. Every -scratch represented a year spent by human beings in that stone grave! -Dark, damp, terribly cold and full of vile odors though it was nearly a -year since the prison had been emptied of its human misery, this cell -in ten minutes told me more about Siberia than all the historians and -diplomats and students of Russia could have told me in a lifetime of -reading or lecturing. - -[Illustration: SIBERIANS CELEBRATING THE SIGNING OF THE ARMISTICE] - -[Illustration: ROOM IN HOUSE AT EKATERINBURG WHERE THE CZAR AND HIS -FAMILY ARE REPUTED TO HAVE BEEN EXECUTED] - -And on one of these walls, was inscribed a date and this sentence: -“Nicolai died last night--he missed freedom by fourteen hours after -waiting twenty-two years,” and the date scrawled near it, represented -the date on which the prisons of Siberia had been opened under the -Kerensky régime. - -Just imagine waiting twenty-two years in such environment for the -overthrow of the Czar, and then missing freedom by fourteen hours! -If you had, would you dare tell a former Siberian convict to be more -gentle in dealing with those who upheld the system of the old régime? -And would you be too ready to accept somebody’s word that a new -dictator who wanted to set himself up to rule Russia would not restore -the old prison system? - -When Washington or London or Paris is puzzled about Russia and what -course to pursue with that country, I would like to take a group of -the diplomats to such a Siberian prison as I saw and let them spend a -single night in it with the doors locked and not quite sure how many -years it would be before somebody bade them come out into the light of -day. I believe they would appreciate better the doubts and suspicions -of the Russian people about government in the making. - -I wished to make a note of what was on the wall of that cell, but it -was too cold to unbutton my coat and get out pencil and note book. I -read it over and over--I can still see it in my mind’s eye. It was -seventy-two below zero that morning, and I was willing enough to walk -out and get into my drosky and go about my business. And I thought of -Patrick Henry, George Washington, John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin and -a lot of people who had done something for human liberties--and mine. - -Chita was the place to which the group of revolutionists known as “The -Decembrists” had been sent, back about 1840. And an old man in Chita -who had spent years as an exile, had a collection of branding irons and -other implements of torture used on convicts in a private museum. Among -other things were figurines of convicts made by convicts, complete in -every detail, even to the leg chains and the convict clothing. These -figurines, including the chains, had been moulded out of convict bread! - -And in Chita I saw “Damskaya Oolitsia,” or “The Street of the -Dames.” This consisted of two rows of log houses near the railroad -tracks, which had been built by the wives of the Decembrist exiles -for habitations, these gentlewomen having followed their husbands -into exile and having been granted the right to build a street for -themselves. - -These wives were not allowed to communicate with their husbands, who -were worked outside the prisons in chain-gangs. But with that feminine -ingenuity for outwitting locksmiths when there is love in the heart, -these brave women managed to talk with their husbands. The clever trick -was accomplished by hiring a carriage from the aborigine Buriats of the -locality, and driving past the chain-gangs. When close to the working -convicts, the horse was made to balk. The women, pretending to be -arguing with the driver and demanding that he make the horse go on, -shouted in French. - -The Russian guards of course did not understand French, but the -convict-husbands did. Thus messages of hope were transmitted, and news -of what was going on in Petrograd and Moscow in revolutionary circles, -with probably information that pardons were being sought, was given to -the exiles. - -Many of these brave and loyal women remained in Chita till their -deaths. Most of the husbands died in prison, and the widows went back -to the cities of Europe. - -The new Czar came to the throne--he who was to lose it. There is a -grotto in the forests back of Chita to commemorate his visit to the -city while he was the Crown Prince. He made the journey by sledges, -for at that time there was no railroad. He might have learned a lot in -Chita about government, but the Second Nicholas was weak and stubborn -and would not heed even the advice of his greatest statesman, Count -Witte. And the prisons of Nicholas the Second brought about his ruin -and the ruin of his Empire. After all, I wonder if prisons cannot teach -lessons in freedom. - -Some men are born a thousand years too late, and are a menace to our -present civilization. Some men are born a thousand years too soon, -and having ideals a cycle in advance of human progress, likewise may -become a menace to organized society. But the Russian government lagged -behind human progress--even such progress as its own people made under -governmental oppression. So the government imprisoned thieves and -murderers--what we call criminals. But it also classed as criminals, -and rightly, nihilists and assassins who used violence against the -government. But it also classed as criminals, and imprisoned them, men -and women with the greatest visions and the greatest spirits in the -Empire. Thinking became a crime. - -The government’s attitude toward a Tolstoy differed in no way from its -attitude toward a crack-brained agitator, except that it dared imprison -or execute the agitator, but only dared scowl at Tolstoy. - -We of the United States condemned the Czar and his government of -parasites for its enmity toward Tolstoy, not understanding that -Tolstoy was not dangerous for what he himself actually did against -the government, but for what he instigated others to do. The ideals -of a Tolstoy, carried out by assassins, may wreck not only a criminal -government, but may topple over the whole structure of civilization -throughout the world. - -I believe now that the Czar’s government, for all its hideousness, -understood that its revolutionists not only threatened the imperial -system but also menaced the lives of all the people in the Empire. - -Revolution may be necessary when evolution, throttled by a few who -control the destiny of a people, is not permitted to operate. The -aspirations of the Russian people were beyond their abilities to carry -out. They accomplished a successful revolution. Will they be able to -hold the good they gained by it? If not, we can only say they did not -deserve the liberty they acquired. - -It was as dangerous in Russia under the old régime to be ahead of the -times as it was to be behind them--as dangerous to be an idealist as -to be a cut-throat. The people, we knew, were ahead of their system of -government, and even the ignorant peasants who blamed the government -for all their woes from bad crops to taxes, were theoretically right. -But it is worse to pursue a theory of government and not to know what -to do with it once you have it, than it is to have no idealistic -theories and face conditions as they exist. - -Columbus had a theory that by sailing to the westward he would reach -India. He discovered America. If he had sailed to destruction over the -edge of the “flat” world, only his crews and the three ships of his -venture, would have been lost. It is quite another matter to embark -with a whole nation, or group of nations, into unknown seas. The nation -and all it has gained by centuries of evolution, may be lost, and the -children of a few survivors be thrown back into barbarism. That is what -the idealists of the Czar’s Empire have done, directing a vast but -ignorant population. And the people of Russia are still waiting for a -pilot who can cry “Land ho!” - - - - -XX - -THE SOBRANIA - - -The city of Chita being in an unsettled condition as the result of -the Bolshevist troubles passed, and not knowing when more similar -troubles might occur, the people never gave up for a single night -their amusements. High schools produced amateur plays, there were -masque balls, banquets, benefits, motion pictures, and theatres. -The empire lay shattered, and foreign flags flew over their public -buildings, marking the garrisons of foreigners doing police duty for -the Siberians--they gave themselves up to making merry. - -And when the Siberian goes out for an evening’s entertainment, he does -not return home till the small hours of morning. The result is that -little work or business is done the following day before noon, and -there is not much activity in business after two o’clock. - -No matter what came up, I could not expect to find anyone at the -staff headquarters of Semenoff before eleven o’clock. There might be -a report at daylight that a train had been attacked by Bolshevists -twenty miles away; it could not be verified before noon. If I got a -message in cipher from Vladivostok at nine o’clock in the morning that -Russians had attacked Japanese troops near Chita, and asking me to -get the details, in fifteen minutes I could have the Japanese version -of the affair, but it would take forty-eight hours to get the Russian -statement of what had happened. - -If my telegram came over the regular Russian wire, it might be -delivered to the hotel proprietor, who would call my attention to it -the following week. In the meantime, messages for the Czecho-Slovak -commandant, or a French correspondent of whom I had never heard, or -some British officer, would be brought to my room at all hours of the -night. My room was a receiving station for all telegrams which the -Russian operators did not know where to deliver--and when one came for -me, it was mis-delivered, generally. - -My cipher messages were transmitted as numbers, and when Russian -operators received them, they always left out thirty or forty numerals -in the middle of the message so that when it was being deciphered, the -last half of it did not decipher at all, but when transformed into -letters looked like an alphabet that had run _amok_. I generally asked -for it to be repeated to my own signal corps operator over our private -wire, but that wire was open for us but an hour in the forenoon and an -hour in the afternoon. So if I got a defective message over the Russian -wire five minutes after my wire was closed in the morning, I had to -wait until afternoon before I could with any surety of getting the -message through tell Vladivostok to repeat. And the repeated message -would not reach me till the next morning. - -I suspect that there was a system of sabotage being practiced on us. -There was every evidence that Semenoff’s officers in charge of the -commercial telegraph office had held up our cipher messages until -they had made an effort to decipher them. Or knowing that they had -done something which they did not want reported or contemplated doing -something, they held up the message as long as possible. For instance, -if Semenoff had his armored train in the station and the engines with -steam up ready to move up the line for some purpose, any message I sent -through at that time was suspected to contain the information that his -armored train was about to move in a certain direction. So the message -was not put on the wire till the movement was completed. - -Yet what appeared to be sabotage, or a blockade system on information, -might well be the result of stupidity induced by late hours and too -much vodka. It was noon before the population appeared to have a lucid -interval in their existence, and having acquired a clear head again, -the chief ambition in life immediately was to become befuddled with all -possible speed. - -I discovered the old “Imperial” vodka being sold on the streets, the -vendors setting up in business with an old box and a dozen bottles of -the liquor. I refer to it as Imperial because it was vodka made under -the old régime as revealed by the paper seals over the corks, and the -payment of imperial taxes, vodka having been a government monopoly. A -pint bottle could be purchased for about twelve rubles on the streets, -the same costing forty rubles in the restaurants. - -It was said that there were millions of rubles worth of this vodka -in storage in Chita, which had been taken over by Semenoff, and -which aided his finances to an appreciable extent. No doubt somebody -collected a fee to allow it to be sold, and no doubt it was sold to the -dealers by the agents of Semenoff, who had acquired it by simply taking -it. Siberians using the whole of the wide street below my windows in -order to walk past, could be seen any minute of daylight. - -The Russian calendar is full of holidays. One holiday in a week, ruins -the week--and the Russian for a week. He generally starts celebrating -the day before the holiday, and uses the day after the holiday to -extend the merriment. And most weeks while I was in Chita contained two -holidays. - -I subscribed for the local newspapers on arrival. There were three -dailies. I got about one of each every week. Out of curiosity I made -inquiries, but there was always a good excuse--the printers had been -drunk, there had been a holiday, there was going to be a holiday, the -press was broken, or Semenoff had confiscated the whole edition and -arrested the editor. I would not care to be a publisher or journalist -in Siberia. - -Whether a paper came out on a certain day or not, however, the newsboys -every night cried the “Nash Put” (Our Way), or the “Za Baikalsky” -(Trans-Baikalist) every night. The date of the paper might be three -days old. _Nitchyvo._ The buyer could not stop in the excessive cold -to hunt for a mere date, but bought his paper while going ahead at a -jog-trot. I never saw a native protest. Either he had not read the -paper of that date, or he did not care. Perhaps he could not read. A -Siberian acquires a certain social standing by being seen purchasing -a paper. Anyhow, he is probably on his way somewhere to drink vodka -and will forget all about the paper when he reaches his destination. -There was something about the Siberian buyer of newspapers which -reminded me of the young police reporter in San Francisco who wore -mauve gloves, had a gold-headed cane and carried with him everywhere a -copy of the _Atlantic Monthly_. He never read it. When he wore out one -copy carrying it, he bought another. It gave him a reputation with the -public and the staff of the newspaper for being a bright young man with -considerable erudition. - -These general statements on private and public entertainment may make -it appear that amusement is, after all, rather haphazard in Siberia, -and breaks out in sporadic sprees. It would be misleading to convey -this idea. For amusement and entertainment is systematized by the -Siberian, in what they call a _sobrania_. As near as I can define it, -this institution is a sort of “circle,” or club, and the idea might -well be copied with some modifications in cities, or more especially, -small towns in the United States. - -There was a first _sobrania_ and a second _sobrania_ in Chita. -I knew only the second. Probably the numerical designation came -from precedence in organization. I suspect that the first one had -degenerated somewhat in its clientele or membership or whatever they -call it, but that may be only snobbishness on my part--all the best -people went to the second _sobrania_, even including the chief of -police who was a comfortable person for the Siberians to have present -early in the morning drinking wine or vodka after the hour when the -sale of liquors was supposed to cease. At least, my friends assured me -that so long as the chief was present, they felt perfectly safe from -police interference on the score of making merry. - -After midnight I felt the environment rather boring and got away unless -my departure might be construed as a reflection on the habits of my -Cossack friends who had invited me for the evening. In such cases, the -evenings last till daylight, and in Siberia in winter, daylight is -scarce. - -The first night I went to the _sobrania_ I was amazed. It was a large -stone building of four stories and basement. The basement contained -billiard and coat-rooms. On the floor above was a ball-room and a -theater. The next upper floor held a splendid restaurant, decorated -by the inevitable and luxurious rubber plants. A German war-prisoner -orchestra served for balls, theater, and after-theater supper. - -The plays were acted by a fairly good stock company, and it was said, -written by the wife of a local general. If the latter were true she -was an accomplished dramatist, though I doubt if the police would have -allowed her plays to run on Broadway. - -It is probable that the general’s wife did write some of them, but more -likely that such as I saw she had adapted from French farces. They were -grossly nasty, to such an extent that it was evident that they had been -coarsened. Infidelity, of course, was the basis of each one, the wife -always being the fool. And one case of infidelity was not enough for a -single play--all the characters were involved in some way or another, -to the uproarious delight of the audience. And incidentally, I saw high -school children put on a play built around a button missing from the -most vital part of a man’s trousers. - -No further comment needs to be made upon the public morals of the -Siberians. Yet curiously enough, in all the dancing I observed, there -was not a hint of anything approaching the suggestive. In fact, the -dances were most pretty, and most decorous. This might be explained by -the fact that the officers of Semenoff’s little army were always armed, -and are as quick with a pistol as the old-style Westerner of our own -country. Discretion in such cases is not always a matter of morals. - -And while I am discussing the morals of the Siberians, I wish to say -that before sailing from San Francisco I went to a noted restaurant -for dinner, where the prominent people of the city dine. There I saw -a woman dance in a state so close to nudity that it was disgusting, -and she did not dance upon a stage, but among the tables. She was on -the program as a foreigner, a gipsy, I think. Thus as a nation we -are willing to be Orientalized. And our best people go farther in -permitting offense in dancing than do the Siberians, judging from what -I saw in that country. - -After the play in the _sobrania_, the dancing begins, the seats being -taken up to make extra room. But between the acts a sort of promenade -begins, in which the whole audience goes out and walks around in -couples in the adjoining room. This promenade is characteristic of all -public gatherings, and leads one to believe that the people are most -gentle toward each other in all relations--the men link arms, and walk -together, smoking and chatting; men and women walk together and talk -animatedly; there is much bowing, and exchange of polite salutations -between friends. And this promenade once begun, continues through -all the time of dancing, so that but about half those present at any -particular time are on the dancing floor. - -While I was in Chita Cossack officers were there from the Don, the -Urals, the Ussuri, the Crimea. There were handsome Georgians in flowing -capes lined with red and thrown over the shoulders to expose the inner -colorings. They wore rifle cartridges sewn into the breasts of their -tunics in regulation Cossack style, and sabers and scimitars with -jeweled hilts and scabbards of silver with exquisite filigree work. - -When some of these men reached a point of exhilaration which prevented -them from remaining quiet, they improvised dances of their native -heaths as exhibitions, consisting of queer gesturings, much leaping and -clicking of heels in air, and intricate dance steps, all being done -with great skill to the accompaniment of barbaric cries in keeping -with the performance. Such exhibitions were popular and frequent, and -at times the general dancing stopped entirely in order that all hands -might enjoy the spectacle. - -And while this merry-making was going on inside, Semenoff’s men outside -in the bitter cold were doing double guard to protect the building from -Bolshevist raids or uprisings. Many a night going to the _sobrania_ -with British officers and Captain and Mrs. B----, we were challenged -and halted by patrols, and on our way back to the hotel our drosky was -frequently held up by a group of men about a bon-fire in the street and -not permitted to go on till we had identified ourselves. - -I suspected that this excessive caution was due more to Semenoff’s -desire to impress the city with the protection he afforded, than a -necessity for vigilance. By this method Semenoff demonstrated his worth -to the bankers and merchants of the city, so that he found it easier to -“borrow” money for his military and other necessities. - -But to go out every evening to theaters and dinners, knowing that -venturing forth into the cold night means to be challenged by -none-too-careful sentries (some of them more or less under the -influence of vodka and likely to shoot first and challenge afterward) -revealed some traits of the Siberian character. They will have their -amusement despite all odds; they do not worry overmuch about the -condition of their government; they curse certain foreigners for coming -in and protecting them and yet are suspicious of every native who -sets himself up as a military leader; they talk of their great love -of Russia but if they have their choice between going to a salacious -play or to a public gathering to discuss the affairs of their stricken -country, they choose the play. There they know they will enjoy -themselves and can go through the forms of excessive politeness with -their friends and even with officers belonging to the armies of Cossack -and Russian leaders who are mistrusted. - -But if they all gathered to discuss the welfare of Russia they know -the meeting would probably end in a near-riot, if not open warfare. So -they find it easier to be charmingly hospitable to possible enemies, -and presently whispering behind the backs of the possible enemies about -their treason to Holy Russia. - -In the meantime the reactionary forces grow stronger, the general -disorder gradually converts the people to a belief that it would be -better for a monarchy to be restored, and certain imperial personages -lurk in Harbin or other hiding places, waiting for the time when -the population will tire of revolutionary conditions and demand a -restoration of the throne. - -These monarchists speak vaguely of a “proper time” in the future. -Most of them have plenty of money, and enjoy themselves waiting for -this “proper time.” The poorer peoples are steadily consuming food -surpluses, raising less each year; they are wearing out their clothes -and gradually approaching beggary while they keep up a sort of -continual celebration over their freedom, as they call it. - -The monarchists can afford to bide their time. Our diplomats wait and -wait for “things to settle down.” They predict that Bolshevism will -burn itself out, when as a matter of fact the fuse is burning closer to -more destruction all the time. And Russian and Germany money is being -spent in various countries of the world for the purpose of spreading -Bolshevist ideas, in order that other countries will have troubles -of their own and be compelled to leave Russia alone. These ideas are -nothing but class hatred worked out subtly and made to appeal to people -whose reasoning powers are most primitive--or to educated “idealists” -who either have addled brains in their heads or Bolshevist money in -their pockets. - -Tell me how people amuse themselves and I will tell you what they are; -tell me that they seek only amusement when their country is in ruins, -and they cannot tell me that the patriotism they prate about