Couleur de Rose From Our Own Correspondent Harbin, April 12.
There have recently returned to Harbin a party of American engineers attached to the American Railway Engineer Corps to Siberia who have had first hand experience with the Bolsheviks. Their story is a particularly interesting one for it goes to show that the Soviet authorities of Western Siberia at any rate are no longer resorting to excesses of any sort as was the case when Bolshevism first came into existence.
These engineers were working on the Omsk-Krasnoyarsk section of the Transbaikal Railway and fell into Bolshevik hands when the Red Army captured the latter town. They affirm that at no time were they treated as prisoners; on the contrary they were looked upon 2s guests and in no way molested or subjected to any indignity. They had, of course. their own railway-car and with them their own commissariat,' the latter being well stocked: they were subjected to no privations nor did the Bolsheviks attempt to requisition any of their stores, on the contrary they were told that anything they might be in need of would be furnished them if if was possible and actually the Soviet Commissars lent them a sum of money when they ran short of funds. Nothing wns taken from them except their automatic pistols. for which receipts were given.
They were asked whether they would work on the railway for the Soviet authorities and help in getting the road in order again, but declined because, being in the service of the American Government, they had first to receive the necessary instructions and—per. mission. Nevertheless the Commissar of Communications, who spoke fluent English, was in constant. consultation with the American Major in charge, who gave his personal advice how he would handle the situation. This advice was invariably acted upon with good results, for within a short time railway communication between Moscow and Omsk was resumed and this has since been extended to Krasnoyarsk. The general handling of the traffic is, according to the statement of those Americans, quite as good as it ever was, experts being used in all departments and receiving adequate pay for: their work.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.