German and Russian produce the
same tow-headed stock. With the downfall of the Russian army the Russian
husband sometimes returned and though quite willing to assume
responsibility for the new offspring, insisted on asking the Austrian
substitute at his bed and board to leave. As often as not the Austrian
left. There were always a better farm and frau to be had elsewhere, and
some Russian women are tiresome anyway.
[Sidenote: Many Austrians do not go home.]
When conditions are like this in Siberia, why should an Austrian return
to a hungry country to fight a heroic enemy? A happy home in Siberia,
which some other man has founded, or starvation in Austria? No wonder
the Austrians in Siberia are a mercenary and unpatriotic lot. I saw many
in the Bolshevik army. Most of those I talked with were under arms for
the sake of the 200 rubles per month, equipment and food they were paid
by the Bolsheviks, without, as they told me, planning to run any
unnecessary chances of losing their lives in actual fighting against the
Czechs or any other enemy of the Bolsheviks for that amount of money, if
they could avoid it; not a very difficult matter.
Allied military support of the Czechs in Siberia is not Japanese
intervention, and sentiment in Russia and Siberia against intervention
to-day is now what it was six months ago. If the Bolsheviki do not
represent the people of Russia, the only way the Russian people can
develop confidence in themselves, and strength, is to throw off the
Bolsheviki.
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