is genuine -patriotism. It struck me that the Siberians were more concerned with -what went down their gullets than with a decent government and a decent -future for themselves and their children. - -People get the government they deserve. People are responsible for -their governments. If they assert that their rulers led them into war, -it is not the fault of their rulers, but their own, for their rulers -know them well enough to know what they could be led into. If people -whine that they are oppressed by an autocracy, they confess that there -is something lacking in themselves. If they howl against capitalism, -when all the things they have could only be produced for them by a -system of capital invested to good purpose, they lack brains; and if -they cannot devise a government which protects them from exploitation -they deserve to be exploited. - -I do not believe that all capitalists combine power with justice, -any more than I believe that all working men understand the laws of -economics and would create a régime of justice if they had all power in -their hands. They mistake the machine which has been created to produce -jobs for them, as the machine by which they themselves create, when as -a matter of fact they themselves are only a part of the machine. That -they happen to be part of that machine is not the fault of the inventor -of the machine or its owner, but their own. - -Of course, the necessity for labor, on their part may be due to a lack -of opportunity due to bad government, lack of education, misfortune or -the thousand and one elements of which an individual’s history may be -composed. A man running a loom might have been a scientist if he had -been educated, but he cannot turn himself into a scientist by burning -the factory in which he works. - -This relation to work and play in connection with Siberia I believe to -be vital both in Siberia and in other parts of the world. And I feel it -necessary to become personal in order to make clear what I mean in a -chapter dealing primarily with Siberian love of amusement. - -As a boy I worked in a woolen mill as a weaver. In order to study -while my loom was running, I fastened books to the top of the frame -and in moments when the loom did not need my attention, I would read a -page or two out of a book. By this method I often got through a book -a day in addition to producing the regular quantity of cloth. The odd -moments I gave to my books were spent by my fellow-weavers in friendly -conversation or in skylarking. - -I was laughed at for trying to acquire an education. I lost caste with -young chaps of my own age for “trying to be better than a weaver.” And -right then I learned this truth: People write or talk about autocracy -of capital, or autocracy of government, or autocracy of class, but--the -greatest autocrat in the world is the ignorant person--he resents -everybody who is not as ignorant as himself, and he seeks to pull down -to his level those who would surpass him in ability, manual or mental. - -I mention this because I found exactly the same attitude of mind -on the part of the “workers” in Siberia, as I found among my former -loom-mates. It was that no one works unless he wears old clothes and -appears at a certain place at a certain time to labor for a certain -period. - -The Siberian has much more reason for having that attitude than the -American, for the former has been prevented from gaining an education, -or thinks he has, and has been told repeatedly that only such labor as -he understands, produces anything. - -Just as many a laborer resents a white shirt, a collar and cuffs, a -well-tailored suit worn by a man who apparently does no hard work, the -laborer sometimes resents good grammar and good manners from any man -who is thrown in contact with him. - -It is said that Trotsky goes about unshaven, and in an old suit -of clothes, when he wishes to speak to his adherents on terms of -familiarity. Having taught the proletariat to destroy the upper -classes, he is consistent enough outwardly to pull himself down to the -level of his dupes. This is merely the trick of the sly demagogue, who, -when he goes among working men seeking votes, puts off the frock coat -and silk hat and gets into a cap and overalls. The inference is that he -must be honest and is sincerely seeking to represent the working man -because he appears in the habiliments of labor. - -This spirit of class hatred has been developed to the ultimate degree -in Siberia, and the man with a clean collar, a shave, and clean hands -must be an enemy of the proletariat, as the proletarian sees him, -simply by having those things. - -I heard the provodnik of my fourth-class car refer to me insolently as -an aristocrat because he observed me trying to shave and wash my face. -Two days later, having allowed myself to become unshaven and otherwise -unkempt, he became most friendly, and instead of regarding me as an -aristocrat, began to address me as “comrade.” I had evidently won his -good regard by being dirty. - -So amusement is closely identified with the condition of a people, -both in their material and spiritual welfare, as well as in the evils -of a bad government. When people insist upon having amusement which -they cannot afford, they are ripe for the tyrant, and their government -goes to pot. Prosperity has done more damage to the human race than -adversity--prosperity which is used only for an excess of amusement. - -With the _sobranias_ of Chita filled to overflowing every night, with -wealthy and poor seeking to be diverted with vodka, dancing and eating -all night, and sleeping most of the day, where is it possible to begin -aiding them in the forming of a government of their own? If they are -willing to allow various self-seeking usurpers of government to set -up military establishments and gradually become local princelings -waiting for the time that their power can be sold out to some imperial -personage who wishes to restore a throne, why should we quarrel with -these princelings or about them--the Semenoffs, the Kalmikoffs and -others who are of the same stripe? - -That is what the monarchists mean when they talk about the “proper -time,” to restore the monarchy--the time when the local chiefs find it -convenient to sell out, and there is a buyer handy who knows how to -wear a crown--and swing a saber over the heads of the multitude. - -Then there will be people in Russia and in that part of the Empire of -old known as Siberia, who will rise and assert that the Allies, or -the United States, or somebody, betrayed them. They will say that our -“watchful waiting,” and our assurances of friendship and our efforts to -aid with Red Cross supplies, and our “we don’t know what to do” policy, -was merely our waiting for a “proper time” to hand them over to a new -Czar. - -That is why I say the _sobranias_ with their dirty plays, filled with -audiences roaring gleefully over indecency, should have been filled -nightly with Siberians threshing out the problems which confronted -them. No. They were concerned chiefly with consuming the supply of -vodka, with the women who sifted through the port of Vladivostok or -came up from Harbin, and with cursing discreetly behind their hands -the gentlemanly Japanese officer who went to see the fun. I wonder if -some of these Japanese, accused by the Siberians of secretly desiring -to capture Siberia, did not realize with Japanese astuteness that the -Siberians were conquering themselves. There is no necessity for the -Japanese fighting with the Siberians for Siberia, when the Siberians -seem to be bent upon eliminating themselves. - -Of course the Siberians are friendly to the United States--remember -that the American officer whom I relieved in Chita had been threatened -with assassination. This officer was a foreigner, who by faithful -service in our old regular army, had acquired a commission in our -native forces of the Philippines, known as the Philippine Scouts. I am -not sure what his nationality was--a Pole or a Ukranian. I think the -chief objection to him was the belief in certain quarters in Chita that -he was a Jew. - -The United States makes a mistake when it sends a Jewish official to -represent it in any foreign country which is anti-Jewish, not because -the Jew is incapable in any way, but because the nation he represents -is forgotten, and only the fact that he is a Jew, is remembered. We of -the United States who have no racial or religious prejudices against -the Jew find it hard to realize the hatred that is held for them in a -country like Russia. - -Since my stay in Siberia I am convinced that the hatred of the Jew is -neither racial nor religious at bottom. It is based on a resentment -of any person or race which is ambitious, which has foresight, which -attends to business, and so gets ahead. The Chinese in Siberia are -hated as much as the Jews, though not so badly persecuted. This is -because, as I understand it, the Chinese attend to their business while -the native is sleeping off the effects of liquor or late hours. The -Siberian dislikes anybody who represents “unfair competition”--the -doing a full day’s work. I believe the Japanese are hated chiefly for -the same reason--being up and doing, looking ahead, preparing for the -cold winter during the warm summer. All lazy persons resent the man or -woman who works. The Siberian was born lazy. - -The general Russian workman in a factory will not work a minute more -than he is compelled to. I read an article by a Russian woman in this -country who ascribes this laziness of her countrymen to an artistic -temperament--they need a certain amount of dreaming, and their -spiritual condition is better than that of the American, who is always -too busy to enjoy life and understand the inner meanings of life. That -may be so, but I believe that the average American working man who -arrives at his work punctually and quits with the whistle, gets as much -of the “inner meanings of life” as the Russian who reaches the factory -an hour late, and then wants to assassinate the owner of the factory -because the boss scolds the Russian for being late. Maybe this yearning -for assassination is indicative of understanding the inner meaning of -life. - -To disagree in Siberia means to desire to kill. That is one reason why -the _sobranias_ were full of rollickers every night in Chita. To sit -in a theater beside a man who is laughing at a play while you yourself -laugh at the same things he does, prevents anything in the nature of -a disagreement. Two men can get drunk together with a certain degree -of safety, but in Siberia if they should meet sober and begin to talk -about government, they might fight a duel. Perhaps they would rather -remain alive than to attempt to agree on how the nation should be -conducted. - -While I was in Siberia I read in an American newspaper that an American -member of Congress demanded information as to why the United States was -not coöperating with the Russian Zemstvos in organizing a nucleus for -a representative Russian government. If he had been with me the day I -read of his demand, I could have taken him and shown him a zemstvo so -drunk that its members did not know their first names. The only way -in which anybody might have coöperated with them, would have been to -buy them a bottle of vodka. This was their way of killing time while -waiting for our government to make up its mind on Siberia. - -In answer to my suggestion that the Siberians of Chita should have -gathered to discuss government in their _sobranias_, they might well -state that if they attempted to discuss government in any way than -to pass resolutions in favor of Semenoff’s government, they stood a -good chance of being executed with dispatch. It would be a fairly -good answer. Especially, as the United States merely showed mild -interest when Semenoff executed a batch of people. If the United States -as represented by the Siberian expedition, the commander being so -instructed and properly backed up, had told Semenoff that he had not -yet acquired the right to execute anybody and that he would not be -allowed to usurp that right, that would have been coöperation with the -people of Siberia. But coöperation of that kind might be interpreted as -interference, and we were pledged by somebody not to interfere with the -Siberians. - -So the Siberians took good care, and wisely, not to interfere with -Semenoff. But we remained in Siberia with our forces, and proved -ourselves to be so gentle and considerate of others, that certain -Siberians have dared to interfere with us to the extent of killing some -of our officers and soldiers. - -The Semenoffs and the Kalmikoffs did not love us any more because we -did not interfere with them; the Siberians did not love us because we -did not interfere with these petty tyrants; but we would have won the -love of all hands if we had done something--that is, all hands but the -Bolshevists, and since we have probed into their works at home, I doubt -if we seek their love. At least the Bolshevists would have learned to -respect us if we had done something beside invite them to the Prinkipo -conference, an invitation which they greeted with loud laughter and -other demonstrations of their scorn for our good intentions. - -So the _sobranias_ of Chita, and other cities in Siberia, served to -while away the time for the populace, while they waited for the United -States to make up its mind about what to do in Siberia. If we had taken -a definite stand, and demanded that the Siberians show us what they -could do while we protected them from themselves and the Cossacks, the -_sobranias_ might have been filled with committees, and delegates, and -people learning something about what they must do to have a government, -instead of being filled with revelers. - -If we think we can wait till these people meet our ideas of what -government is, we are making a great mistake. We must show them. They -have been kept ignorant for centuries, in order that they might be -kept in subjection. They have not been educated, because the ruling -class wanted cheap labor. Cheap labor becomes very expensive labor -when it destroys the employer, the factory and the government. Cheap -labor that listens to such arguments as the Bolshevists give it, is a -mighty costly commodity to any nation, whether that labor is native or -imported. - - - - -XXI - -POLITICS AND PRINKIPO - - -All the time that I was in Chita, Ataman Semenoff and Kolchak were at -odds. Kolchak, accusing Semenoff with interfering with railroad traffic -at Chita and so hampering Kolchak’s “All Russian Government” in Omsk, -issued his famous order in which he denounced Semenoff as a traitor. -And while that order stood, Kolchak or Kolchak’s officers, asked -Semenoff to send his forces to Irkutsk and other points toward Omsk to -anticipate Bolshevist uprisings which were threatened. - -Semenoff declined to lend his forces so long as Kolchak branded him -as a traitor. He denied that he had interfered with trains bound to -or from Omsk, and denied that he had cut telegraph wires or held up -messages. - -On January second, Ivanoff-Renoff (Ivanov-Renov), “Commanding General -of the Siberian army and Ataman of Siberian Cossacks,” according to the -card I got from him, arrived in Chita in a special train with a staff. -He had come from Kolchak to treat with Semenoff, and find out on what -terms Semenoff would join Kolchak against the Bolshevists. - -I called upon General Ivanoff-Renoff. He was at tea in his dining-car, -with three or four of his staff. He is a tall, soldierly man, with thin -face, clean-cut jaws, and most alert and intelligent. He impressed me -as being the ideal type of Russian general in appearance. Proud without -being haughty, frank without conveying the idea that he sought the good -graces of anybody for the purpose of misleading them, a manner of quiet -determination which suggested that he would not hesitate to be cruel if -necessary to gain his ends, he looked every inch the commander. He wore -several imperial orders. - -“Commanding General of the Siberian Army and Ataman of Siberian -Cossacks” was rather a wide and all-embracing description, considering -the fact that Semenoff commanded some five thousand men supposed to be -Siberians, and was himself a Siberian Ataman in Trans-Baikal. There -probably was some conflict of authority, yet the Trans-Baikal has -been represented to me as not being really Siberia. However, stand -Ivanoff-Renoff beside Semenoff, in civilian attire, and on the instant -I would select Ivanoff-Renoff as a Siberian Cossack chief, and hire -Semenoff for a motorman. I do not mean to imply by this that Semenoff’s -abilities do not go beyond his being a motorman, but merely wish to -state that, compared with Ivanoff-Renoff, Semenoff does not contrast -favorably with the other. - -At that time, it was reported that Trotsky had said that the Bolshevist -government would control all Russia in six months. I had my interpreter -quote Trotsky to Ivanoff-Renoff. He smiled grimly, and said: “Before -then we will have hanged Trotsky.” - -Ivanoff-Renoff remained several days in Chita. I heard that Semenoff -offered to join forces with Kolchak if the latter would withdraw the -“traitor” order, but that in no case could he coöperate with Kolchak -while that order stood. I do not see that Semenoff could take any other -stand. - -Ivanoff-Renoff investigated the charges that Semenoff had interfered -with supply and troop trains for Kolchak, and I heard that he reported -to Omsk that there had been misunderstandings, or exaggerations, and -that the charge should be withdrawn against Semenoff, together with -the “traitor” order. It seems that Kolchak was not satisfied with this -report, and in time Ivanoff-Renoff departed for Vladivostok, and was -reported to have broken with Kolchak because Kolchak did not take his -recommendations in the proper spirit. It was said that a commission -would be sent by Kolchak to take the matter up in detail, which I -suppose made Ivanoff-Renoff feel that his services were of no more -value to Kolchak. It would be absurd to suppose that I knew the real -truth of what was going on. - -Both parties were probably playing for time, and keeping the Allies -confused. And all hands were waiting to see which way the cat of -the Peace Conference in Paris would jump. There was a new rumor in -the corridors of the Hotel Select every fifteen minutes. If I had -attempted to report them to Vladivostok, it would have taken a dozen -private wires and as many expert operators. But I did put considerable -credence in the rumour that Grand Duke Michael was in Harbin waiting -for the “proper time” to accomplish a coup d’etat and take the throne. - -As a sample of Asiatic intrigue, while Ivanoff-Renoff was in Chita, it -was rumored that Semenoff was going to Harbin for a conference with -some mysterious person. It was also said that the Ataman needed the -services of a surgeon, as his wounds from the bomb were not healing -properly. Two days later it was reported that the Ataman had suffered -a collapse and returned to his bed, and that the trip to Harbin was -postponed indefinitely. - -As a matter of fact, a couple of private cars of the Ataman had been -run up on a siding close to his residence, and the night that he was -supposed to be back in his bed, he secretly boarded his train, and was -whisked down the line. And his staff officers who remained in Chita -were gravely informing me that the Ataman was at home and feeling very -ill. - -This demonstrates the amount of dependence which could be put in -information given out by Semenoff’s headquarters. It reveals the reason -why Americans and Russians were not coöperating to the puzzlement of -our statesmen at home. As a matter of fact, Semenoff went to Harbin, -and then went on to Vladivostok. And I so reported to Vladivostok. - -[Illustration: AN EXAMPLE OF CARVING ON A TYPICAL SIBERIAN HOUSE] - -[Illustration: TYPICAL RUSSIAN CHURCH IN CITIES OF SIBERIA] - -Yet while Semenoff’s train was lying in the yards of Vladivostok, and -our own headquarters were watching for him, headquarters got a story -that Semenoff was still in Chita, and certain staff officers were -rather peevish that they should be misled as to the whereabouts of -Semenoff. They were told that Semenoff happened to be in their front -yard, and to look a little closer for him there. They did, and found -him. - -It was about this time that news reached us in Chita that the -Bolshevist leaders had been invited to meet at Prinkipo with the -delegates of the Peace Conference. Our dispatch was translated into -Russian by our Committee on Public Information in Siberia, and -telegraphed to all the Siberian newspapers. - -The effect was similar to letting loose about my ears a hornet’s nest. -A Japanese staff-officer came to my room in haste to ask what it meant. -He seemed afraid that the United States intended to recognize the -Bolshevist government. And he was extremely puzzled, which of course -reflected the attitude of General Oba, which was that after the Allies -had come into Siberia to restore order the United States appeared about -to take sides with those creating the disorder. - -In any event, the United States appeared willing to treat with -Bolshevism, a fact which would strengthen Bolshevism. All I could say -was that the Prinkipo invitation was obviously based upon conditions of -which we in Siberia knew nothing, and that it was likely that the text -of the message as we received it, had been garbled in transit. - -The humorous aspect of the invitation was that “all parties” were -invited to be in Prinkipo, in the Sea of Marmora by the first of -February, or some fifteen days after the invitation was issued. -Considering the fact that it had taken me thirteen days to travel from -Vladivostok to Chita, a distance of two thousand versts, fifteen days -for all delegates from Russia and Siberia to get to Prinkipo revealed -the fact that those who set the date were ignorant of the conditions of -travel in Siberia--or bluffing diplomatically. - -So the Japanese were perturbed by the Prinkipo invitation--that is, as -perturbed as a Japanese permits himself to be. - -The effect on the Cossack officers of Siberia, was to fill them with -suspicion toward the United States, to make them feel that we were not -playing fair with them, and to give them the impression that they had -been betrayed into the hands of the Bolshevists. In other words, that -the Bolshevists were right, and that all anti-Bolshevist forces were -wrong. - -The information we got was to the effect that President Wilson -recognized a state of revolution in Russia and desired no -counter-revolutionary action. - -“But we are counter-revolutionists,” expostulated an officer high in -the councils of Semenoff. “We have been fighting the Bolshevists from -the first, and always will fight them. This information that your -president is willing to hold a conference with a lot of robbers and -murderers, spread broadcast over the country, gives the Bolshevists -a standing they have never had before. And that is not the worst of -it--we have in our armies men who have been Bolshevists, and who have -been more or less argued out of it. These men are now beginning to -suspect that our representations to them against Bolshevism are false, -and we may have mutiny in our forces. It has been hard enough to fight -Bolshevist propaganda, in and out of our armies, but this thing has -made us afraid that we cannot hold the former active Bolshevists and -Bolshevist sympathizers whom we have won to our side. Even if nothing -is done toward a conference, this invitation in itself will do our -cause great harm, and the Bolshevist leaders much good. We feel that -the United States has turned against us, or will in time recognize the -Bolshevist government.” - -All I could do was to state that President Wilson was the head of my -government, and commander in chief of our