VLADIVOSTOK OF TO-DAY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 144, 7 March 1918, Page 6

VLADIVOSTOK OF TO-DAY

9 ,CHAOTIC CONDITIONS. The chaos which reigns at Vladivostok was described by Mr. C. H. Carter, an American traveller, in an interview with an Auckland "Herald" reporter. Accompanied by his wife, Mr'. Carter went to Vladivostok from Snn Francisco with the intention of travelling some distanco east into Siberia, thence south through China, but the difficulties were so great and the future so uncertain that t : he tour had. to be abandoned. • "Japan will have to step in and protect the Allies' interests in Siberia," said Mr. Carter, "if millions of pounds' worth of essential war material is to be made secure against Germany. For 15 or 20 miles the beach at Vladivostok is piled with munitions and supplies of all descriptions—machinery, motor-cars. by the hundred, steam and gasoline tractors, copper and steel for shells, • and almost every essential in the way of war material. Much of this great dump was unloaded o:i to the ice, the materials being then dragged to the beach and left there. The confusion and muddle has heen such that much of it is below high-water level, and when the tide comes in it is covered by water, which, in the case of tho machinery, must do great damage. But this is not the only place where there is congestion of war supplies. Every terminal ljetween the Pacific Ocean and the Ural Mountains is loaded with freight, because many of the railway depots along the route have not the capacity of Vladivostok. At the present time Vladivostok can handle about 300 cars daily, the capacity of each being 15 to 20 tons, but Harbin can handle only 150 to 200 cars daily, and* this number diminishes further on owing to the lack of terminal facilities. All this material has como from America and Japan," Referring to the conditions ir: Vladivostok, Mr. Carter said there was in- l describable chaos and no certain form of In the town there were 15,000 or '20.000 soldiers who were under no semblance of discipline or control. They simply wandered about the streets and did what they liked. Drilling was a thing of the past, and every man appeared to be his 'own commanding officer. The state of this undisciplined rabble of a garrison gavo an indication of the awful conditions existing throughout Russia. _ "The port of Vladivostok is closed," continued Mr. Carter, "and trade is at a standstill. A foreigner cannot de-' posit money in the banks nor can he withdraw it, and anyone arriving cannot leave under a period of ten days. These," he concluded, '.'arc a few of the results of the first attempt of the people of Russia to rule themselves."