MARCH ACROSS SIBERIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 February 1919, Page 3

MARCH ACROSS SIBERIA.

CZECHOSLOVAK EXPLOIT. OUTWITTING THE BOLSHEVIKS, Tho Harbin correspondent of the North China Daily News interviewed the personal aide-de-camp of CSeneiul Gaida, and heard the thrilling story of the Czeeho Slovak march from Russia all through Siberia in the teeth of hostile Bolsheviks and German and Magyar prisoners. The movement began after a conference of Czccho-Slovaks held at Chelyabinsk, on May 21, which was called to decide how the various echelons of Czechoslovaks which had escaped from the Russian front to the Urals were to reach Vladivostok. The conference at Chelyabinsk had to contend with the usual Bolshevik treachery, the Soviet Commissary, under pretence of asking Lenin for instructions, having telegraphed to the latter, strongly urging that the Czechs should be rounded up into concentration camps. It is quite probable that none of the Czechs at Chelyabinsk would have escaped had not an outbreak occurred further cast at NovojSlikalaievsk, where the Czecho-Slovaks, learning that the Red Guards had received orders to disarm them, fell upon the latter unexpectedly, and with their bare hands took their rifles and mach-ine-guns, whereupon the Bolsheviks promptly fled. RAILWAY BRIDGES DESTROYED. The Czechs at Novo-Nikolaievsk then decided to set out eastwards immediately, at the same time sending bad; i small parties to guard the line and enable their fellow-nationals at Chelyabinsk to overtake them. Great difficulty was found in reaching Irkutsk, as the Bolsheviks had destroyed all the many bridges, both small and great, which the railway crosses, but the Czecho-Slovak Engineer Corps worked so efficiently that on July 11 General Gaida's force reached Irkutsk without misadventure, and received a hearty welcome from the local population. Now came the most ticklish part of the march. Pound the south of Lake Baikal the railway passes through 30 tunnels under extremely rocky and pre* cipitous ranges of mountains. Information reached General Gaida that the Bolsheviks had everything ready to blow up all these tunnels. In order to pro- . *ent this the Czechs actually succeeded in dragging their guns over the mountains, from the top of which they fired at the box cars full of ammunition which the Bolsheviks were keeping in readiness to pull into the tunnels and explode if the Czechs advanced. One can only suppose that the Bolsheviks never imagined it possible—as indeed, anyone who knows the Siberian railway in this district would also thinkthat the Czechs would be able to get over the mountains. A CLEVER RUSE. Arrived at the end of the tunnels, General Gaida learned that the Bolsheviks were waiting in force in a strong position, some little distance ahead of him, and he now adopted, with complete success, a very clever ruse. Decoy messages, which were purposely allowed to fall into the Bolsheviks' hands, were sent imploring the Czechs in Manchuria to come back and help their fellows from Irkutsk, the latter, it was stated, being in a very bad position, owing to casualties, reduced to but a small lighting force, without food or ammunition, and at the end of their tether. It will be remembered that these messages were telegraphed on to Europe in all good faith at the end of August. The Bolsheviks swallowed the bait, and, feeling assured that the Czechs would immediately surrender, marched triumphantly towards the tunnels with flags flying straight into a well-laid ambush, where the whole of them were practically exterminated. ACROSS LAKE BAIKAL. From this point the Czechs took to Lake Baikal in two small steamers, the machinery of which the Bolsheviks had destroyed before decamping. The invaluable Engineer Corps, however, managed to repair the ongines, and with this frail j force the Czechs steamed across the j lake, towing large barges, which contained 1000 of their men, fell unexpectedly upon the Bolsheviks at MUovoye, destroyed their three ships, and, with the remainder of tho Czechs advancing round the south of the lake by laud, caught the 'Bolshevijks between two tires, aud inflicted a fearful defeat upon them. It is estimated that some 2U,0U0 Bolsheviks tool; part inutile battle, of whom over 0000 were killed and 2500 made prisoners, the rest scattering iu small bauds under cover of nightfall. In all, 41 complete trains fell into tho Czechs' hands; these included armored carriages, waggon loads of munitions/ and of war provisions, and other materials of all sorts, including automobiles, complete movable hospital*, horseH and baggage trains, all of which were practically in an undamaged state. This was the last serious resistance which General Gaida and his gallant men had to face, ind on August 31 they joined up with Colonel SeinenolV's Cossacks at the Mauchurian frontier.