army, and that no matter what -course he pursued, no matter what orders he or his subordinate officers -issued, I should obey. And that if I were in a position to know his -intentions and all the facts in the matter, my personal opinion could -have no effect upon my obedience to orders. And that I could not enter -into a discussion of decisions made in Paris or elsewhere regarding the -policy of the United States. Also, that I had faith that the United -States would act consistently with its history and aspirations, and for -the good of Russia. I asserted that the invitation to Prinkipo might -be a desire to get the Bolshevist leaders to define their position -regarding Russia, and to commit themselves to a line of action--in -other words to state their ideas and ideals. And if their desires did -not meet approval, then we would take a stand against Bolshevism and -the Bolshevists. But my arguments did not reassure him much--he felt -that all the damage had been done. - -Now I found a new spirit among those persons who were known to me as -Bolshevist sympathizers. I had had many frank talks with some of these -people, and had listened to their arguments in favor of Bolshevism. -These people now became almost insolent. They told me in effect that -I ought to go home, as my president had taken preliminary steps to -recognize the Bolshevist government, seeing that it would be useless -to combat the Bolshevist rule. They were right, and I was wrong by -being there in their country, and what was I doing, they asked, walking -around with a pistol in my belt. My answer to this was, if my president -felt they were right, and that the presence of American troops in -Siberia was wrong, my president as commander in chief would withdraw -the American forces from Siberia. All my Bolshevist friends had to do, -and all I had to do, I told them, was wait for that order. - -For an officer who was practically on diplomatic duty, it was rather a -peculiar position--far inland in Siberia, with all parties suspicious -of him and his government. The Bolshevists regarded me with more open -hostility, the anti-Bolshevists not quite sure I was a friend, the -principal Allied power in Chita somewhat hurt and suspicious that -it might be discredited in Siberia, and such Russians as concealed -whatever partisanship they secretly held, discouraged and believing -that their country was to be betrayed to the Bolshevists by the nation -which they looked to for the most aid and moral support. And American -officers and civilians were scattered through the country, practically -alone, and far from supporting or protecting troops. - -For a couple of weeks the Hotel Select buzzed with noisy discussions -in which the principal word was “Americanskys.” More than ever, I felt -that any nation sending its forces into a country, should know what it -intends to do before such troops are sent. And if it gets an expedition -into a foreign country and finds that conditions have changed which -leaves the purposes for which the expedition may be used, in doubt, -the expedition should be put into transports and sent to its own -territory. No man should expect to be a leader without being willing -to make decisions, and assume the responsibility for his decisions. -The man who is not brave enough to make a decision, should be retired -to private life. The quality of a man’s decisions is the only test of -his leadership, regardless of what his uttered ideals may be. Good -intentions with bad decisions will ruin a nation much more quickly than -autocratic ideas wisely expressed in action. - -The United States must expect leadership in all its executive branches -because the will of the people in our vast country regarding foreign -affairs solidifies too slowly for the man in power during a crisis to -follow public opinion in matters which touch upon the safety of the -nation. National good must stand above the good of parties. - -I was more discouraged by the views of the Prinkipo invitation than -were the Siberians or the Japanese. They suspected my attitude, for I -had always expressed myself as opposed to Bolshevism. But the Cossacks -had difficulty in understanding my reticence regarding my private -opinions and my avowal that I would stand with my political chiefs. -Probably they thought I should ferment an American revolution! - -The Japanese understood better, I think, loyalty to government. -Probably, knowing I was anti-Bolshevist, they expected me to commit -hara-kiri. - - - - -XXII - -FAREWELL TO CHITA - - -The routine of every day ran along about the same as ever for about a -week after the Prinkipo invitation to the Bolshevists had unsettled our -little world in Chita. But I noted a decided coolness from all parties, -or so it seemed to me. My old stock phrases about the “friendship of -the United States for a great and reunited Russia” did not ring so true -when I got up at banquets to say something pleasant. - -And as the toasts to President Wilson and the United States at these -affairs became less frequent and less fervid, I began to feel like a -wet blanket at joyous occasions to which I had been invited. But I will -say that the Russians and the Japanese covered whatever chagrin they -felt in fine style and never relaxed their kindness. - -At about this time there was a complete upheaval in Semenoff’s staff. -New officers got into control, and the old ones, with whom I had been -on most friendly terms, went into retirement, which generally took the -form of a trip to Harbin, or an absence explained by a necessity for a -jaunt to some other city. This new staff, with one or two exceptions, -struck me as being composed of the less capable officers in military -administration, but well schooled in intrigue. In effect, it seemed to -me that Semenoff was gradually drawing to him such officers as gave -him the worst advice. Some of them were of a very low type of mind, -and distinguished themselves at banquets by their ability to get so -drunk that they had to lean on the table when they stood up to make -maundering speeches. - -I remember one officer who sat at the head of a great table and -represented the Ataman while Semenoff was out of the city. He was in a -drunken stupor, with his head resting on his chest, when the Cossack -band in the next room broke out into a loud and rattly patriotic air. -The host roused himself and got to his feet. He showed every sign of -being inspired to utter profound thoughts. He put up a swaying arm, -as a signal for somebody to stop the band, and when a young officer -ran out into the next room, the tune did stop abruptly. Meanwhile, the -presiding officer hung in stays for a full five minutes like a ship -waiting to come up into the wind. Suddenly the bandsmen, evidently -feeling that the silence in the next room should be covered, broke out -again in music. It was checked none too politely. - -Once more the officer gathered himself, and managed to blurt out -the single word: “Russians!” Then he lapsed into silence. The band -exploded, so to speak, beginning on the very bar on which they had left -off. Somebody hurled an empty vodka bottle into the next room, and -demanded silence. The band stopped. This intermittent playing sounded -for all the world like a gigantic phonograph being stopped and started -while somebody tinkered with its machinery. - -Our officer uttered a sentence in Russian, swayed and sat down heavily -in his chair. He was asleep by the time he touched the seat. Another -officer felt that he must fill the breach and cover the failure of his -superior. He was not quite so drunk as his chief. He strode to the -balustrade of a balcony, dragging behind him his heavy saber, which had -become unhooked. He raised his arm to command attention, and the sudden -readjustment of his center of gravity threw him heavily against the -balustrade. He lost his balance and fell off the balcony, a distance of -some ten feet to the floor. - -But the floor was merely a landing at the head of a long stairway. In -getting up he missed his footing, and tumbled the length of the stairs, -his descent being accompanied by the musical rattle of his saber. The -cooks in the kitchen picked him up, and somebody ordered the band to -resume playing, which it did, at the very note where it had last left -off. No one dared to laugh. - -In itself, this incident may appear trifling. Yet it must be borne in -mind that at the table was the governing body of Chita, less the Ataman -himself. But the Ataman’s brother was there, a distinguished-looking -man wearing a Japanese order. And he was not drunk. Mr. Tashkin, -the head of the “civil government” of the province, was also -present--sober, quiet, dignified. I wondered what he was thinking -while this orgy was going on. - -And Japanese officers were present, jolly but self-contained, spending -most of their time explaining to some insistent Russian officer that -they could not drink any more champagne. And all the Russian speeches -were of a most patriotic character, and told of the wonderful things in -store for Russia under the flags of Ataman Semenoff. - -Marvels were to be accomplished by all those present to restore Holy -Russia to her greatness before the world. The soldiers serving the -tables were quiet and sober. It did not take gigantic brain power -to understand that Russia would never regain any great powers with -Semenoffs set in the saddle. - -And I managed, quite by mistake, to get into the kitchen in the -basement when I went down for my coat and cap. There I found at an -early hour in the morning, a group of poor old men and women in dirty -rags mechanically going about their work of cleaning dishes and -mopping the floors. And they looked at the Americansky officer with -inquiring eyes. Somewhere in their brains I suspect they wondered if -the Americans were upholding Semenoff’s régime. It looked that way. Was -I not a guest at the banquet? - -This exposition of what was going on in Chita may appear to be bad form -on the part of one who was a guest. But in effect I was the United -States at that banquet, and the people of the United States were paying -me as an officer to learn as much about Siberia as I could, and the -people of the United States have a right to know what I learned. - -My hosts knew I was an official guest, and their hospitality was -not really hospitality to me in the proper sense, but an attempt to -gain my esteem by proving to me that they were good fellows. They -thought that champagne would gain for them a favorable report from -me. But the future of Russia, and more particularly future relations -and understandings between the United States and Russia, should not -rest on the good-fellowship of wine. I can report on the splendid -hospitality of the Siberians, as dispensed on their own understanding -of hospitality. I cannot say I would commend Semenoff’s officers -as suitable administrators. It is quite likely that while the band -was playing, they were having several persons executed in a grove. -Festivity has been known to be used as a cover for firing squads. - -Semenoff and others had lost hope that the United States would -coöperate with them against the Bolshevists, and had turned to other -agencies from which they might expect financial aid and moral support. - -We demanded that an ideal government be formed before we would -recognize any. If an actual honest and competent government had been -formed I doubt if we would have recognized it, because no government -could, or will be formed, which will not be criticized by some Russian -faction. And all some Russian had to do in order to discredit with -us any government or leader that rose, was to whisper that such was -“monarchists,” or “not representative,” or “reactionary.” And all of -those charges would be true, for the simple reason that in any group -of Russians which can be gathered together there are bound to be among -them some who are monarchists, or not representative of all Russia, or -reactionary. - -Kolchak formed a government at Omsk in November, 1918. He has not been -recognized yet by the United States. Some say he is a monarchist in -his sympathies. A former officer of the Czar’s fleet, his training and -sympathies are bound to be monarchistic in tendency. He feels that a -firm hand is necessary in dealing with the Russian situation. If we -had recognized him promptly, and backed him up, Semenoff and Kalmikoff -and other lesser lights would have had to adhere to him at once. All -power for the regeneration of Russia would have been coördinated, and -all ambitions of Cossack chiefs to become local princes, would have -been swept away. They would have had to join the parade, and the other -Allies would have been willing enough to follow our lead. And a lot of -bickering and killing would have been stopped. - -For that matter, to give Semenoff and Kalmikoff their due, if they had -been recognized, with limitations of their authority, those leaders -would have given up much of their petty intriguing from the first, and -swung into line behind the United States. They would have listened to -our advice. - -The whole question when our expedition first landed, was “What will -the United States do?” The answer in a couple of months was: “The -United States will do nothing--let us start something ourselves, which -will repay us for the trouble we have had fighting the Bolshevists.” - -So the secret trading began, the forcing of loans from banks got -bolder, there was aid which we deprecated from certain quarters -to these Cossack chiefs. We played a dog-in-the-manger game, with -Christmas-Tree decorations in the form of Red Cross aid, and Y. M. C. -A., and Committee on Public Information, and Trade Boards. We conferred -and commissioned and sent official representatives in military uniform -to various places to make friends, while Bolshevists killed off a -vast population, and Cossack chiefs, under the plea of exterminating -Bolshevists, executed personal enemies. - -We sent two or three hundred railroad engineers into the country, they -all thinking that they would be in the army. When they applied for -government insurance, they were told they were not in the army. But -they wore the uniforms and insignia of our army officers, and when some -of them wanted to get out of the country and go home, they were not -allowed to quit their jobs. Members of this organization told me that -they had been given to understand that if they insisted upon resigning, -they could do so, but that they need never again expect to hold a job -with an American railroad. And the Russians said that Russian money was -paying the salaries of these men--and that these Americans were there -to steal the railroad from the Russians. That may sound absurd. But -such absurdities thrust at men in Siberia are not pleasant. They reveal -to some slight extent the difficult environments in which Americans -found themselves in Siberia. - -So while in January the temperature hung around seventy degrees below -zero, the social atmosphere was about as cold. Some weeks before, -having replied to a request that I class myself for discharge or for -permanent commission in the army, I had requested discharge. - -On January twenty-sixth, in reply to my classification request, I -got orders to return to Vladivostok as soon as an officer who was to -relieve me, arrived in Chita. I had offered my services for the war, -and the war was over. - -I immediately informed my friends that I was leaving soon for the -United States. General Oba’s chief of staff gave a Japanese dinner -at headquarters, and invited the British officers and me. We had a -most enjoyable time, free from the drunkenness which marked Siberian -affairs. In fact, it was my most enjoyable official function in Chita. - -I made my official call on Oba the day of my departure, and he came to -my room to say farewell. I was sincerely sorry to say good-bye to him. - -Captain B---- and Mrs. B---- had planned to go to Vladivostok before -I was relieved. They delayed their departure in order to go with me. -And we went in the private car of a Russian colonel who was going -to Harbin. He was in Semenoff’s service, but I surmised that he was -too high a type of officer and gentleman ever to get very far in the -councils of the Ataman. I did not remember having met him before in -Chita--a rougher element held the front of the stage most of the time. - -As the colonel’s car was in the yards, we did not have to sit in the -station and wait for the train which was due to arrive from Irkutsk at -nine o’clock in the evening of January 31st. - -It seemed to be the coldest weather I had ever experienced when with -Captain B----, Mrs. B----, and Werkstein, I set out from the Hotel -Select. There was a gentle breeze blowing--a barely perceptible -movement of the air--which intensified the seventy-below temperature. -In the five minutes we were crossing the square before the station, -walking against the pressure of a zephyr barely strong enough to stir -a feather, the tears ran out of my eyes and froze on my cheeks, and my -nose was frost-bitten before I could get the fur band of my cap across -it. - -I looked back at the line of shops and restaurants. The lights were -shining through a gray haze of frozen fog, the doors were shrouded with -arches of icicles like entrances to fairy grottoes. - -We plunged into the dark labyrinth of lines of cars in the yards. A -private train of Semenoff, with the palatial coaches of the old days, -protected by a few stamping sentries. Nearby was the Ataman’s armored -cars, with the muzzles of field-pieces and machine-guns jutting out -over the steel sides which were gleaming white with hoar frost in the -pale light of the chilled stars. A dim light spilling from our private -car, revealed letters a yard high painted on the end of an armored -box-car, in Russian “Cemehobr,” or Semenoff. - -I could see in the distance, lights in the upper rooms of the Ataman’s -residence. Probably a council of state was being held--or only an -informal gathering of women who had recently been brought up from -Harbin. Above the clamor of the crowds of refugees in the station, I -heard the howling of wolves in the hills. - -We got aboard the colonel’s car, and went to bed. The train which was -due at nine that night to pick us up, did not pull us out of the city -of convicts till nine in the morning of February 1, 1919. - -I was started on my journey for New York, exactly on the other side of -the world. I was content. - - - - -XXIII - -CHITA TO VLADIVOSTOK - - -In about five days we reached Manchuria Station, also known as -Mandchuli. At this station we had to change trains, for it was the end -of the Baikal division of the railroad and trains for Vladivostok were -made up there. - -This line being the Chinese Eastern, all stations had our American -officers on duty, these men being railroad men serving in the Russian -Railway Service. Though we had come this far in the private car of the -Russian colonel bound for Harbin, it was advisable to arrange for room -in the Vladivostok train where the train was made up, for it would be -next to impossible to get accommodations out of Harbin. - -I had asked my telegraph operators at Chita to notify by wire the -American officer on duty at Manchuria Station the time my train left -Chita, and to have him hold for me a coupé, or sleeping compartment, -in the proper Vladivostok train. But my operators gave the time I went -aboard the private car as time of my departure, saying I had left -on Number Four at nine in the evening of January thirty-first. But -the Number Four which picked up our car did not leave till nine the -following morning. And we made such slow progress, being five days in -getting to Manchuria Station, that reservation had been made for me on -the Vladivostok train departing the morning before I arrived. - -As we pulled into Manchuria Station in the gray dawn of seven o’clock, -I saw the frost-covered steel cars of the Vladivostok train lying -alongside us. It was due to leave at nine o’clock. - -We hastened out of our car with our numerous bags, boxes of food, and -cooking utensils. Captain B---- stood guard over our property, Mrs. -B---- went to the crowded station restaurant for hot tea, and I went -to the telegraph office to find which compartment of the Vladivostok -train had been reserved for me. I passed the train on the way to the -station, and it was already packed full of people--in seats, aisles and -on platforms. - -Nobody in the telegraph office had ever heard of reserving anything for -me. Neither had the sleepy men in the station-master’s office. I asked -for the American officer to whom I had telegraphed--he had been sent to -Harbin to hospital, ill. (He died there immediately.) Yes, there was -another officer in his place--name unknown, whereabouts unknown. He -generally appeared about nine o’clock. - -Hastening back to Captain B---- with the bad news, we visited the -Vladivostok train to see if we might secure some space. That is, we -went near to it, and watched mobs fighting to get aboard every car. It -was hopeless. The weather was fifty below zero. We saw the Vladivostok -train pull out at nine, leaving us in a swarming station, high and dry -on our baggage, to wait till nine o’clock the next morning. - -The Chinese customs authorities demanded my lockers, and collected -eighty-four rubles in customs duty. A long line of Russians and -Chinese, which reached the entire length of the long and dark corridor -in the station, waited before the closed ticket window--to buy tickets -for the train leaving twenty-four hours later. Many of them had -been camping there for days, having food brought to them from the -restaurant, in order to buy tickets, which incidentally, gave them only -the right to try and get aboard the train. - -We breakfasted in the restaurant, it requiring two hours before we were -served. And we waited more than an hour before we could get a seat, -while Russians and Chinese held the seats and read newspapers over a -single cup of tea. - -Shortly after nine the American railway officer appeared, and told me -that he had reserved space in the Vladivostok train the morning before. -As we had not claimed it, he had come to the conclusion that we had not -left Chita at all, so did not make any reservation in the next train. - -In disgust Captain B---- suggested that we go to the local _sobrania_ -and kill time eating. We walked there, some dozen blocks distant, in -the face of a gentle breeze, which intensified the bitter cold. - -On the way, Captain B---- chanced to look at me. Without warning he -shoved me toward a small snow bank, and thrust a handful of snow into -my face, rubbing it in hastily. My nose and cheeks were freezing, and -I did not know it. But before we reached the _sobrania_ I was chilled -to the marrow, and shook so hard after I had sat down at a table, that -the dishes rattled. My teeth chattered for a couple of hours, and my -shivers were so violent that I had difficulty in drinking the hot tea I -ordered. In fact, I shivered violently for two days and nights, though -I sat nearly all day in the _sobrania_ restaurant with my back against -a slightly warm wall-stove. - -We spent the night once more in the colonel’s car, but were up before -daylight in order to begin our offensive for space in the next -Vladivostok train. With Captain B---- and Werkstein, I ran down the -whole length of the train as it arrived in the terribly cold morning -with only the light from the frozen stars, seeking for the best cars. -We identified the steel cars from the wooden ones by their coats of -hoar frost. - -The great mob in the station surged out and attacked the train before -the sleepy passengers began to get off with their baggage. Immediately -there was a terrific jam. - -[Illustration: SOME AMERICAN RAILROAD MEN OF THE “RUSSIAN RAILWAY -SERVICE”] - -[Illustration: WASHING CLOTHES IN SIXTY-BELOW-ZERO WEATHER] - -We fought our way into