they were former officers in the
Imperial Guard. They were Colonels Poletika, N. N. Philipoff and three
of the latter's brothers. They announced that they wanted to collect all
the White officers and soldiers then in Mongolia and China and lead them
to Urianhai to fight the Bolsheviki; but that first they wanted to wipe
out Ungern and return Mongolia to China. They called themselves the
representatives of the Central Organization of the Whites in Russia.

The society of Russian officers in Uliassutai invited them to a meeting,
examined their documents and interrogated them. Investigation proved
that all the statements of these officers about their former connections
were entirely wrong, that Poletika occupied an important position in the
war commissariat of the Bolsheviki, that one of the Philipoff brothers
was the assistant of Kameneff in his first attempt to reach England,
that the Central White Organization in Russia did not exist, that the
proposed fighting in Urianhai was but a trap for the White officers and
that this group was in close relations with the Bolshevik Bourdukoff.

A discussion at once sprang up among the officers as to what they
should do with this group, which split the detachment into two distinct
parties. Lt.-Colonel Michailoff with several officers joined themselves
to Poletika's group just as Colonel Domojiroff arrived with his
detachment. He began to get in touch with both factions and to feel out
the politics of the situation, finally appointing Poletika to the post
of Commandant of Uliassutai and sending to Baron Ungern a full report
of the events in the town. In this document he devoted much space to me,
accusing me of standing in the way of the execution of his orders. His
officers watched me continuously. From different quarters I received
warnings to take great care. This band and its leader openly demanded
to know what right this foreigner had to interfere in the affairs of
Mongolia, one of Domojiroff's officers directly giving me the challenge
in a meeting in the attempt to provoke a controversy. I quietly answered
him:

"And on what basis do the Russian refugees interfere, they who have
rights neither at home nor abroad?"

The officer made no verbal reply but in his eyes burned a definite
answer. My huge friend who sat beside me noticed this, strode over
toward him and, towering over him, stretched his arms and hands as
though just waking from sleep and remarked: "I'm looking for a