The Archive · 1915

RUSSIA'S TROOPS IN MANCHURIA

VLADIVOSTOK TO BE EMPTIED

Harbin, March 5.

To-day in the small hours of the ing the first military train containing part of the 3rd Infantry Regiment of the Frontier Guardian Force, to give the Railway Brigade ite official Russian name, left Harbin direct for Moscow. ' This military convoy will be followed by others at regular intervals and before many maze days will elapse the present military Russian Force in Northern Manchuria will be veduced by at least 20,000 efficiently trained men. I say efficiently trained, for during the Inst eight months these troops have been un. dargoing rigorous training and no doubt will render a good account of themselves when once in the field.

The gap that has been created the departure of these uni ready being filled by reservists and radnik,' the name given to the mili-flamen, who are arriving from Si-bena and who are commanded by officers who are incapacitated either through wounds or ill-health.

For the past few weeks officers have been getting rid of their personal effects at any price they will fetch, for though their families have the option of staying on in their old quarters many have elscted to return to Russia. The outside of the barracks became verity able bazaars for all the rank and file had superfluous things which, unable to take with them, they en: deavoured to turn into hard cash.

One always associates the going away to the front of a large body of men with a big send off, the lining of the streets with big crowds watching the regiments headed by a band playing patriotic march by and then the scenes that take place at the railway station. In Harbin there has been nothing of this, all arrangements having been made in a most unostentatious manner by the Commanding Officer, General Demi-trio, who, it Ju said, has been Tooally superintending' all. arrangements.

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Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.

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