a car, inch by inch, shouldering through -the disembarking passengers and clambering over their bundles and -bales. The first compartment we could get into was still full of -sleepily-protesting passengers, six being jammed into a compartment -designed to hold four. The place was in a filthy condition, floors, -berths, and window-ledges being covered with food refuse, cigarette -stubs, dirty papers, candle-wax, mud which had melted out of ice -tracked in at various stations. The single guttering candle revealed it -to be in a condition worse than a pig-sty. - -“We will hold this,” said Captain B----. “You remain here and I will -see the provodnik and pay him to clean it, and see that it is locked. -Then we will move our baggage in.” - -He returned presently, having given the provodnik twenty rubles for -cleaning, and surety of possession. I suggested that my orderly be left -to hold it against the mob already swarming in and thrusting the door -open as they passed to look in. Captain B---- said that it was safe -enough, and that we would breakfast at the station while the coupé was -being cleaned, when we would begin moving our baggage. I doubted the -safety of this move, but as he was running things and asserted that the -station master was a friend, I felt assured that he was right. - -After breakfast, still before dawn, I sent my orderly to get our -tickets. He came back saying that the line was so long that he could -not get to the window. Inquiry developed the fact that I could get a -military pass by seeing the Czech officer in charge of transportation. -We found him far up the railroad yard in a third-class car, with a lot -of his soldiers eating their breakfast. He sat on a shelf and scribbled -a pass. - -Now our baggage must be moved to the coupé we had set aside in the -Vladivostok train. I left my orderly to look after the transfer with -the aid of a hired porter, and hastened to the compartment we had -chosen. - -On the way through the crowd I met Captain B---- who went with me. We -found the car a seething mass of humanity, struggling with their boxes -in the corridor, and making a fight to gain entrance to every coupé -which had been preëmpted by the earliest, luckiest and strongest of the -travellers. - -To our surprise we found the coupé which we had hired cleaned, full. -There was a burly Russian soldier, a Japanese officer, and a pair of -Russian civilian speculators lying in the berths, and the whole place -was crammed with baggage. They protested wildly at supposed intrusion. - -Captain B----, being in Russian uniform overcoat with gold shoulder -straps, informed them all that they must get out, as he had reserved -the coupé. This met with violent opposition as the party inside was -well settled. - -Captain B---- called for the provodnik, and as that worthy could -or would not come, he seized the baggage nearest at hand and began -pitching it out on the heads of those in the corridor. - -I managed to get a window open, and he pitched bags and grips out on -the mob outside. The effect was magical. Our squatters needed their -personal effects more than they wanted the coupé, and they dashed out -to salvage their things, expressing themselves in Russian and Japanese -as not at all admirers of Captain B----. - -I was left holding the fort. Captain B---- hunted up the provodnik, and -with a few properly placed kicks, induced him to once more clean the -coupé. He tearfully announced that there was no outside lock on the -door. - -Finally, we got our baggage in after a lot of labor and fighting, and -never left that coupé unguarded for a minute the next three days on the -way to Vladivostok. - -Late one night the Russian conductor managed to get in on the plea that -he wanted to see our tickets. He at once announced that he was going to -put two more passengers in the coupé, and that the lower berths would -have to be shared, despite the fact that it was plain there was barely -room for us to get in or out, or to turn round once inside. Captain -B---- referred him to me telling him that the coupé was reserved -for an American officer, and that he himself had nothing to do with -the matter. I lifted myself on one elbow, and reached for my pistol -holster. The conductor and his two villainous passengers faded away, -and presently we heard a rumpus in the next coupé, where the two men -were installed over the protests of some women. - -Of course, the conductor probably got a thousand rubles to provide -quarters for the two men, whether they had tickets or not, as the -speculators pay well for accommodation. They made themselves so -obnoxious in the coupé which they got into that the women occupants -were forced to get off the train at the next station and wait -twenty-four hours for the next train. - -At every station we were besieged by incoming passengers, who would -thrust the door of the coupé open and insist that they be allowed to -enter, and when we refused, they made insulting remarks. Then they -camped on their baggage outside the door and sang ribald songs all -night, or thrust burning cigarettes through the aperture we left for -air by opening the door an inch and keeping the chain on. Or they took -occasion to block us in the passage if we attempted to leave the coupé. - -In order to allow Mrs. B---- to leave the coupé, I had to carry my -pistol in my hand ahead of her, and wait for her to come back. And -while the three of us got off at stations for tea, my orderly was left -with his automatic in his hand to keep off all comers. We never pointed -a gun at anybody, but having it in hand, it prevented burly Manchus, -Russians and others from insisting that they had a right to come in. - -At one station down the line where we were to get coal for our engine, -we were delayed several hours because there was no coal. The mine was -not far away, but with typical Siberian procrastination, the coal was -allowed to run short at the station. When a train arrived which needed -coal, it was time enough to order an engine and a dozen coal cars to -proceed to the mine, load up, and return with a supply. So we lay in -the yards, and kept other trains at other stations waiting, till we -had coaled and released traffic in both directions. The branch line -running to the mine could have kept the coal yards full, with a switch -engine and one coal-car, but that would require planning ahead, and -doing something before it was actually necessary to do it. - -At another station, we waited five hours to change a hot “brass” on a -journal. This job at home takes some ten minutes. As I watched a poor -Chinese mechanic scraping the bearing in forty-below weather, using a -primitive tool, I realized that the “hordes of cheap labor in Asia” -need not worry us at home. This mechanic would put the semi-cylindrical -bearing into the journal-box and take it out. Where it showed oil -stains, the metal had to be scraped away to get a good fit for the -bearing. He always scraped too much off where the oil showed it to be -ill-fitting, and of course, when he put it in again, oil revealed that -the spots which he had not scraped, now stuck up. So he scraped these -spots away and repeated the process. - -We were held up one night at a tiny telegraph station on the plains. -After six hours wait, Captain B---- and I attempted to ascertain when -we might expect to go on. We learned that there was a wreck two versts -ahead. There were two cars off the track--freight cars. It developed -later that the reason we had to wait so long to get two freight cars -off the track, was due to the fact that some cases containing books -had been smashed in the wreck, and the books scattered along the -line. Before that freight train would come in, these cases had to be -repacked and renailed till they presented their original appearance as -near as it was possible to make them, by Siberian railroad men working -with a single old lantern which burned lard-oil. While they tinkered -with cases of books in semi-darkness, the train for Vladivostok, and -all other traffic for miles in both directions, were held nearly all -night. Fancy an American passenger train held till smashed cases of -freight could be rebuilt and repacked! - -We got into Vladivostok three days late. The transport in which I -should have sailed for home departed the day before I arrived. And a -notice in headquarters warned me not to go near the Trans-Siberian -station because there were many cases of typhus among the refugees -sleeping in the corridors! It is needless to state that I calmly went -there for my baggage without worrying about typhus after living so many -days in trains and stations reeking with typhus and other diseases. But -one gets very finicky living at headquarters. Incidentally, there was a -lot of tiger hunting done on the stairs of headquarters at Vladivostok. -The whole staff became inveterate tiger hunters, and remained so, till -a big Siberian tiger came down near Vladivostok and killed a bull and -ate it. - -On the fifteenth of February, 1919, I was aboard the Russian steamer -_Simbirsk_ when it pushed out through the ice in the bay. But I was not -yet out of Siberia. The stewards never cleaned our rooms or made up our -berths, the ship still had the same old Siberian smell, the decks and -carpets in salon and passage-ways remained consistently filthy, and we -had to put to sea without an adequate supply of fresh water. - -In two days I reached Tsuruga, Japan, went to Yokohama by train, and -caught the _Tenyo Maru_ for San Francisco. When ashore in Japan, I -found once more that the world was going on in its old way--trunks -could be checked, tickets purchased which insured the right to a seat -in a train, beds were clean, food came soon after being ordered. I -felt as if I had escaped from an insane asylum. I had had enough of -Bolshevism to last me the rest of my life. And I suggest that when any -men or women develop a leaning for Bolshevism in this country, that -they be shipped to Siberia. The trip will kill or cure. - - - - -XXIV - -THE PEASANTS - - -The problem of Siberia is the peasant-minded population. I use this -term to avoid confusion with what is the popular conception of -“peasant,” that is, a tiller of the soil, a rude and ignorant farmer -or farm-hand, the human being described in Russian as “_moujik_.” The -mass of the people is peasant-minded, whether working in cities or -in the wilderness. The fact that those in the cities have acquired -urban characteristics, does not to my mind prevent them from having -mental calibers on a par with the rural population when it comes to -knowledge of government, or minds revealing any alertness toward new -ideas or reaction to anything with which they are unfamiliar. This vast -population appears to be mentally static. - -The stupidity of these people never ceases to amaze Americans. Many of -our soldiers who were Russians and had been for years in the United -States, apparently must make a great mental effort to comply with the -simplest request. Their brains seem to be congealed. And the Siberian, -asked a simple question in his own language by one speaking Russian -perfectly, acts like a man rousing himself from deep slumber before he -can comprehend the question, much less answer it. - -Our knowledge of Russia has been gained from two sources--histories -and books on government telling us of official and court life, and -the Russian novelists. One class of writer deals with a few exalted -personages, the other class tells us of the common people. Really, -there is no history of Russia, for such history as we have concerns the -figures of the Imperial dynasties and their satellites. Reading this, -is something like attempting to get the history of the United States -by being able to read only scenes from meetings of the cabinets of our -presidents, and personal gossip about the characters of notable people, -and how they acted in times of national stress. - -Now I believe that Tolstoy, Gorky and other Russian novelists, did the -Russian peasant more damage than all the Czars. They did not reveal the -peasant to us, despite their brilliancy as novelists. They idealized -the peasant. They built up a great illusion. I am not saying that after -six months in Siberia I know more about the Siberian peasant than -the novelists, but I am saying that they did not tell us the things -we should know about him. They made the outer world believe that the -peasant, once free of the Czars, would throw off his chrysalis of -tyranny and emerge as a beautiful creature, living a life of sobriety, -industry, and good behavior. - -These novelists led us to believe that freedom in Russia was a matter -of legislation, emanating from the halls of the Duma; they led us to -believe that imperial bureaucracy was responsible for the woes of the -people, when as a matter of fact, the people were responsible for that -very imperial bureaucracy. We were led to believe that a machine-gun -government would transform itself into a printing-press government once -the old régime was shattered. We saw it shattered--and the vast Empire -became a shambles. - -Freedom is in the hearts of a people, and not in legislative halls. -The congress of a nation is but an expression of the freedom which the -people feel in their hearts--the machine, but not the fuel which drives -it. It is futile to send representatives of the people to a congress if -the people do not know what they want to express. It results only in -autocracy, in exploitation. If a law-maker finds that he gets as much -credit for making a bad law as he gets for making a good law, neither -law being understood, he soon disregards the people and works for his -own ends, thus usurping power which has not been delegated to him. He -becomes master instead of servant. People are responsible for their -government. - -A wave of joy swept the United States when the news came that the -Czar had fallen. We had a mental picture of two hundred million human -beings able now to enjoy a liberty similar to our own. It was a great -emancipation. - -I believe it will take several hundred years before the mass of the -people of Russia will have attained a mental capacity on a par with -the civilization which we know. They are still in the dim twilight of -medieval times, though they are playing with modern machinery. - -And when it comes to turning such a nation from an absolute autocracy -into a liberal republic, in which one man’s vote is as good as -another’s, it is impossible without the element of time. A country so -vast and so various, with the blood of so many nations running through -the people, and especially a people holding the Asiatic viewpoint of -government, cannot be administered immediately according to our ideal. -The best that can be hoped for is a constitutional monarchy, and even -if that form of government is gained, it will be for some time a -dictatorship. - -I am forced to this conclusion. All the pity, all the sympathy we may -feel for this benighted people, will not alter the facts. We cannot -swing a magician’s wand and hand freedom to these people on a silver -salver. We have got to face facts, and realize that the Tolstoys and -Gorkys have misled us about the Russian peasant. For once given a free -hand, this sublimated peasant has produced a tragedy, with himself the -victim, which outdoes any tragedy the human race has ever wished itself -into. - -The peasant has been described by Russian novelists as “inscrutable,” -the inference being that behind the “dreamy eyes” and simple -expressions on the faces of these people there were deep thoughts and a -yearning for an ideal existence--some mysterious greatness which if we -could once understand it, would reveal to us a wonderful race. - -I consider this inscrutability to be of the same quality which exists -in the eyes of a simple old cow, which being invited into the parlor -and turned loose, kicks the walls out of the building and dies under -the wreckage of the roof. It is an ignorance deeper than we of the -United States are capable of comprehending--a childish mentality in a -white person who appears good-natured, religious, kind and hospitable -under a restraining government, but who will kill his neighbor simply -for the purpose of doing something dramatic. - -It may be charged that my pessimism on the peasant is exaggerated, and -that the Russian in this country disproves my assertions that hundreds -of years must elapse before the peasant can meet our standards of -intelligence. What the Russian peasant does in this country has nothing -to do with the case except to show that removed from Russia he forges -ahead. But the Russian who comes here is of a higher type than those -of his fellows he leaves behind--he must be energetic, ambitious, -adventurous, aspiring to better things to take the trip of his own -initiative and to have acquired by himself passage-money. If he gets -aid from relatives already here in order to make the journey, there are -members of his family who have shown ability in getting ahead. If he is -compelled to escape from his country, that fact indicates that he was -not satisfied with his lot at home--he is not given to dumb submission. - -But we cannot import to this country all the peasants in the Russian -Empire in order to advance their education to our standards. Their -future is in their own hands, no matter how much we may attempt to aid -them. And my pessimism toward the peasant is primarily an attitude -toward him as he exists in his native environment. I am not attempting -to judge him by our standards. I am attempting to show him in such -a light that our people will give up attempting to judge him by our -standards, so long as he remains at home. - -We must stop considering Russia and Siberia as filled with people -much like ourselves. They must be considered from an entirely new -angle--much as if they were people of another planet. In fact, that has -been and is our difficulty with all Asia. And when I say Asia, I do not -mean so much a place, as I mean a state of mind. - -The question may be raised as to why we should consider the peasant -seriously. We do not have to if we do not want to, but we should, -for what happens in Russia during the next decade or two will have -serious effects upon us, our national existence, and the future of our -children. I do not mean this in a sense of what they may do to us, but -in the sense of what they may do with themselves. What has happened in -Siberia and all Russia during the last couple of years has alarmed us. -The happenings were the result partly of our belief in the last fifty -years, that what happened in Russia was no concern of ours. We have -suddenly awakened to the fact that injustice and intrigue and a weak -monarch on the other side of the world, can have a most decided effect -upon us. We got a good deal of amusement out of Wilhelm of Germany and -his “mailed fist” and “shining armor”--it was all a merry show to us. -We are just beginning to pay the piper. We have had a demonstration -that what foreign princes may do is decidedly our business. We may not -have learned the lesson fully. - -It is apparent that Bolshevism made a powerful appeal to the peasants -of Siberia, as it did to the submerged class of all Russia. The -readiness with which these benighted people took up a saturnalia of -crime in order to right certain crimes which had been committed against -them, startled the world. The universality of Bolshevism in Russia -actually led many people of peasant-minds here and abroad, to suspect -that there was something good behind it all--it was hard to believe -that a nation of two hundred million human beings supposedly civilized, -could be so utterly wrong. - -And while Bolshevism was wrecking a vast nation, it seemed impossible -to get any definite idea of what it was, and what it intended to do. -Many of our people are still in that frame of mind, despite the fact -that a nation has been wrecked. There are charges and counter-charges, -accusations and denials, and all the while wholesale murder is -going on. People at home, supposed to have brains, still argue that -Bolshevism is a good thing, a just thing, and the only justice in -government that there is. They have not seen the wreckage. - -There are others who have seen the wreckage, but are so enamored of a -theory which they have upheld, that they will not admit the terrible -things they have seen because these things would prove them and their -theory to be wrong. These people could look at a train wreck in which a -hundred persons were killed, and say: “There is nothing to worry about. -This all means that we will build better cars and use safety devices. -And if we don’t like the color of the new cars, we will wreck the -trains till we get equipment that suits us. It is necessary that people -die in order to have cars which meet our tastes in colors. What happens -to the passengers does not worry us--we have theories of railroading -which must be carried out, even if in testing them everybody in the -country is killed.” - -The arguments of the Bolshevist leaders made headway with the peasants -because the basis of Bolshevism is class-war. Bolshevism is founded -on the fallacy that it is the ability of the lower class which is -exploited, when it is the ignorance of the lower class which is -exploited. And the Bolshevist leaders have exploited this ignorance in -a more terrible way than ever the ruling class did under the old régime. - -The ignorance, credulity, stupidity and cruelty of the Siberian -peasant passes our understanding. And in passing judgment upon these -forlorn people, who filled me with disgust by their willingness to -be dirty when it would be as easy to be clean, and in stressing -their revolting aspects, my purpose is to bring home to the reader a -clearer appreciation of the problems which face us when we attempt to -aid them. I believe that I am helping them in depicting them to the -generous-minded people of the United States and other countries. - -We cannot leave them alone, even if we would. The point I want to -make is that all our agencies for welfare work, all our machinery -of government which takes up the Siberian and Russian problem, must -realize the difficulties ahead and understand that the problem differs -from any other problem we have ever attacked. It is Asia, white man’s -Asia. Despite white skin, we have on our hands a race not akin to -white, yellow or black. We readjust our minds when we come to deal with -the colored races. We must readjust our minds when we deal with the -Siberian, and keep that readjustment steadily, for the Siberian does -not constantly warn us by the color of his face that his mind presents -to us a barrier against mutual understanding. We must learn about -him, as he must learn about us. Centuries of serfdom, centuries of -autocratic rule, centuries of cruelty, have left their imprint on his -brain. “Half devil and half child” was written of the black races. It -is also a good thing to keep in mind when we consider Siberia. - -The more the peasant disgusted me, the more I pitied him. We may say -that the drowning man who reaches up and catches the gunwale of a -life-boat full of women and children and upsets it in his frantic -efforts to save himself, is a fool. Yet we must realize that he is -responding to the natural instinct of self-preservation. He knows -decidedly that he is in danger of death, his brain is not working -normally, and his greatest impulse is to save himself--all idea of -sacrificing himself for the benefit of the majority or the helpless, -have been swamped by unreasoning fear. - -The Siberian peasant knew something was wrong when he was prevented -from having the soil. He loves the soil, and he loves to make -it produce. He and his forbears have been in the clutches of a -governmental system so asinine as to thwart him in his desire to -work the land. He endured this serfdom in fact, for ages, he endured -serfdom under another