Microfilm Reel 195, File 64, "Russia"

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the Russian railway system, made certain recomendations to the Provisional Russian Goverment, including various changes in their methods of railway operation. The Russian officials, however, stated that it would be impossible to comply with these recommendations unless man familiar with the methods involved were secured to personally instruct their railway men. In order to carry out the conmission's recommendations, the Russian Provisional Government formally requested Mr. Stevens for a specific number of experienced American railway men, stating that that Government would assume all salaries and expenses in connection with their employment. Mr. Stevens forwarded this request to the Department, recommending that an engineering unit be formed and sent to Russia in accordance with the desires of the Provisional Russian Government. The State Department approved Mr. Stevens' recommendations and requested the Director General of Military Railways, through the War Department, to recruit men along these lines, and the Russian Railway Service Corps was the result.

It develops that the actual recruiting of the original members of the Corps, of which Mr. Richardson was one, was done by Mr. George H. Emerson of St. Paul, Minnesota, who was appointed Colonel in command. All the files of Colonel Emerson’s office, which would indicate how the recruiting was done, are now at the headquarters of the Corps in Harbin, Manchuria.

The members of the Corps are unifored similarly to officers of the

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