Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 February 1920 — Did Good Work at Vladivostok [ARTICLE]

Did Good Work at Vladivostok

Red Cross Report Gives a Graphic Story of Rescues During Fierce Fighting at Russian Port in November. Washington.—A graphic account of the part played by Major Samuel I. Johnson of Honolulu, assistant commandant of the allied forces in Vladivostok, during the revolutionary fighting in that city on November 17 and 18, has been received by the Red Cross headquarters here. The Red Cross report says that Major Johnson has been recommended to the All-Rus-sian government for decoration with the Officer’s Cross of St. George for the services he rendered to the people of Vladivostok during th* fighting. As a recommendation is considered the equivalent to bestowal, this makes the sixth award received by Major Johnson during his service in Siberia with the American forces, the others being the Russian medal of St Anne and Japanese, Czecho-Slovak, Italian and Chinese decorations. Governor M. M. Eversman of Primorsky provin'ce, in a letter to Major General W. S. Graves, commanding the American forces in Siberia, said: “I cannot leave unmentioned the fact that Major Johnson, having splendidly fulfilled his plan in guarding the town and the peaceful population, though exposing his own life to danger under furious fire, succeeded four times in getting through to the passenger trains that were in the center of the fighting zone and from there brought

to safety officers, their families and civilians.” • Major Graves, son of General Graves, was another officer, according to the Red Cross account, who with utter fearlessness walked into the danger zone to aid women and children .exposed to fire. Major JoHnSon has paid tribute to the part also played by the International military police, whom he commanded. “I want those men to get the recognition due them,” he said. “They rendered the greatest assistance, showed absolute steadiness and coolness and ran the same risks.” The Red Cross account says that the International military police and allied detachments held control of Vladivostok, enforcing the policy of neutrality adopted by the allies, and that, thanks to this, Vladivostok was unswept by battle except in the vicinity of the railway station. There, however, furious combat raged. “For men who entered the area of fighting and the path of flying bullets entered at deadly peril and every man knew it,” says the report. “Among those saved by Major John* son and his men were General Romanovsky and family. Romanovsky is chief of the Russian general’s staff. He was living with his family In the railway yards In his special train and was a noncombatant. Soldiers of both sides fired upon the train. It was utterly dark and a storming, snowing November morning when Major Johnson found the car and escorted the family to safety. Hide in Black Cellars. “Some of those he rescued that night were found In the railway station where the most sanguinary fighting took place. They had sought refuge in cellars, or secluded little offices, and crouched in the darkness, afraid to move, afraid to whisper. In most cases, when the rescue party arrived. It took repeated calls and reassurto locate the frightened, suipicious men and women. “The first rescue trip was made about 10 o’clock on the night of November 17and the last at 5:30 o'clock on the morning, of November 18. “Major Johnson’s command of Russian, for he is a Russian born, was a big asset in this emergency work at th 3 railway station, as It has been throughout bis service in Siberia. “General Romanovsky expressed to the Red Cross representative grateful appreciation for what Major Johnson did. “ T do not know how any man could go into that hell of fire, find our train and bring us out,’ he said, ‘but this man did it’ “He even saved the cat Getting the 'party out of the train Major Johnson heard the howl of the lonely, mortally frightened cat somewhere hr the dark car, lit only by the lurid flashes of guns and the reflection of burning buildings. .• 7 - - - "One of the women asked them U take the cat and the rescue, party halted there in the shattered train, found the cat hiding in « mass or broken berths and took he to Safety with the. family.” J \