guise since official serfdom has been abolished. -Instigated and aided by the Bolshevists, who were in turn backed by -Germany, he wrecked the government of his oppressors, and finds himself -caught in the wreckage. If the thing works out in the way Germany -hopes, the peasant stands simply to change masters. - -The peasant has been glorified by the Russian novelists for his quality -of endurance, rather than for his accomplishments. His submission was -extolled, and we gave his submission a wrong valuation. We pitied him, -and he became a martyr in our eyes, with all the virtues that go with -martyrdom. Freed of his chains, he mistook license for liberty, and we -were shocked to find that he whom we regarded as a kind man who had -been wronged, could only emulate his late masters in cruelty, murder -and injustice to his own kind. - -It may be said that the people of Siberia, being the rudest of -Russians, are not at all typical, and that as the Siberians are the -descendants of exiles, or former exiles, they have experienced a -degeneration which prevents them from being representative of the -corresponding class in European Russia. There may be something in that -idea. - -And I grant that judging the people of Siberia during a revolution, may -be like judging the people of San Francisco while they were camping -among the ruins of their city after the earthquake--that conditions -were abnormal, and reduced to a primitive state. - -But if people seem to prefer being filthy to being clean, when the -desirable condition calls for but little effort, it is obvious that in -normal times, they were inherently filthy. And I experienced filth, -day after day, in trains, railway restaurants and hotels, which I -cannot hint at, much less describe. Sanitation is the beginning of -civilization. When conductors on trains, and passengers on trains, -will create and permit without protest, a condition of squalor and -unsanitary conditions such as I saw, and which the wildest animal -avoids, there is something wrong mentally with such a people. And when -a suggestion that conditions might be improved is met by a stare of -amazement that anyone should find these things revolting, one begins -to wonder if government by a knout was not actually needed. But we -know that the knout, censorship, repression, and the barriers against -outside ideas and education are responsible for these conditions. These -people are victims of a government that was criminal. - -While observing the peasants, and while discussing them in this book, I -have tried to keep an open mind. I have not hesitated to reveal their -worst side. I am willing to bring out in full force their exasperating -habits of dilatoriness, their slow mental and physical gear which -we describe as laziness, that we may realize their problem, and our -problem in aiding them. - -There is another side to the shield. It is my opinion that the -only hope which Russia has for regeneration, no matter how long it -may take to do the work, lies in the peasant class. Not the actual -stolid peasant, but in men and women from the peasant class. That is -the difference and distinction in my whole statement. Breshkovsky, -“Grandmother of the Revolution” is of the peasant class, but not -peasant-minded. - -There are among the millions of peasants in Russia, men and women who -are beyond their class in mental attainments. That ability may be -latent, but it will rise to the top as surely as water seeks its own -level. This quality of genius runs through the whole human race in all -lands. - -The genius of Russia under the old régime could only express itself in -protest against government, which was the biggest job at hand for the -genius. And this expression frequently came in the form of literature. -When Tolstoy and Gorky extolled the peasant, one a noble and the other -a commoner, both were merely praying that the latent genius in a few -individuals have a fair chance to come to flower. They were fighting -oppression, though they gave us an idea that if the peasants all had a -chance, all would reveal the quality of genius. That hope is absurd, -in Russia or elsewhere. What we want, in Russia and at home, is that -the peasant-minded people have comfort and justice though they persist -in remaining peasant-minded, and that when an individual reveals -extraordinary ability, he may develop it, and not be broken on the -wheel for daring to lift himself out of the rut. - -My ideal is not a nation of peasants by any means. But I do insist that -a large mass of our own population prefers to be peasant-minded, and -fights against being anything else. There is but a small proportion of -our population which demands art in literature, pictures, or anything -else. There is a mental Bolshevism all about us at home. There is a -clearly defined hostility against mental accomplishments, expressed -in many newspaper cartoons, in fiction, and in the utterances of -demagogues. Our small-town hoodlum who resents the well-dressed -stranger as a “dude,” and despises good grammar and evidences of an -education, is at heart a Bolshevist--he is hostile to the “upper class” -just as is the Siberian peasant. The man in the motor car, who has no -consideration for the pedestrian, is at heart a Cossack. Both classes -are in a dangerous frame of mind. - -Here at home we urge our young folks to get educations. Then we joke -about the college professors who get less in wages than laborers. We -all like to see labor well-paid, but while teachers get starvation -wages, we cannot consistently argue the value of education. The college -professor may say he gets more out of life than the laborer--what the -laborer says to his children is the thing we must consider. We must -be careful that we do not build up a class-war based on an ignorance -which has no ideas of relative values, which is the trouble in Siberia. -The Bolshevists turned the janitor of a college into president of the -college, and made the president do duty as janitor. Without hatred for -education, the Siberians could not do such a thing. - -When I assert that the salvation of Russia lies in the hands of the -peasant class, I mean the peasant who has brains and wants to develop -them, not the peasant who wants to kill everybody wearing a white -collar. I do not mean that Russia should be led by the professional -agitator or the demagogue, or the silk-stockinged revolutionist, but -men who spring from the people and have the balance of sanity. - -Russia will develop its own Lincoln; but before that time, I believe it -will have a national Napoleon. The latter will do it a service by first -coördinating and stabilizing the national spirit, and bringing the -shattered remnants of the vast land under one government. That is the -only kind of ruler the people will understand and obey now. If they -had to-day an ideal president directing the country under an ideal form -of government, he would probably be sacrificed by the warring factions -before he could get his program of regeneration under way. - -We must bear in mind the fact that the mass of the Russian people got -their official freedom in the days of our Civil War, and their actual -freedom as recently as when the Czar’s government was overthrown. -They do not know what to do with it yet. They are literal minded, -and when we speak to them of equality in rights and of opportunity, -they interpret it to mean equality in all things--one man as good as -another, one man as wise as another, one man as rich as another. They -do not understand political equality. To disagree with them is fatal if -they have the power to kill. - -We have people at home, who have lived for years under our form of -government, who do not yet grasp our meaning of liberty and freedom. -We cannot expect the Siberians to grasp the principles of republican -government over night. They have had no demonstration of our system of -government, and they find some of their own people who have experienced -our system of government, going back to Siberia to slander us. They -go back with the cry that they were exploited here, in our mills and -packing-houses. Their ignorance was exploited, and our government -is blamed. They assert that their ability was exploited. They do -not realize that in confessing that they were exploited, they are -admitting ignorance. That may not excuse their exploitation, but it -accounts for it. - -One of my Russian orderlies, who had been in this country some ten -years, first as a steel worker in Pittsburgh, and then as a barber, -told me how he had finally induced his brother to come to America and -work. So he sent his brother passage-money. The brother got aboard a -ship for America--and found himself practically sold into slavery in -the Argentine, where he worked more than a year for miserable food -and quarters. By that time he had been located by his brother of -Pittsburgh, who sent passage-money to come to New York and fare to -Pittsburgh. But he got aboard a ship for Russia, having had enough -of “America.” He was killed as a Russian soldier in the war against -Germany. He told everybody in his home town what a terrible place -America was. The United States was blamed because he could not get here -when his ticket was purchased for him--so far as he was concerned, -life as a peon in a turpentine camp in the Argentine represented labor -conditions in the United States. He never could be made to understand -that Argentina was not the United States. It was all “America.” - -In the same way, immigrants from Russia have been lured to Russian -boarding houses in this country, stripped of their little cash and few -belongings, and turned adrift. They blame the United States, when it -was their own countrymen who robbed them. Their ignorance was being -exploited. - -We at home hear that the Trans-Siberian Railroad is running. So -are our transcontinental lines. A railroad is a railroad, to us. -In Siberia, however, it took me ten days to go by rail a distance -that would take ten hours at home. There I traveled in what we would -consider a fairly good cattle-car; here I moved in a palace on wheels. -There, I was glad to pay a dollar for a bowl of greasy cabbage soup; -here, I got a complete meal served in luxurious surroundings, for a -dollar. - -These are some of the reasons why we require a mental readjustment when -we think of Siberia. It is impossible to use the same terms and convey -the same idea. And these differences in usual things and usual terms, -explain the difficulty we have had in visualizing and understanding -Bolshevism. We think of a theory at home; in Siberia we see the result -of the theory. - -Returning home I heard a man in the Twentieth Century Limited -explaining some of the virtues of Bolshevism. He had never been in -Siberia. Our train was moving nearly sixty miles an hour, and we were -clean and comfortable, plenty of food at hand. As this man talked, I -smiled in remembrance of an engineer in Siberia who had demanded a -bottle of vodka before he would haul our train any farther--and when he -got it, proceeded to get drunk and let his train almost run away during -the night as it descended a steep grade in the Khingan Mountain range. - -I wondered if the passenger in the Twentieth Century, who extolled -the virtues of Bolshevism, would have been willing to ride in the -Twentieth Century any longer if our engineer had suddenly stopped and -demanded a bottle of whiskey before he proceeded. That would have been -Bolshevism in fact. It was easy to theorize in safety with a sober -engineer at the throttle. A Bolshevist at the throttle of government -may make a good engineer, to hear our boudoir Bolshevists talk. I -observe a strange reluctance on their part to go to Russia where -Bolshevism is running things. - -To me, the horror of the peasant in Siberia, was the realization that -his children and grandchildren had little hope to be better off. I do -not mean that the old régime will come back with all its terrors; but -no matter what form of government may flourish in Petrograd, it will be -many years before the leaven of the most enlightened rule can penetrate -the minds of these people and bring to the surface such good qualities -as are deeply imbedded in their brains, sealed up under layers of -ignorance, superstition, and submission. - -They believe we are not there to help them, but to protect our own -investments. We are losing their confidence every day that we remain -in Siberia without doing something constructive, in which they have -understanding. If we want to do welfare work, do it, but without an -expedition on the ground; if we want to use our troops in cleaning up -the Bolshevists, get into action. They will understand either activity -by itself but they cannot understand military occupation without -action, and they cannot understand relief work carried on under -inactive bayonets. We have talked too much about our friendship for -Russia, and done little or nothing to aid the country in reëstablishing -itself with a government. - -Whatever assurance we may give Kolchak, or other leaders, that we will -back them up, we will gain little unless our actions win the confidence -of the peasant masses, and the so-called “workers.” I group them -together. - -The mass of the people of Siberia lean more toward Bolshevism than they -do toward us. Not that they are actively Bolshevist, but they have in -the backs of their heads a secret love for the theory, for it promises -them a chance to get rich quick. All ignorant people have a strong -tendency to greed--they want to take from those who have. That is all -Bolshevism is, and that is why I maintain that the masses are largely -Bolshevist in their sympathies. - -The longer we hesitate, the longer we take to reach a decision, the -more these masses are slipping away from us. The crisis will come -in the winter of 1920, because the people were Bolshevist in their -tendencies with fairly good food supplies. They will turn to Bolshevism -wholly, in order to force us into feeding them, if crops have been -scanty and the food reserve has been consumed. They do not appear to be -yet ready to settle down to steady and regular work, because they have -not been assured that their earnings or accumulations will be protected -for them by a decent government. - -We have failed to do much in nearly a year of occupation, and they -have done less because they were waiting for our lead. They had no -real grievance when they objected to our presence in the country last -winter. They will have a grievance if things do not suit them next -winter, for they will say: “You told us you were going to help. We -waited for you to help, and now we are in misery. It is your fault.” - -We must remember that we are dealing with a people who not only may -become Bolshevists, but a people who have been Bolshevists, and rather -liked it. They will get at it again if we do not watch out. So far, we -have done little or nothing to gain either their friendship, or their -wholesome respect for our military powers. And they are being whispered -to all the time by influences which know how to make them react to -certain ideas. - -What have the Allies done in Siberia, except to control the -Trans-Siberian Railroad? Our relief work was discredited by the -peasants on the plea that we were giving them things in order to get -them off their guard, induce them to be good, and grab their railroad. -They asserted that we were trying to bribe the Bolshevists into being -good, and that the Bolshevists would as soon get property from the -capitalists by having it given to them as by taking it. We cannot -expect to subsidize Bolshevism by those methods, for the more we give, -the more they will demand. It is the old game of paying tribute to -bandits so they will not rob your caravans--a scheme as old to Asia as -the Arabian Nights tales. - -If we are going to remain in Siberia, we must back some horse. We must -either go against the peasants and compel them to behave, or we must go -in with them on some basis they will understand. We have been dealing -with big fellows, believing that the “leaders” knew what to do, yet we -have not supported any of the “leaders.” Throw in with Kolchak and back -him up, regardless of monarchist intrigues, and then if he attempts to -betray us and Russia, denounce him, and back such leader as is willing -to carry out what we suppose to be the wishes of the people. - -But if we think that we can follow the wishes of the people, we will -make a mistake. That is the mistake we have made already. We have been -waiting for Russian “public opinion” to coagulate. It cannot be done. -There are a thousand Russian “public opinions.” - -We have got to follow our own public opinion as to what should be done, -with consistency to our ideals of government, and then go ahead. There -will be factions in Siberia and Russia who will object, because the -people do not know what they want. They believe they are free, and -that freedom means doing as they please. As a matter of fact, they -abhor any government which attempts to control them. It has taken us -twenty years in the Philippines to prove to the Filipinos, a people -composed of various tribes, that we are working for their good. Some -of the “leaders” want a freer hand in leading than they get. I doubt -if we want to take on the same problem in Russia, I doubt if it is -necessary. But we have not told any Russians at present writing what we -intend to do for them, if anything. - -The peasants cannot read their daily newspapers in order to form -opinions. They can only believe what they are told, so what they -believe depends upon who does the telling. And in Siberia one will -believe anything. I myself, after three weeks without news, gave -credence to absurd rumors. - -Actions speak louder than words with the peasants of Siberia. We have -been long on promises and short on deeds--at least deeds which the -peasants can understand. We declined to act with the Japanese against -“agitating peasants.” Neither the Japanese nor the Siberians could -understand what we were driving at. Both understood our troops to -represent force to be used against disorder. We maintained that our -force was not to interfere with anything the Siberians wished to do -with their own country. So the “agitating peasants” began to interfere -with us, and we have killed and wounded in our casualty lists from -Siberia. We wished to avoid killing any Siberians. They reasoned that -we must be in the wrong by being there at all, and killed Americans. -This indicates that we have not made the proper impression on the -peasants. The problem of Siberia is the peasant, and we ignore him--at -least we do not consider how he will react to what we do. He fears that -we will betray him. It is much more likely that, as we are conducting -ourselves in Siberia, he will betray us. - - - - -XXV - -FRENZIED FINANCE - - -Siberia is the land of Aladdins--Aladdins who can laugh at lamps so -long as they possess money-printing machines. The German General Staff -was the Magician who craftily suggested the use of the machines. -And those first sponsors of Bolshevism, who were the creatures of -the Magician, were the terrible jinns who gave their services to -the financial wrecking of Great Russia, including Siberia. Said the -Magician, “What you Russians want is land and money. There lies the -land. Take it! As for money, print it!” So the Aladdins, instead of -rubbing lamps, oiled up the printing-presses. And, presto--millions of -rubles! - -Such a suggestion would have passed as a species of light humor in -any other country. Certainly it would not have been acted upon. But -the Magician knew the child-like psychology of his Aladdins, for to -their simple minds, a ruble is any piece of paper upon which the words -“One Ruble” have been printed. And such paper is made more attractive -than any genuine ruble if upon it is also engraved some crude picture, -preferably that of a working man resting from his labors and surveying -rich fields and bust factory chimneys. - -First of all, the German Magician induced his jinns to steal from -the Russian Treasury the gold which was behind the Imperial paper -rubles--thus depreciating the value of those rubles (but only to -those few who knew that the gold had gone to Germany). Next, and with -characteristic inconsistency, the Bolshevists, while preaching a -crusade against money,--in other words, capitalism--proceeded to print -bales of money behind which they put no gold. Then they used money as -their chief weapon to fight money! - -From the standpoint of imagination, the whole scheme put to shame the -wildest, most gigantic get-rich-quick dream ever born in the brain -of a mortal. Those bales of stage money dramatized the cash wealth -of the Bolshevists--actually visualized to every peasant and worker -the tangible success of Bolshevism. Further, the Bolshevists, through -their keen methods of distributing this wealth, were able to convince -a poverty-stricken people that Bolshevism stood for everything that -was generous and good. Already the Bolshevists had taken over the -government. With pockets stuffed full of stage money, the people massed -themselves in the defense of that new government. - -If you have been desperately poor all your life, and a man thrusts -hundreds of dollars into your hands to prove that he is your friend, -you believe him. If he says he stands for the government which is -behind those dollars, are you not likely to range yourself on the -side of that government? And should a stranger from the other end of -the world happen along and tell you that the fellow who had made you -wealthy is a crazy man, will that stranger not need a pretty strong -argument to win you away from him who made you rich without labor? - -This is precisely how the scheme was worked in Siberia. - -The Bolshevists carried out their program of winning over the people -with great subtlety--a subtlety which suggests that the Magician was -inspired of the Devil. The method of procedure was as follows: As the -Bolshevist propagandists traveled by trains eastward from Vladivostok, -and westward from Petrograd, they took with them chests and sacks of -purposely rumpled, soiled and worn currency. Whenever they rolled into -a station, they would call, say, upon a _moujik_ for some trifling -service--perhaps the filling of a tea-kettle with hot water; and when -the _moujik_ returned with the kettle, a Bolshevist would hand him five -hundred one-ruble bills! - -To a _moujik_, five hundred rubles represents years of hard work--it -is a fortune. He stands and stares at his fistful of money. “This poor -traveler is surely mad,” he concludes; “or he has made a terrible -mistake.” - -But neither of these is the truth. It is astounding enough--yet for -the _moujik_ not difficult to believe. For like all his fellows, this -peasant has lived his whole life in the expectation that some such -wonderful thing would happen when the Czar was pulled from his throne. -And now the passenger tells the _moujik_ that the money is all his. The -miracle has come to pass! - -“I am a Bolshevist,” says the traveler. “Therefore I am your friend. If -a capitalist asks you to fill his tea-kettle, what would he give you? -Five kopecks. I give you five hundred rubles. Comrade, your country -is behind this money. Look! There are the fields and factories on the -notes. The capitalists have worked you hard and given you little: I -work you little and give you much. That is because I am a Bolshevist. -If you will be a Bolshevist you will never want again. My brother, -freedom has come to Russia! Uphold the revolution!” - -The secret of the success of this plan lay in the fact that the -miraculous conferring of wealth was general. The waiters in the station -restaurant received a thousand rubles each for a bowl of cabbage soup. -Clerks in nearby shops were paid exorbitant sums for various trifles. -Drosky-drivers had their belts filled with money. Bath-attendants -packed their tips away wrapped up in towels. In fact the whole -population of the town, even the beggars on the street-corners, found -that their pockets were bulging when that train pulled out. And since -practically every one had the currency, there was no one to say it was -bad. Therefore, it was considered good--unanimously. - -Just as simple as that! They hated capital, yet were glad to have it! -Having it, they were Bolshevists. - -You of the United States may laugh at all this. But you must consider -two things: First, the abysmal ignorance of the Siberian peasantry; -and, second, that from the days of Aladdin, Asia has reeked with -legends of magic wealth. So you have a whole people who, like that -first _moujik_, are ready to credit any story--especially a story -backed by real money. And the American, or other foreigner, who comes -along and says that that money is worthless, and dares to laugh at it, -may find himself facing a firing-squad. - -When the Allies began to arrive in Siberia, and the Bolshevist -leaders found it convenient not to remain, they naturally took their -money-machines with them. But this worked the new régime no noticeable -hardship. For the larger business concerns, realizing the beauty -of a plan which permitted each firm to establish its own Treasury, -began to print their own currency. And there was a mad riot of money -manufacturing. - -It was most profitable for the business houses--it had its shortcomings -for the public. For instance: You drop in at the balconied “Zolotoi -Roq” (this restaurant has been dubbed the “Solitary Dog” by the -doughboy), and order your five o’clock _stakahn chai_. The tea is -served in a glass. Your cake is about the size of a political campaign -button. The bill is four rubles. Being a newcomer to Vladivostok, you -hand out, unwisely, an Imperial twenty-ruble note. The waiter brings -back sixteen rubles in change. You count it, give him one, and fold the -other fifteen away--carefully. - -Farther down the Svetlanskaya, which is the Broadway of Vladivostok, -you drop into a shop for a new shaving-stick and a picture-postcard. -“Four rubles, _pshaltza_.” You fish out that fifteen rubles from the -“Zolotoi Roq” and offer four of them. The clerk looks at the money, -then lifts shoulders and eyebrows. What is the matter? The rubles are -good only at the “Zolotoi Roq.” You demur. But for you an argument -in Russian is a fearsome thing. “Oh, well, _nitchyvo_.” (You are -acquiring already the native frame of mind!) But as you have no other -small change,--you will grow wiser later!