39

to annex sections of free democratic Si-
beria. Serious complications with Eng-
land and France would be probable and
it may result in war should they, as al-
lies of Japan, be unable to restrain her
spoliation of Siberia."

Leon Trotiky says openly that Japan
and Germany have reached an agreement,
although, in view of Germany's attitude
in the far east, that sounds improbable.
Nevertheless, the soviet leaders declare
that they intend to fight Japan should
she continue the movement toward Si-
beria. They insist Japan has searched
for numerous pretexts for an invasion of
Siberia and the occupation of Vladivos-
tok and the Siberian littoral.

German Prisoners Not Arming.

can set ofl out of the ground for the

There were rumors for a time that
German War prisoners in Siberia were
arming themselves with the object of
seizing the Trans-Siberian rallroad. This
was disproved by a special American and
British committee of investigation. Dur-
ing the German drive on the western
front the Japanese suggested that an in-
vasion of Siberia might cause a diver-
sion of German troops from that front.
Any sane military judgment would dis-
prove this theory, yet the Franco-Brit-
ish general stats requested Gen. Per-
shing to use his infiuence in Washington
to bring about the plan suggested.

When Japan shall invade Siberia here
is what will happen in Russia:

First, the soviet will declare war on
Japan and send against that country all
available troops that are now preparing
to fight against Germany.

Second, it will recall all the soviet
troops now fighting a guerrilla warfare
gainst Germany in the Ukraine and will
send them to Siberia to fight against the
Japanese. Such action will injure the
western front, because the 200,000 soviet
irregulars in the Ukraine are now de-
taining a certain number of German
troops.

Third, the soviet will immediately ap-
peal to Germany to aid Russia in fight-
ing Japan, because, although Russian re-
sentment against Germany is now grow-
ing by leaps and bounds, there exists a
ready made resentment against Japan.
That is the reason why Germany wants

—28—

[left page]

[right page]

Japan to invade Siberia. This would
forestall the future conflict of Germany
with the new revolutionary army and
would turn a political enemy of Germany
into a certain ally.

How America May Co-Operate.

If America decides to give strong co-
operation with the soviet forces, here is
an immediate program that may be sug-
gested:

1. Send American army officers of ev-
ery branch of the military service num-
bering from forty to 200 for the purpose
of helping to organize the new revolu-
tionary army and advising its leaders re-
garding stratagy.

2. Send five to ten oil experts—men who
can get oil out of the ground—for the
purpose of taking part of the reorganiza-
tion of the Baku oil field.

3. Send five to ten coal experts to get
coal out of the ground in the Donetz
basin.

4. Send a comission on other natural
industries like iron into the Urals, and
so on.

5. Send a finance committee to aid
the soviet in solving the Russian finan-
cial muddle, ignoring for the time being
the repudiation of debts, which, I believe,
will not be permanent. Our legal posi-
tion regarding the repudiation is secure
through the allied protest concerning it.

Buy Up Russian Products.

6. Send an industrial comission for
the purpose of purchasing articles in
Russia and shipping them to America, so
as to prevent these articles from going
to Germany. This will be in the nature
of an extended blockade. Russia will ex-
change raw materials, such as flax, plat-
inum, hides, and so on, on the basis of
barter.

7. Appoint a comission in America for
the purpose of arranging tonnage and se-
lecting certain supplies and American
manufactured articles, choosing those
which Russia needs most and sending
them to the Russian ports of Vladivo-
stok, Archangel and Murmonsk. In the
same bottoms that bring the manufac-
tured articles remove raw materials of
equal value that would go to England.

8. establish immediate credits in Amer-
ica for the purpose of purchasing manu-

—29—

41887

[/right page]