r organization but this is
supplied by Germany and her lesser Allies. The Germans usually appear in
Russian uniform and are impossible to distinguish." Why was that last
sentence added? Sure enough we did not distinguish them, not enough to
justify the propaganda.

Immediately upon arrival of the Americans in the Archangel area they had
found the French soldiers wildly aflame with the idea that a man
captured by the Bolsheviks was bound to suffer torture and mutilation.
And one wicked day when the Reds were left in possession of the field
the French soldiers came back reporting that they had mercifully put
their mortally wounded men, those whom they could not carry away, out of
danger of torture by the Red Guards by themselves ending their ebbing
lives. Charge that sad episode up to propaganda. To be sure, we know
that there were evidences in a few cases, of mutilation of our own
American dead. But it was not one-tenth as prevalent a practice by the
Bolos as charged, and as they became more disciplined, their warfare
took on a character which will bear safe comparison with our own.

The writer remembers the sense of shame that seized him as he
reluctantly read a general order to his troops, a British piece of
propaganda, that recited gruesome atrocities by the Bolsheviks, a
recital that was supposed to make the American soldiers both fear and
hate the enemy. Brave men do not need to be fed such stuff. Distortion
of facts only disgusts the man when he finally becomes undeceived.

"There seems to be among the troops a very indistinct idea of what we
are fighting for here in North Russia." This is the opening statement of
another one of General Poole's pieces of propaganda. "This can be
explained in a very few words. We are up against Bolshevism, which means
anarchy pure and simple." Yet in another statement he said: "The
Bolshevik government is entirely in the hands of Germans who have backed
this party against all others in Russia owing to the simplicity of
maintaining anarchy in a totally disorganized country. Therefore we are
opposed to the Bolshevik-cum-German party. In regard to other parties we
express no criticism and will accept them as we find them provided they
are for Russia and therefore for 'out with the Boche.' Briefly we do not
meddle in internal affairs. It must be realized that we are not invaders
but guests and that we have not any intention of attempting to occupy
any Russian territory."

That was n