--out comes another precious -twenty-ruble Imperial. - -And what do you get this time? Imperial roubles, good elsewhere in -town? _Niet!_ You receive sixteen exquisite new rubles which have just -come off the presses of that particular shop, and--they are good only -at that shop! - -Being an officer, you are blessed with many pockets. So now you plot -out, as it were, your khaki façade. The upstairs right hand, as Barrie -would say, becomes the Imperial pocket; the upstairs left, is sacred -to your American money; while the downstairs, right and left, is given -over respectively to the “Zolotoi Roq” and the shaving-stick store. In -other words, you are a walking bank for at least two establishments in -that town. You are virtually holding some of their money in escrow. You -may have it, but eventually it will belong to them. And it will be -your fate to wear out your field boots carrying that money back to the -place of its redemption. Yes, the light has dawned upon you--your lower -pockets are mortgaged! - -It is probably at this point in your Siberian monetary education that -you wish on your soul that you had brought along your own little -printing-press! (And you feel sure that you could have produced better -looking rubles than even General Horvat’s American-made ones--with -their pictures of a lightning express.) But lacking the press, a supply -of cigar-store certificates from home would come in handy. For you -learn that the doughboys have already successfully put into circulation -the pink coupons of a certain popular cigarette. - -But the monetary problem in Vladivostok is comparatively simple. This -is borne in upon you when you leave the city for the interior. (If -you leave on one of the innumerable Russian holidays, and all the -shops are shut up, you must overeat at the “Zolotoi Roq” to get rid of -that currency, but you must carry with you the paper belonging to the -closed shops.) For once en route, you begin to acquire various kinds of -Bolshevist money. And some of this money is good only in its particular -zone. If you pass out of that zone without knowing it, you find that -money worthless. - -So travel through any single province is as complicated, from the -standpoint of money, as if you had been passing through several -different countries. Suppose the same conditions obtained in the -United States. In going from New York to Philadelphia, you would -have to get rid of your New York money in exchange for Philadelphia -money--if you could. (Less discount for exchange.) When you reach -Trenton, you wish to buy a sandwich. But the vendor will not take your -Philadelphia money. So you offer a coupon off a Liberty bond--value -five dollars--and receive in exchange some Trenton money, good only in -Trenton. It is either that or go without the sandwich! If you travel -as far as New Orleans, you have eleven kinds of money, no one kind of -which has any value to you. - -Returning from the Trans-Baikal, I saw a sick man attempt to purchase a -bottle of milk from farm women who had set up a little market near the -Androvka station. The women were peasants. Their heads were wrapped in -old shawls. In the sixty-degrees-below-zero temperature, their breath -came like plumes of white smoke from their nostrils. They looked at -the sick man’s money and folded their arms, refusing to take it. “But -it is good in Nikolsk,” he pleaded. “Then go to Nikolsk and spend it,” -they returned. Shivering and hungry, the sick man climbed back into the -coupé of his car. His pockets were full and his stomach was empty! He -was as helpless as old King Midas. - -In Siberia, a country fairly underlaid with precious metals--gold, -silver, platinum and copper--there is no metal money to be seen. In -fact coins are a curiosity, and even the beggar’s metal kopeck has -disappeared. Where is this money? Hidden in the niches between the logs -of huts, buried under frozen cabbages, sewed into ragged clothes. And -anything takes its place. In Chita, in the _sobrania_, or city club, -playing cards passed as currency--on them their denomination marked by -a rubber stamp. (And now you find yourself longing for a rubber stamp!) - -At one shop, I offered coupons cut from Imperial bonds. Such coupons -being good everywhere, I had faith in them. But, alas, mine were -declined. What did a close reading of the small Russian type reveal? -The canny bond-holder had clipped his coupons and put them into -circulation a little prematurely. And if I wanted to spend them, I had -only to wait a small matter of six Siberian winters. The coupons were -not due for payment till 1925! (If a Czar ever comes back to the throne -of Russia, he is that many coupons ahead!) - -The postage-stamp money is the greatest nuisance of all. It is -ungummed, and may be termed cubist cash, for it is wrapped into cubes -bound round by a paper band. These cubes are popularly supposed to -contain two rubles’ worth of ten-kopeck stamps, and “2R” is written on -each band. The trusting stranger does not question the value of the -packets. Few people ever remove the bands to verify. This is left to -the tireless and over-suspicious Chinese. And it is invariably your -bland-faced laundryman who shows you that your packets are short. From -another aspect, the broken cubes have their drawback. They are little -and elusive, these stamps. Your cold fingers are all thumbs. So it is -fatal to attempt to do business with stamps in a brisk wind. - -The unlimited variation in money complicates every petty detail of life -in Siberia. Because each purchase resolves itself into an argument over -the merit of the paper you offer--or take. And I found it less wearing -to wash my own handkerchiefs than to engage in a wordy battle with a -Russian-speaking Chino. The illogical variation in the sizes of paper -money presents complications within complications. For size, in the -case of Imperials, has nothing to do with value. A thousand-ruble note -is as ample as your commission from the President. Which leads you into -the assumption that a small note is of small value. Not so. In this -land of topsy-turvy, a twenty-or forty-ruble note is one-sixth the size -of a five-ruble note. (And by virtue of somebody’s whim, a ten-ruble -note is only slightly smaller than a five!) And if an Allied officer -gets thoroughly acquainted with a five-ruble note, can you blame him -if he tips his drosky-driver with a tiny twenty-ruble note which he -mistakes for twenty kopecks? - -Even in a land where unbacked money is good, there is actually some -money that is bad! Siberia is papered with Imperial counterfeits. This -increases the strain on the newcomer. One must become an expert in -identifying money, or go broke. Some notes are good if there is a dot -in one corner of the engraved border: if the dot is missing, so is -the value. The counterfeit Imperial twenty-ruble notes have the zero -standing straight up: the genuine have the zero a little askew--the -counterfeiter having improved on the Imperial engraving! - -You soon learn all sorts of devices by which you return to circulation -your bad money. You contrive to pay off drosky-drivers hastily, and in -dark streets. For the first time in your life you delight in tipping -the hat-bandits at the doors of restaurants. By the time these rascals -have discovered your iniquity, you have disappeared into the frozen -night. Gamblers palm off their faulty currency in the excitement of -the game, there being no time to submit the pot to cross examination. -But beware, oh stranger, the too-obliging person who would turn your -American money into rubles! - -In addition to counterfeiting, there is another worry. The banks of -some inland cities devised a method of depreciating vast quantities -of Bolshevist money not held by themselves. In this way: They stamped -their own; and generously offered to stamp, before a certain date, -any currency that was submitted to them for marking. But the date set -followed close upon the announcement, which excluded from the benefits -of the plan, all persons who did not learn of the offer and so failed -to have their money stamped on time. The banks, since they refused to -recognize unstamped notes, now had--by this system of crossing their -fingers--the bulk of the “good” money! - -The poorest kinds of money are continually forced to the surface. The -better kinds--Imperials and Kerenskys--emerge reluctantly. At Chita, -my hotel charged exorbitant rates, based on Bolshevist scrip. I had -only Imperials. A Cossack officer who was a friend had only Bolshevist -notes. So when I paid my weekly bill, I swapped my Imperials with the -Cossack--and paid the greedy proprietor in the poorer paper. - -With money good to-day and not so good to-morrow, or vice versa, what -a field for speculation presents itself! And fortunes are being made -on the rise and fall of Imperials. With rubles ten for a dollar in -Vladivostok, and seven for a dollar in Khabarovsk (for rubles are -dearer sometimes in inland cities), you have only to buy a gripful at -the one place, hop a train and rake in a fortune at the other. Return -and repeat. And as the rate changes from day to day, there is always a -lively interest in the fluctuation. It is said that when a Russian baby -is born in Vladivostok, he immediately asks the doctor, “How much are -rubles to-day?” - -Why should anyone wonder that Siberia is largely Bolshevist? Our -Committee on Public Information tried to fight Bolshevism with movies, -by word of mouth, through millions of pamphlets printed in Russian in -the United States, and with a telegraphic news service. The Bolshevists -handed out real cash. The people still believe that they have found -Rainbow’s End. They are drugged with money--they are drunk on it! - -What solidarity has a country once its financial system has gone to -pot? If we want to buy Siberian raw materials, what money can we -offer them? And if they buy from us--? If we recognize the Bolshevist -government, shall we recognize its money? Will we take that money at -face value? If not at face value then at what price? - -_If_ the Bolshevist money be declared no good, there will be another -revolt. On the other hand, if those billions are redeemed, the country -that redeems them will be beggared. Why? Because no one knows the -amount outstanding--and who could stop those busy printing-presses? - - - - -XXVI - -LEAVES FROM MY NOTE BOOK - - -Siberia is one of the richest lands in the world in undeveloped -resources. The wealth in its plains and hills, its rivers and forests, -is beyond computation. Our wheat fields of the northwest in comparison -to the wheat plains of Siberia are but backyard gardens. - -Thousands of square miles in Siberia are literally underlaid with -precious metals, its great forests are filled with fur-bearing animals, -its rivers teem with great fish, its bird-life offers unlimited food -possibilities. - -Siberian butter in normal times is shipped to Europe by train-loads -and much of it sold through Denmark as Danish butter. Siberian honey -is famous for its flavor. Fur and hair, hides and meat, vegetables and -forage--Siberia could feed the world if its agricultural industries -were operated under modern methods. - - * * * * * - -We think of Siberia as a land buried in snow most of the year. There -is snow in the foothills of the Urals and beyond, and far to the -north, but early in February, traveling from Chita to Vladivostok, a -distance of some two thousand miles, I saw brown plains from horizon -to horizon day after day without a patch of snow the size of my hand. -There is very cold weather, it is true, but with proper clothing, homes -properly heated, trains and shops properly equipped for keeping out the -cold, the low temperatures do not cause much discomfort. However, it -is not comfortable to remain out of doors very long during the bitter -cold. The seventy-two-below weather registered in Chita, and mentioned -elsewhere in this book was not so terrible as it sounds, when there -was absence of wind. The air in Chita was very rare, as that city has -an elevation of nearly five thousand feet above sea level, and is just -below the High Plain of Vitim. The climate is invigorating. - - * * * * * - -Transportation is the great problem of Siberia. I have heard it said by -Colonel Emerson, general manager of the Great Northern Railway, that -the Trans-Siberian Railway loses money on freight charges of five cents -per ton mile. Our American railways operated before the war at good -profits with freight charges computed in mills per ton mile. - -Graft and ignorance, waste and laziness, even before the Bolshevist -troubles, sapped the life from the organization. The line was strewn -with scrap metal, from trucks with flat wheels to all the small parts -which break on trains. The Japanese bought this scrap as junk, remilled -it at home and sold it back to the Russians at from five to ten times -its cost as scrap. - -The repair shops ran at a very low point of efficiency, and without -modern machinery--bolts, for instance, being made by hand! The whole -system appeared to be run for no other purpose than creating jobs, and -was over-manned. - -Business is done in Siberia at a high margin of profit in order to -offset losses by theft. It is estimated that twenty-five per cent must -be allowed to cover loss by theft. Goods left in the customs house -over night under the care of watchmen are not always found intact in -the morning--the cases are opened and goods abstracted. A car-load of -shoes shipped to an inland city arrived apparently safe, with the seals -on the cars unbroken. When opened, the car was found to be full of -cord-wood. A person unfamiliar with the country had better avoid doing -business on a small scale there. An American who came to Chita with -fifty suits of ready-to-wear clothing, had to part with about half of -his lot to pay graft. - -The velvet covering on the seats of cars is all ripped off. I heard -that the Bolshevists took the coverings to make clothing. At a -theater I saw many women in gowns of blue, gray and red velvet, and -discovered that the blues had come from first-class cars, the gray from -second-class cars, and the red from third-class cars. Combined with old -lace curtains, the stuff made rather attractive gowns. - -A British colonel, coming up from Vladivostok with regular troops bound -for the front, wired to Chita to the “British consul” to arrange for -four hundred baths, twenty buckets, two hundred loaves of bread and -communion service of the Church of England for four hundred men. He -also stated that he wanted a hall in which the men could eat their -Christmas dinner, the hall to be decorated with holly and other -greenwood stuff. - -The British officer who opened the telegram did his best, but there was -a hitch about the communion service, because the Russian church could -not give communion to non-communicants. When the colonel arrived, he -cited the fact that a Russian bishop had once arranged with a bishop -of the Church of England for mutual exchanges of courtesy in regard -to communion in emergencies. His men marched to a Russian church for -services that day, but did not receive communion. They were taken out -of their crowded box-cars, bathed and fed and preached to, and paraded -through the streets of Chita with fifes and drums. - - * * * * * - -Early one morning I was summoned to the military prison of a certain -town. A note was brought to me by a smart young Cossack, who clicked -his heels, saluted most deferentially, and remained at attention in the -best military manner while in my room. He said the note was from the -prison commandant, and when my orderly had read it, he said my presence -at the prison was requested. - -We drove to the prison, and informed the sentry at the gate that we -wished to see the commandant. Thereupon we were ushered into a spacious -corridor, crowded with prisoners. - -A young man pushed his way out of the crowd and accosted me in -Russian. I told him that I could not talk with him till I had seen the -commandant. He then said in perfect English: “I am an American--I am -going to be shot. You must save me.” - -It was my business to protect Americans. - -“What part of the United States are you from?” I asked. - -“New York City--Grand Street.” - -“Were you born in New York City?” - -“No. I was born in Russia. But I am an American. You tell ’em they -can’t shoot me.” - -“When were you naturalized in America?” - -“Well, I didn’t take out any papers. But I lived in New York nine -years.” - -“Then Russia is your country. When did you come back?” - -“About a year ago.” - -“Why did you come?” - -“I wanted to help my country.” Now the tears were running down his face. - -“My orderly here was also born in Russia,” I said. “But he is a -naturalized American citizen, and has been six years in the regular -army. You have come back to help your country, but your country does -not appear to appreciate your services. You might have returned in an -American uniform, but for nine years you lived in New York and did not -care to become an American citizen. Now you claim American protection. -Why are you going to be shot?” - -“I don’t know. I never was told. Please go and ask to see my papers. -Every minute is valuable! Save my life! I am a good American!” - -The other prisoners now swarmed about us. The commandant pushed through -them and eyed me angrily. I told my orderly to inform him that I had -come in response to his summons, and handed over his note. - -To my amazement he stared at the note and declared that he had neither -written it nor sent it. And he informed me that the very smart young -Cossack soldier, who had clicked his heels so ceremoniously, was a -suspected Bolshevist against whom no definite evidence had been found. -And this “soldier” had himself been released from the prison only that -morning! (Later in the day he was re-arrested for bringing the forged -message to me.) - -I explained to the commandant that under the circumstances I had no -intention of interfering, but I desired that the execution might be -delayed till I could talk with the local chief of staff. He assented. - -I drove hurriedly to the office of the chief of staff of the Cossack -commander, and asked about the prisoner. The passport of the condemned -man was put before me. He had obtained the passport as a Russian -subject. Also, he had pretended upon arrival to be an envoy sent by -radicals in the United States to the Bolshevists. And I was shown -clippings from Russian papers, which related how the “New Yorker” -had in street speeches after his arrival in Siberia denounced the -government of the United States as “capitalistic.” He had been arrested -while trying to pass through a certain city with Bolshevist dispatches. - -“I wish the execution might be delayed,” I said, “until I can talk with -this man again. He might give me some information of value.” - -The chief of staff nodded his head, and as I went out, reached for the -telephone. - -I drove back to the prison. The commandant, now smiling and suave, -led me, when I asked to see the prisoner, to a window overlooking the -prison yard. There he pointed to a figure lying in the reddened snow. -It was the “New Yorker.” - - * * * * * - -In a party of condemned prisoners taken out for execution, there was a -woman from the East Side of New York. She brought up the rear of the -little column. She was a tall, fine-looking Jewess, and bore herself -proudly, looking with scorn at the firing-squad. - -When the death-grove was reached there was some delay. She observed -Americans among the on-lookers, and beckoned them over to her. - -“Why, they’re not going to shoot me,” she boasted. “Look at me--I -am an attractive woman. I have been in that prison two months.” And -significantly, “I have been a good friend to the commandant. Tell him -I want to speak to him.” She smiled coyly. - -The commandant came. He smiled at her admiringly, and gave her an -intimate wink. - -“Of course I am not going to have you shot,” he declared. “I had to -bring you out here to make the others think that I am not showing you -any favoritism. But my soldiers have orders not to aim at you. Do not -fear the volley.” - -These was a sharp command. The rifles came up. Some of the condemned -dropped to their knees in the snow to pray, some made a brave show of -facing the muzzles without a tremor, others openly wept. But the woman -stood upright, with a confident smile on her lips, sure that none of -the bullets was for her. - -The volley crashed upon the cold air. The woman’s face took on an awful -look of surprise. Her body snapped backward from the impact of flying -lead, and then she pitched forward upon her face in the snow. - -There are no sex lines drawn in matters of this kind. No, indeed, there -is perfect equality. - - * * * * * - -The mass of the people in Siberia are Bolshevist. I would say that -ninety-eight per cent of them are Bolshevist. This assertion can be -very easily misunderstood, and anti-Bolshevists will undoubtedly attack -it, while the Bolshevist propagandists will probably use it to prove -that they have as adherents the mass of the people. But by “Bolshevist” -I do not mean that the people have studied Bolshevism and have decided -to adhere to it because they feel that Bolshevism is the form of -government which they want--far from it. - -What I do mean