parading later in the S, B. A. L.
uniform, and especially in the case of Russians who came over from the
Bolo lines and gave up with suspiciously strong protestations of dislike
for their late commanders.

The Russians who were recruited and trained by the French in the
so-called French Legion, under the leadership of the old veteran Boyer
who is mentioned elsewhere were found usually with a better record. The
Courier du Bois on skiis in white clothing did remarkably valuable
scouting and patrolling work and at times as at Kodish and Bolsheozerki
hung off on the flanks of the encircling Bolo hordes and worried the
attackers with great effectiveness.

The French also had better luck in training the Russian artillery
officers and personnel than did the British although some of the latter
units did good work. It seemed to be a better class of Russian recruit
that chose the artillery. Doughboys who were caught on an isolated road
like rats in a trap will remember with favor the Russian artillery men
who with their five field pieces on that isolated road ate, slept and
shivered around their guns for eight days without relief, springing to
action in a few seconds at any call. By their effective action they
contributed quite largely to the defense, active fighting of which fell
upon two hundred Yanks facing more than ten times the number. Why should
it surprise one to find an occasional Yank returned from Archangel who
will say a good word for a Russian soldier. There were cordial relations
between Americans and more than a few Russian units.

In certain localities in the interior where the peasants had organized
to resist the rapacious Red Guard looters, there were little companies
of good fighters, in their own way. These were usually referred to as
Partisans or White Guards depending upon the degree to which they were
authorized and organized by the local county governments. They always at
first strongly co-operated with the Allied troops, which they looked
upon as friends sent in to help them against the Bolsheviki. Toward the
Americans they maintained their cordial relations throughout, but after
the first months seemed to cool toward the other Allied troops. This
sounds conceited, and possibly is, but the explanation seems to be that
the Russian understood American candor and cordial democracy, the actual
sympathetic assistance offered by the doughboy to the Russian soldier or
laborer and took it at par value.

Furth