APPENDIX 2

Excerpts from “The London Times History of the War”

Siberia

Siberia in the first half of 191 8 was in a state of considerable Chaos. Politically it was a single autonomous State, and in theory was under the sway of the Duma of Tomsk, a purely socialist organization, not untinged by Bolshevism; but in practice the local Soviets everywhere did just as they liked. ln Irkutsk there was hardly a street which did not bear the visible marks of civil strife, and the same war of classes was waged in all the chief towns.

These events for long were very imperfectly understood in Europe. Belated news of them reached the outside world mingled with rumours of the arming and drilling of the German and Austrian prisoners, who were at large - rumours which soon assumed very alarming proportions. There were said to be 150,000 ofthese prisoners, and it seemed obvious that they were a factor of great potential danger. 1n the light of later knowledge it is clear that the prisoners’ power for mischief as the advanced guard of German Imperialism was exaggerated. It was not surprising, perhaps, in the chaotic condition of Siberia, that they should be left unguarded, nor was it unusual that moving about freely, they should become imbued with Bolshevist ideas and should take up arms under the Soviets.

Sl