to say is that the mass of the people, being -discontented and being in poverty, favor Bolshevism because it is the -only thing which promises them the license which they believe to be -liberty. It is a system which has demonstrated to them that they have a -right to take what they can; it is a system that tells them that they -can do no wrong because they have been wronged--that no matter what the -poor man does, he is right. It is the “divine right of kings” applied -to the proletariat--it makes every man a king provided he has been a -man who worked for somebody else. - -When I assert that the mass of the people are Bolshevist in their -tendencies, I do not mean that they are all able to discuss Bolshevism -intelligently, nor do I mean that they are fighting in the ranks of the -Bolshevist army with arms. I mean that the drosky-driver, the waiter, -the railroad man,--all working classes,--are hostile to any man who -attempts to tell them that Bolshevism is wrong, or any man who looks -as though he did not work with his hands. By “Bolshevism” I mean class -hatred. The mass of the people of Siberia have been exploited so long, -and have been tricked by promises which were never kept, that they are -willing to be exploited by any person who comes along and tells them -that they own everything in the country merely because they work. - -They have never known good government. They do not believe that it -exists. To them “government” means oppression, whether it is government -in the United States, or government by the Czar. - -Now if the mass of the people are Bolshevist (admitting my assertion -for the sake of argument, if it cannot be accepted fully) and the -forces of the United States in Siberia attempt to control the people, -it might be argued that we would be opposing the wishes of the -majority of the people of Siberia--not allowing them to have the form -of government they desire. In other words, if we go to war against -Bolshevism, it means killing all Bolshevists, and if nearly all the -people in Siberia are Bolshevistic, it would mean, carried to its -logical conclusion, killing or bringing into subjection the mass of -people in Siberia. - -We do not wish to do that. Then why do we not let them remain -Bolshevist and run the country with soviets? - -We are a-straddle a barbed-wire fence in Siberia. The Czechs and the -Cossacks have whipped the Bolshevist forces in Siberia. We have aided -neither the Czechs nor the Cossacks militarily, and the Bolshevists -have been waiting till we and the Czechs got out. While waiting, the -Bolshevists have joined Cossack armies or have behaved themselves to -some extent--they are waiting till the Allies in Siberia give them a -clear field again. And the Allies have been surrounded by a vanishing -army--fighting Bolshevists who quit fighting and “surrender” when they -see that they are in danger of capture or defeat. - -I do not believe that Bolshevism is going to be destroyed by “decisive -defeats” of Bolshevist armies. Bolshevist forces have been “decisively -defeated” time and again, and driven out of many cities, only to -reorganize in the rear of their attackers. Bolshevism can only be -smothered by attacking the idea of Bolshevism, for it is a soul-disease -which has infected vast masses of people who have been wronged for -centuries. - -I do not object to the fact that these people wish to correct the -wrongs of government, the wrongs of exploitation, the wrongs of -enforced poverty which they have endured in a land of great natural -wealth. The greatest wrong which has been committed against them is -the system which has kept them in ignorance. They must be saved from -their own ignorance. They must be saved from a new exploitation which -is greater than any they have ever known. I do not believe that wrongs -against a people can be righted by committing new wrongs. - -These people who are Bolshevist in their tendencies, are Bolshevist -because they have not seen anything better than Bolshevism, which was -visualized for them in tons of worthless money distributed to them. -We must demonstrate good government to them, even though we have to -“interfere” to do so. They are ready to swing to anything which proves -its worth. We have attempted to prove things by reasoning, when they -are not equipped mentally to reason. They suspect and fear us because -we reason while we have an expedition on their ground--and soldiers -to them mean intimidation, treachery and death. They do not trust each -other, how can they trust us? They do not trust the Japanese, and we -are allied with the Japanese. - - - - -XXVII - -THE JOKER IN BOLSHEVISM - - -The Bolshevists of Siberia hate wall-paper. After traveling in that -country, I came to the conclusion that a Bolshevist operates on the -theory that there can be no freedom for anybody so long as a single -strip of wall-paper remains on any wall. Neither can there be any -freedom while glassware is unbroken, furniture unsmashed, curtains are -whole, windows intact, books unburned. And the parlor Bolshevists of -the United States, if they were really consistent, would stop talking -and start a little freedom in their own homes by pulling everything -down that is up, and pulling everything up that is down, sweeping the -total into the street and putting a match to it. - -There is a joker in this “new form of government” known as Bolshevism. -In fact, the joker is the very core of the whole matter. Mutilated -wall-paper gave me my first inkling of that joker. In Chita, the -searchers after freedom had done a thorough job. For not only were the -interior walls of the town everywhere stripped clean, but, according to -the proprietor of a local store the stock in the different shops had -gone to feed the bon-fires. - -“So the Bolshevists hate wall-paper even before it is hung,” I said to -this merchant. - -“Yes,” he replied through my interpreter. “I heard from a friend in -another town that soon we’d be able to get some from Japan. But a -German prisoner of war, who helps my wife with the cooking, says to -wait till the railroad opens up to Petrograd, and then I’ll be able to -get cheaper and better wall-paper from Germany.” - -I lunched that day at the Hotel Dayooria. A German prisoner of war was -my waiter. He was a meek sort of person who had set out from home with -Kultur on the point of his bayonet and now found himself a slave in a -foreign land. He served my tea in a glass that had been made from a -wine bottle by cutting the top off. The upper edge of the glass was -dangerously sharp. - -“I am sorry, captain,” said the waiter; “--no other glasses now.” (He -spoke in English. He had learned it in a German school. He gently -hinted that any stray magazines I might have would be welcome.) - -“Well, when is the boss going to order some regular goblets?”--which -was more or less an attempt at humor on my part, since in Siberia at -that time there was small chance of getting anything from anywhere. - -“Pretty soon we’ll have glassware from Germany,” the waiter assured me -proudly. Then with a click of his heels, he went back to the kitchen. - -That was my second glimpse of the joker. - -Across the street from the Dayooria was a much larger and more modern -hotel, the Select. The lower windows on the street were all boarded up, -for these had been the fronts of banks and shops when the Bolshevists -cut loose on the town, and, in order to become free, found it necessary -to smash the plate-glass, and loot--all of which was done to the (I was -going to say King’s) proletariat’s taste. - -But the interior of the Select had not suffered so complete a wrecking -as the Dayooria. An American consul had once occupied a room at the -Select, and through the kindness of the Cossack chief of staff, I was -allowed to rent this room, with another for my interpreter. (The rent -was raised each week, a mere detail even in Bolshevist Siberia.) - -There was a shortage of electric globes in Chita. But the commandant -managed so that I had globes for the three wires hanging from my -ceiling, and a globe for the drop-light on my desk. In the halls of the -hotel, as in my room, the globes hung from the ceilings on wires. One -evening in a hall I observed a German war prisoner shorten the loop in -one wire so that the globe fell as low as his shoulder. The next time -he came through from the kitchen to the officers’ mess with a tray, he -bumped the globe in such a manner that it crashed against the wall, and -broke. - -The same night I noticed that one of the lights in my room was not -burning. I called the German prisoner who acted as janitor, and asked -him to fix it. He brought a ladder, climbed up, unscrewed the globe, -dropped it, and broke it. He said he felt rather bad about it, too. It -was a blot on his efficiency. - -The next night another globe gave no light. I investigated myself, by -moving my bed and piling my two lockers on it. The globe burned all -right when it was screwed into the socket. I unscrewed it until it -again failed to burn, moved the bed and lockers back into place, and -called the same German. He came with his ladder, examined the globe, -told me it was burned out, and took it away. - -When the third globe went dark, I found that it too, had been unscrewed -enough to break the circuit. The German came, climbed his ladder, and -with pliers, when he thought I was not looking, pried off the glass -tip, rendering the globe useless. Then he told me the globe was no -good. And--there were no more globes. - -Now all I had left was the globe in the drop-light. Every morning I hid -it, and thereby worried the German. There was evidence that he hunted -for it when I was out of my room. Why were the janitor and the waiter -destroying globes that were a necessity even to themselves? I clinched -my suspicions by asking a former merchant of electrical supplies this -question: “Where did you buy your electric globes and fixtures before -the war?” Well, they came from Moscow--mostly made in Germany. - -Here was another corner of that joker! When Russian Bolshevists were -afraid they would get caught breaking things, the German prisoners -helped the game along by doing a little sly smashing on their own -account! - -Because I had the room of a former American consul, the Russian owner -of a gold mine near Chita called upon me, thinking I was the present -American consul. He said he wanted advice as to where he might, some -time in the future, buy mining-machinery. - -The Bolshevists had wrecked his entire plant. Their leaders had told -the peasants that the mines of Siberia belong to all, and that in time -a Bolshevist government would work the mines, and divide the gold among -the people. In that way no one would become richer than someone else. - -“The German prisoners,” he said, “now tell my workmen that if I have -machinery I will need only a few men, and so hundreds of workmen will -be thrown out of jobs. Of course, if I could put machinery in I would -employ ten times as many men as I do now. I can’t make my mine pay -without machinery, and for the present I am employing only common labor -to clean things up so as to be ready for better times. If we Russian -mine owners can’t make our mines pay, we’ll have to sell out. During -the revolution, German capitalists have bought up a lot of companies in -European Russia at bankrupt prices. - -“But assuming that Germany takes the mines, how can the Germans hope -to operate them if the workmen refuse to allow machinery to be used in -them?” - -“You do not know our _moujiks_,” he replied. “They will not believe -what I tell them for their own good. But they will believe the lies -of an outsider--any childish story told to swindle them. By the time -Germany is ready to sell us machinery, maybe the _moujiks_ will be told -not to smash it--if the machinery is German.” - -And picture the amount of mining-machinery that Siberia will be able -to use! For two thousand versts to the north of Chita there are gold -fields. The fields which have been developed make scarcely a dot on the -map. No. One Russian mine-worker will not become richer than another -when that vast country is worked. If Germany’s plans do not miscarry, -those who will profit first will be the German machinery manufacturers. - -It was brought to my attention in a certain part of Siberia that wool, -cow hair and camel hair, valued at nine million rubles, purchased just -before the revolution by a Boston company through its Moscow agency, -was to be seized. Who was going to seize it is not a matter for me to -discuss here, but I can say there was good evidence that it would have -gone in the direction of Germany. - -The warehouses containing this material were in three cities, and -somehow escaped being burned. Whenever Bolshevist bands broke loose -to loot and burn, the word must have been passed from some mysterious -fountain-head to spare the warehouses containing that wool and -hair--for, mind, those warehouses were in three different cities, far -apart. This would indicate that, after all, there is a system to -Bolshevism. The system appears to be, “Smash machinery and manufactured -goods but spare raw material.” As the wool and hair was owned by an -American company, an inference might be drawn that the protection -was due to its being American property. If so, why--when there was -a rumor that American troops might soon be in the vicinity of the -warehouses--was it to be seized and moved toward Germany? - -Siberian Bolshevists with whom I talked told me of the great yearning -for education among the masses, and how the Bolshevists would provide -plenty of schools. I examined the condition of several schools where -the Bolshevists had been in control for a time. Every possible book had -been destroyed--geographies, grammars, spelling-books. It was a case -of _spurlos versenkt_. Pens, paper, pencils, maps, erasers, rulers, -ink and all other school accessories went the way of the books--to the -bon-fires in the streets. A yearning to learn? Certainly. One might -describe it as a burning desire. And will it not be fine for Leipsic to -print Russia’s new school books, with some German propaganda thrown in -free? Also, _lieber Gott_, vot a market for pencils and other little -things! (Note for Leipsic: Printers in Japan are already printing -Russian books!) - -There is a significant angle to the smashing and burning that has gone -on in Russia--an angle which the American working man should bear in -mind when he is told that Russian Bolshevists are on the right track -for turning a _moujik_ into a magnate over night. Russia is a great -producer of raw material. Smashed machinery there means that whatever -raw material escapes destruction must seek a foreign market. Naturally, -if such material cannot be sold to a Russian factory, the factory -abroad buys it much cheaper than if there were a home demand for it. -Also, smashed machinery in Russia means no production in Russia of -manufactured goods; and no manufactured goods in Russia means that the -very working men who smashed the machinery must buy goods manufactured -abroad. - -Further, if there are no goods manufactured in Russia, the foreign -manufacturer makes his own prices, both for what he buys from Russia -and what he sells to her. In other words, he gets raw materials from -her at low prices, and sells manufactured goods to her at high prices. -This forces all Russian labor, skilled as well as unskilled, into -working at low wages on the production of raw materials, and the cost -of the raw materials is constantly being pulled down because, with no -Russian demand for factory-skilled labor, there is a surplus of labor. -So the Russian manufacturing capitalist is wiped out, sure enough, -along with all machinery. Also, in time, Russian skilled labor will be -wiped out! - -And for this condition of affairs, Russians can thank themselves! - -Germany realized how crude were her methods when she sent to Belgium -and France a force that, operating behind her fighting men, wrecked -or burned factories, and seized raw material. That was a job she did -herself, and she had to take the blame of the whole world for it. -She had to devise a scheme by which she could get the same results -elsewhere without having to bear any blame. - -That scheme was Bolshevism. The craftiest criminals always use fools -as their tools. And in Bolshevism Germany found the _Ersatz_, or -substitute, for an army of thieving and destroying Germans. It has -been estimated that more than a million Germans are prisoners of war -in Russia. These men whispered anti-capitalistic propaganda into the -ear of the poor _moujik_, who wants education so badly that he is -willing to burn school books, and who thinks he can attain freedom by -ripping off wall-paper. And the _moujik_, under skillful leadership, -did Germany’s work, and did it for nothing. That same Ivan who had died -by millions to beat the Germans ran home from the trenches and wrecked -his own country to the Kaiser’s taste, at the Kaiser’s word--wrecked it -more thoroughly than the German armies would have been able to wreck -it. For he smashed everything but the ikons and the rubber-plants. -Why he did not destroy the rubber-plants we cannot understand. Is it -because Germany does not wish to sell rubber-plants to Russia? - -So keen were the Germans to help the Russian Bolshevists to “overthrow -the Russian capitalists,” that the German capitalists loaned the -Bolshevists armored cars and cannon made in Germany by the Krupp works -and in Austria by the Skoda works. Evidently the German capitalists -had suddenly fallen in love with the Russian proletariat! (This is a -nut for our own parlor Bolshevists to crack.) - -I can guess how they will crack it. They will say, “Yes, the Russian -Bolshevists took help from the German capitalists, but in time they -will turn those guns upon the very capitalists who loaned them.” Yet -what I ask to know, as Hashimura Togo would say, is, “Why did the -German capitalists ever begin to help the Bolshevists?” - -After all, Russian capitalists are the only people who can give -Russian working men jobs. By the same token, German capitalists are -the only people who can give German working men jobs. If the German -capitalists do not want the Russian capitalists to be able to give jobs -to Russians, are the German capitalists who loaned guns to Russian -Bolshevists, friends of the Russian working men? - -The first parlor Bolshevist who answers that question correctly will -explain the joker in Bolshevism. - -Germany mobilized the fools of Russia. Why not, she asked herself, -extend a scheme that worked so successfully with the _moujiks_ to -the working populations of other countries? She began to have hopes -(with the aid of Bolshevist propaganda) of mobilizing the malcontents -everywhere. Capital, if not wiped out, could at least be frightened or -forced into a period of non-production--or production at high prices. -High prices, in turn, create demands for higher wages--demands that -usually take the form of strikes. Labor troubles may lead to riots, or -even revolution--with consequent destruction. And to judge by Belgium, -northern France and Russia, destruction is what Germany wants. - -Meanwhile, rumors of riots in the Fatherland encourage Bolshevism in -other countries. We have had copious news of Bolshevist troubles in -Germany. The fact that we get this news over German wires is evidence -that Germany wants us to get it. It makes a fine smoke-screen behind -which stand her great untouched factories with their unsmashed -machinery. - -The Germans told the Russians that the great war was a “capitalistic -war.” Germany was right. But she neglected to say that it was designed -to aid the German capitalists. And if enough fools in every other -country can be induced to smash and tear and burn, saving only (take -note) some raw materials, then with her own factories and machinery -intact, Germany can flood the world with her own cheap manufactured -goods. - -For this is the joker in Bolshevism: The providing for Germany, of -colossal markets! - -And if she has these markets created for her, the indemnity which the -Allies have demanded, and which Germany says is “staggering,” will be -to her a mere handful of small change. - - - - -XXVIII - -THE UNITED STATES IN ASIA - - -It must be fairly obvious to the reader in following my account of -what I saw and heard in Siberia that I regard the whole adventure on -the part of the United States in Siberia as a failure, whether it is -regarded in the light of being an attempt at international diplomacy, -military intervention, a gesture of friendship toward Russia, or an -enterprise in the nature of insurance against the spread of Bolshevism. - -Primarily, it began as a new campaign against Germany-to prevent -Germany from getting possession of war-stores in Russia and Siberia and -replenishing her stocks of food, munitions and men and to prevent her -from penetrating the country for conquest. There was every reason for -our being in Russia, both on the Archangel front, and in Siberia, to -accomplish these ends. Our presence in Siberia alone was a menace to -Germany, a threat of a thrust through her back door in combination with -the other powers involved with us, including Russians, Czecho-Slovaks, -British, French, Japanese and others interested and concerned. - -But we went about it even before the armistice was dreamed of, in a -tentative manner. We did not start a campaign, we began a debating -society. We twiddled our thumbs all winter in Siberia, while the forces -of evil, Bolshevist and others, took advantage of our lack of decision -on anything and acquired a certain technique in a chicane suitable to -the conditions existing to thwart us in any decision we might reach in -the future. - -We kept insisting that we were helping Russia by being in Siberia. The -Czechs, the Russians and the Japanese knew that only action could help, -and action meant fighting those who were ruining the country. We were -helping Russia and Siberia in just about the manner a man might help a -family which was being beaten and robbed by burglars if the man sat out -on the front porch and remarked: “If this thing gets too serious, I am -here with a gun to help.” - -And while he sat there, the members of the family still alive, yelled -frantically: “This is serious now--half my children are dead, and the -biggest robber has me by the throat.” - -Whereupon the visitor on the porch would reply: “If I do anything -rough I will hurt somebody’s feelings. I don’t want to do that. But if -you kill the robbers, then you have settled the affair yourself, with -my moral support. But I am not quite sure the robbers are not in the -right. I am your friend, if you win this fight; if the robber wins it, -I want to make friends with him. In the meantime, I can supply you with -a Red Cross nurse to bind your wounds if you escape alive; I can give -you food if the robber steals or destroys all you have to eat; I can -send you ministers to bury you with prayers if you are killed, or to -preach to you if you are spared. I am a Good Samaritan but I must not -interfere.” - -While we were thus pausing and surveying the wreckage, human and -material, various Cossack chiefs, schooled in the methods of the old -régime, seized power and began building up principalities of their -own--Kalmikoff as governor-general of the Ussuri district, and Semenoff -as boss of the Trans-Baikal. - -They used the old tricks of autocracy--swords and ceremony--which the -people feared and by which they were impressed with demonstrations of -physical power. Then to catch the imagination of the nations which -wished to see Russia rehabilitate herself speedily, they began to -talk in a patter, the key-note of which was, and is: “I stand for a -free and reunited Russia, a Russia greater than the old.” Whereupon -they proceeded to deny anything in the nature of freedom, and to -disunite Russia. All they stood for, and