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Show HOW THE RIDERS OF SIBERIA SPREAD THE NEWS OF WAR AND BROUGHT IN SCATTERED RESERVISTS How the people of Siberia took the news that war had been de- lared. and their action in preparing prepar-ing for It. Is told In s dispatch from Omsk, Siberia, to the Dally Telegraph. Tele-graph. The dispatch follows: Here in the heart of Siberia the most striking feature to a foreigner of the early stages of tho war was the remarkably huslneas-llke fashion fash-ion In which the i untry lack led the grim realities of war 'We were in 8emlpalatlnsk, ooo miles from the rallu..;. W)0n the war was declared. The news was carried all over Siberia by gallop-1 gallop-1 '-- 'ossaks. who. like a multitude of Paul Reveres, spread across the country notifying the farmers and peasants of the little villages nnd ordering the mobilization. 'rusk, three days' Journey from Semipalatlnek, we found humming with well-regulated activity. There were nearly 100,000 reservists al-read al-read gathering there aud being sent westward for drilling In the encampments In Southern Russia ' The outstanding feature was the rapidity, precision and smoothness with which the vast masses of troops were handled. This was an object lesson In the awakening of the Itus-sian Itus-sian E-npire. and a reminder that S t Siberia Is adopting the aggressive American methods of grappling with Its vast problems. The attitude of tho Jews, who everywhere displayed an enthusiastic enthusias-tic sympathy with the Russian atti-ture atti-ture in the war. was also interesting: interest-ing: It Is a remarkable sign of th. times, this Jewish movement, If the occasion Is grasped, as there Is reuaon to suppose it will be. it means an opportunity for the solution so-lution of the much mixed Jewish problem. "The altitude of the Siberians toward to-ward this war Is very different from their attitude during the Japanese war Japi'.n meant little or nothing to tho Siberian moujik, but he knows the Germans. This is no struggle against an unknown foe over an obscure international disagreement, dis-agreement, but a war In which the personal equation largely figures. Every man feels that he Is going to help his brother Slavs In Servla, nnd. at the same time, free Itussla from Teuton tutelage "At BeinlpalatlnsK the breweries and vodka shops were closed as soon as war was declared. A.s soon as the reservists began to pour in with tho regularity of a well-oiled machine, they were sent In one door of the low building which housed military headquarters, and sent out prompt l with Instructions where to report for service, with warrants for steamship and railway travel, and with an allowance of twenty-five kopecks a day for spending money "It was a thrilling scene as the reservists took the boat for the mobilization point. Great crowds thronged the pier where the (iov-ernor, (iov-ernor, In full uniform, harangued his people in stirring words. " This is no war of aggression.' he said You nrc flghtinp to crush a cruel oppression, and Almighty God is with you. As for your women wom-en folks, who are left, perhaps, to mourn, let them be of good cheer, and by their courage and self-control emblazon the Russian flag with one more Instance of the devotion of its womanhood.' "As he finished, the band played the national hymn and the priests, robed In green and gold, advanced toward the ship, giving it and the passengers ihelr blessing. ' The Russians have a great advantage ad-vantage in the good feeling between the officers and the men. Their treatment Is oaternal. almost to the extent of that exhibited In the schoolroom." i r Criticism. jj Theodore Dreiser, the novelist, was talking of criticism. I like pointed criticism." he said, "criticism such as 1 heard In the lobby of a theater the other night at the end of the play. "The ritlc was an old gentleman. His criticism which was for his wife's ears alone, consisted of these J "Well, you would come!"1 I |