still stand for, is their -own glorification and reward and the gambler’s chance that they -will inherit the throne of the Czars. If they cannot attain to such -ambitions, at least they hope to sell out their usurped powers in -case some figure of imperial lineage comes out of hiding to take the -shattered crown. - -We kept assuring the Siberians that our government stood as their -friend, at the same time neither denouncing, nor interfering with these -usurpers. The people, for all their abysmal ignorance, knew perfectly -well what was going on--they recognized autocracy because they had -to submit to it. And, speaking generally, the attitude of the United -States was: “Why cannot you people get together and settle up this -mess--all you have to do is come to an agreement, and reunite Russia!” - -This while several civil wars were being fought in the country! - -At home our press and public were making a hue and cry against -Bolshevism. Yet in Siberia were Cossack chiefs with little armies -opposed to the Bolshevists, but inactive because they were not sure -what we might do. Our failure to throw in with these chiefs, led the -Bolshevist leaders to hope, if not actually believe, that we favored -Bolshevism, or at least did not dare fight it. At any rate, our “do -nothing” policy allowed the Bolshevist leaders, crafty in intrigue, -propaganda and organization, to whisper to their wavering adherents -that the United States was passively favoring them and that recognition -of the Bolshevist government was only a matter of time. - -In effect, our operations for nearly a year, were a subsidy to -Bolshevism. Our civilian-aid agencies were unwitting helpers to the -secret Bolshevists of Siberia, for they gave comfort and encouragement -to the idea that Bolshevism in Siberia was a success. We repaired a -lot of damage that Bolshevism had done, before the people of Siberia -could realize what the destruction meant--before they could learn for -themselves what a mess they had made of things. - -Our government did relief work, and became actually thereby an -ally of the Bolshevist régime, though maintaining an attitude of -non-interference--neutrality. - -“One faction is as bad as another,” was the way our spokesmen put -it. That was a comforting phrase, but not true. It meant blaming -our own ignorance on the factions. It was on the same scale as the -statement made so often after the outbreak of the war: “Europe has gone -war-mad--one nation is as bad as the other,” a frame of mind which -helped Germany. How the Bolshevist leaders must have chuckled when they -heard that the United States classed them as no better and no worse -than the Russians who were actively fighting Bolshevism, and opposing -it in other ways. And the gallant Czechs were amazed and discouraged by -our failure to coöperate with them to the extent they had been led to -believe that we would. - -Kalmikoff and Semenoff, more particularly the former, carried on -executions by the wholesale. It was a system of eliminating such -persons as might oppose them. Some of the victims were probably -Bolshevists, but many of them were decent and orderly Russians from -our viewpoint. They dared whisper their suspicions against the Cossack -chiefs--that was enough to send them to the execution party. - -For instance, men and women of Khabarovsk protested to Colonel Styer -that Kalmikoff had their friends and relatives in prison and would -shoot them. Colonel Styer took the matter up with Kalmikoff. That night -fifteen or twenty men were chosen at random from the prison, taken -out into a grove, and shot down. They did not know what they had been -arrested for, they had never been tried. - -This sort of thing went on for months after our forces were stationed -in Khabarovsk. But with Washington giving strict orders that there -should be nothing in the nature of “interference,” what could Colonel -Styer do? Yet at the same time we were assuring the “loyal” Russians -that our troops were on the ground for their protection. - -To the Russians, who could not possibly fathom our policy and could not -know what was going on between our commanders and Kalmikoff, it looked -as if our troops were there to protect Kalmikoff while he decimated the -population. And Kalmikoff continued to lift himself into power by the -simple process of killing off everybody who objected to his assuming -autocratic powers. - -Yet Kalmikoff and Semenoff, if properly dealt with from the first, -might have joined forces with us against the Bolshevists. They could -not have opposed us. They both have certain qualities as military -leaders, and while they undoubtedly are monarchists or “men on -horseback,” they are certainly anti-Bolshevist. And if we had adopted -an anti-Bolshevist policy from the start, this policy would have given -us a point of contact with the Cossack chiefs. We could have demanded -that they behave themselves, get busy and fight Bolshevists at the -front. - -But they camped down in Khabarovsk and Chita, clamped a tight lid on -the press in their districts, and inspired the writing of articles -for the local newspapers which extolled their own virtues as Russian -patriots, and denounced the other Cossack chiefs with whom they were at -odds. And the peculiar fact about this press campaign, was that when -each told of the others faults and selfish ambitions, he was telling -the truth, as truth goes in Siberia. - -The press muzzled or subsidized, the whole country became befogged in a -mass of rumors, gossip, lies and slander. The Americans heard all kinds -of stories against the Japanese, as no doubt the Japanese heard the -most fanciful tales about us; the Czechs became disgruntled and sullen -because they felt we were not helping them as we should; if an American -officer became friendly with a Russian and sought his views on the -situation, another Russian sought the American out to warn him against -his informant. Each Russian professed to be a “loyal” Russian. I found -that all Russians are loyal Russians. The difficulty was to ascertain -just what “loyal” meant. The test for us, should have been, loyal to -what idea of government? - -I am familiar with the assertion that our expedition was opposing the -Bolshevists with armed force. When did we threaten any Bolshevists till -the Bolshevists attacked us? Is inviting all factions to “get together” -at Prinkipo, opposing Bolshevists? Is it opposing monarchists? Is it -opposing _hetmen_ who emulate Villa? Is it backing a democratic form of -government in Russia? - -One thing is certain--neither a monarchy nor a republic can be formed -in all Russia so long as Bolshevism remains in the saddle. And our -unwillingness to oppose Bolshevism was in effect giving it aid and -strength. Many who were wavering in their sympathy for Bolshevism, -turned to it again secretly when they saw what the Cossack chiefs were -doing with apparent sanction of the United States. - -Our attitude of neutrality in Russian affairs gave the Bolshevist -agents their chance to decry our promises of aid. They said: “Look! -The United States knows Bolshevism is too strong to quarrel with -openly. Who is the United States standing in with? Your enemies, the -Cossack chiefs, who are fighting us in order to restore to power the -old régime. The United States stands back and allows the Cossacks -to execute you. The American commanders protest mildly, but do the -executions stop? No. The United States hopes the Cossacks will defeat -us, but the United States does not dare fight, because they want to be -able to make friends with us when we control the whole country. They -know they will have to recognize us in time.” - -No doubt Bolshevism will die out in time. All zealots are born despots, -and Russia will not submit to the despotism of Bolshevism any more than -it will submit from now on for a long period, to any form of cruel -despotism. Can we claim, when Bolshevism burns out, to have aided in -breaking its back? - -Neutrality, between right and wrong, is a crime. It was invented by -militaristic criminals who want to murder nations, and make sure that -there will be no interference by neighbors. - -The thug, murdering his victim, resents the interference of the -passerby, by saying: “This is none of your business.” He demands -neutrality. - -So it has become a virtuous act for a nation, when two nations engage -in war, to declare itself neutral. We realize now that something is -wrong in this system, so we have devised the league of nations idea. -This idea is nothing more than an agreement that there shall be no more -neutrality. If a nation threatens war, all the others agree to take -sides. The fact that all the others may combine against the aggressor, -or the nation adjudged to be in the wrong, automatically prevents the -war. Unless the aggressing nation feels strong enough to defy the -others, or able to accomplish its purpose of destruction before the -others can get into action. - -But issues between nations are often beclouded, or the minds of peoples -are befogged, or populations become divided over what is right and what -is wrong. A league of nations, to operate according to the ideals of -the idea, presupposes the ability of peoples, or their leaders, to make -swift decision as to who is right and who is wrong. It calls for not -merely national statesmanship, but international statesmanship--which -is always for right. - -We wanted to operate on the patient in Siberia but the doctors could -not decide whether to take out the appendix of Bolshevism, or cut off -the head that ached without a crown. The patient is still suffering -from a bad appendix--and a violent headache. - -We said at home that Bolshevism menaced the world. It had ruined -Siberia. We were in Siberia with troops. We should have attacked -Bolshevism on its native heath, and declared to Russia and the world -that once the Bolshevists were whipped and knew they were whipped, we -would stand beside the nation till it had reorganized itself in its own -non-Bolshevist way. - -Japan expected us to do those things, just as England did. We -practically forbade Japan from going into Siberia without our sanction, -or without us. We decried intervention or interference, and then -proceeded to intervene. I do not care what other term is used in -describing our landing an expedition in Siberia--it was intervention. -It was a measure for the safety of Russia, and for our own protection. - -The minute our first armed man stepped upon the dock at Vladivostok, we -had intervened--we had interfered. It was our business to be effective, -to justify our presence there, to act in the manner we thought proper -and be responsible for our acts. All the others would have been glad to -coöperate with us, I am sure. - -In fact, all parties looked to us for leadership, regardless of what -their private ideas or ambitions may have been. Japan was ready to -coöperate with us, but we disgusted Japan by our failure to do anything -but sit on the lid of the Pandora’s box in Vladivostok. Japan went -ahead and did a few things on her own account, and then there were -whispers in certain quarters that Japan wanted to grab Siberia. - -If Japan did want to grab Siberia, it was because the lackadaisical -attitude of the United States made Japan feel that whatever Japan did, -the United States would not do much more than mildly protest. - -I do not doubt that Japan would like to have Siberia, or at least -the littoral of the Maritime Provinces with ownership or control of -Vladivostok. She would like to hook that country up with Korea, and -have a barrier between her own Empire and whatever Russia will develop -or degenerate into in the future. And considering Japan’s position in -Asia, her necessity for expansion, and more particularly her system -of government, this ambition to control the Siberian littoral is -consistent with her whole scheme of self-protection. The morality of -the policy is not for discussion here. - -England would have been willing to follow our lead, and coöperate with -us. But tired of our dallying, England sent her forces up to the front, -and took a chance of having the Trans-Siberian railroad break down -between her advanced troops and their base. And England stands higher -in the regard of Russia to-day than we do, and always will, despite the -fact that we talked much of friendship for Russia and Siberia. England -said little, but acted with troops in supporting the anti-Bolshevist -forces. - -I consider the Siberian campaign a failure, for the simple reason -that what we failed to do in Siberia will eventually aid Germany. -Germany is bound to penetrate Russia economically, and control the -country financially unless we change our tactics. We went to Siberia to -checkmate Germany--we have aided her. This is because the Russian will -never take us seriously again--we are regarded nationally as a “bluff.” - -We went into Siberia with armed forces to help Russia, and did little -but talk, nurse the railroad, distribute pamphlets, and show pictures -to prove to the Russians what a great nation we were--at home. Among -the pamphlets we distributed was one in Russian, entitled: “If you want -a republic we will show you how to build one.” - -In effect, we told them that everything we did was right, and -everything that they did was wrong. The wiser ones smiled, shook their -heads, and tolerated us. How, they asked, are you showing us the way -to build a republic if every time we submit a problem to you, you -throw up your hands and say: “We cannot advise you, for that would be -interfering. This is something you must settle for yourselves.” - -There was no reason why, when the Siberian situation developed its own -peculiar problem after the armistice, the Siberian expedition could -not have been increased to a strength which would make it possible to -protect itself, and carried out a definite policy in regard to Russia. -If we could formulate no policy for Siberia which seemed to fit our -national aims toward Russia and Siberia, our expedition should have -been withdrawn. - -I feel that none of the things we set out to accomplish in Siberia has -been accomplished. And many of the things we wished to prevent, have -been carried out by Bolshevist forces--at least we have had little if -any hand in checking Bolshevist activities. - -The American expedition degenerated from a military expedition into a -political expedition, or probably what might be termed a diplomatic -expedition. I maintain that it is a great error in governmental policy -to attempt to turn a soldier into a diplomat, or a diplomat into a -soldier. The soldier should not be called in until the policy of the -nation had been clearly defined, and then the soldier should act, free -from all political complications. An American military expedition -should never leave our shores, till the government can tell its -commander what to do, and his instructions should be defined in terms -of action. - -If Washington did not want to restrain “agitating peasants” by force of -arms, it never should have allowed our forces to enter Siberia, or to -remain a day after the signing of the armistice. - -To land an expedition in a country, and then attempt to tell the -country that we do not intend to interfere in its internal affairs, is -absurd. - -If a foreign power, during the Civil War, had landed military forces -on the Atlantic coast, no matter how much that power had assured us -that it did not intend to interfere, we would have demanded instant -withdrawal. And in replying to assurances of a non-interfering -intention, we would have replied: “You have already interfered--you -are on our territory, and if you do not come to aid us, our enemy will -be able to assert to his adherents, that you have come to aid him. You -must do one of two things--fight with us or against us. We mistrust -you, for we feel that if things should go against either side in this -quarrel, you would throw your forces in with what appeared to be the -winning side.” - -And in Russia, and Siberia to-day, we are inclined to think that the -issue is between Bolshevism and non-Bolshevism. It is a greater issue -than that--it is a fight between an imperial form of government and a -republican form of government. - -When Maximilian set up his Empire in Mexico, we regarded it as an -unfriendly act, and drove him out; and our own Monroe policy forbids -foreign powers from landing forces for aggression or anything else -in any part of the Western Hemisphere. No matter what a European -chancellory might assert as the motive for sending a military -expedition to this side of the world, we would regard it as an -unfriendly act. - -I wish it borne in mind that I am not attacking the administration -for sending an expedition; but I am criticising the sending of an -expedition; and having no policy. - -We sat around all winter in Siberia, refusing to oppose “agitating -peasants,” or “anti-Kolchak forces,” and when Spring came our own men -were killed and captured at the Suchan Mines, not far from Vladivostok, -by agitating peasants and anti-Kolchak forces, now revealed as -Bolshevists. The errors of statesmen are corrected with the lives of -soldiers. - -What should we have done in Siberia? We should have done the only thing -a military expedition is supposed to do--prevent disorder, insure -safety to the inhabitants who go about their business, and demand that -the Russians in such places as we occupied get busy with plans for -government, and till they did so, go on and administer local government -with their coöperation in accordance with our own ideas, and with our -future intentions toward the people clearly stated and pledged. - -That sounds like a big order. But those are the things we were expected -to do by all hands--Russians, and our Allied interventionists. Also, no -doubt, the decent element of our own country expected such action--and -thought it was being done. - -We have lost face in Asia, and if we ever find we wish to make a -threatening gesture in that direction, we will not be taken very -seriously till we have carried out the threat at large cost in blood -and treasure. We may never have to make that threat, but we may be -menaced from that direction some day, because Germany will expand in -that direction, if not territorially at once, at least economically. -And one thing we must realize--Germany has far better chances of -merging with Asia than we have, because Asia understands the German -idea. - -Asia does not understand our ideas or ideals in government, and since -seeing us operate in Siberia, is more puzzled with us than ever. Asia -realizes our strength, and fears us for that reason alone; but she has -seen our strength poorly demonstrated on her own soil, and she feels -inclined to say: “Pooh! The giant of the Western Hemisphere is afraid -of us, after all. He shakes his fist, but does not want to fight, he -does not want to exert himself in this direction, he does not want to -control us in any way. He is a good-natured giant, and there is no -reason why we should fear his bluster.” - -Asia is saying that herself. If ever the day comes when another power -whispers to her that she is right about us, and that if she will join -up with them we can be driven out of Asia and kept out, then Asia will -in time be a serious menace to our peace and safety, and our existence -as a nation with Western ideals. - -We may think Asia is “slow”--in many ways Asia can out-think us. The -land that had Confucius, the land of soul-searching which is India, -the land of the Grand Lamas which is Thibet, the land which produced -Buddha--they cannot be fooled. - -We had better take care that we do not legislate ourselves into a -feeling of security, till we have educated Asia as to our aims and -purposes and feel that Asia feels as we do about the things we prize -the most. Not till that time is it possible to federate the world, -though we must attempt such a federation. Though the League of Nations -may fail as a preventive of wars, it will serve humanity by revealing -secret enmities and anti-American ideas, it will make for discussion -of world interests, it will clarify our purposes, it will serve to -educate nations about other nations. Though it never gets beyond -anything but an international debating society (assuming that fact for -the sake of argument) it gives the nations of the world a chance to go -somewhere with their grievances. It will do much for the United States -in making us internationally minded, though nationally conscious. No -doubt President Wilson is actuated by some such idea in his willingness -to forego many things he would like to have gained at the Peace -Conference, if only the League of Nations is saved as an idea. - -The nations need a safety valve. The old diplomacy served to conceal -national aims and aspirations, either good or bad. The consequence was -that one-half the world found the other half arrayed against it, and -did not suspect it, till the war broke. - -Asia must not be allowed to misunderstand us, and we must not -misunderstand Asia. Europe, with the same civilization, got into -conflict, by diplomatic concealment of opposing ideas. Frank -discussions under the old-style diplomacy was something in the nature -of an affront--we could not be frank with each other till we were at -war. We need to look facts in the face, to argue a little more and -fight less. We cannot assert that a condition exists merely because we -wish it existed, we must tell the truth to Asia about ourselves and we -must not be afraid to tell Asia what we want Asia to know, even though -Asia may resent it. We must educate Asia to our ideas, or she will -educate us to hers--which is subjection. - -Asia’s history is a history of great conquests with intervening periods -of degeneration. She rises and falls like tides between cycles of time. -We have known her during a period in which she has bent the neck to the -white man in various ways. - -We have been teaching her to build modern machinery for construction -and destruction. The old jig-saw geography of Asia is being juggled -into a new pattern, and seems ready for a new era and a new master. -She may develop another Ghengis Khan, another Tartar horde, (civilized -in modern warfare this time) and our Chinese wall which we call the -Pacific may not protect us. - -This is not “Yellow Perilism” as we have understood it heretofore, -but a consideration of the possibilities in all Asia during the next -hundred years, under the ægis of a sort of Prussianism in a new form, -welding China, India, Persia, Asiatic Russia and all the East to an -idea which combats the American ideal of government. - -As I have said, Asia can think. She almost has a league of nations in -her religion (the various sects agree among themselves better than -they all do with Christianity) and religion offers a splendid means -of communicating an idea to numberless people who are otherwise -illiterate. The Buddhist Mongol from Manchuria can carry a message to -the far-off temples of the Himalayas, without cable tolls or cable -censors. - -Russia aflame with Bolshevism startled us. The propaganda had been -going on a long time before we considered it a serious menace, because -we did not believe that so many people could be trained to such absurd -ideas by absurd promises. We did not understand the possibilities for -united destruction in a vast, ignorant and subject people. We must -understand Asia--or our children’s children will wash the pots in -Asiatic sculleries. - - -THE END - - - - -TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES: - - - Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_. - - Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. - - Inconsistencies in hyphenation and spelling have been standardized. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SIBERIA TO-DAY *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. 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