The Russian Morass.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume X, Issue 30, 19 January 1920, Page 5

The Russian Morass.

FLAME ANO SWORD LAY RUSSIA WASTE. DENIKIN’S REMNANTS LOST. KOLTCHAK’S FATE UNKNOWN CORRESPONDENT’S GRIM STORY. I By Cable.—Proa Aaenciat ion.—Copyright.] London, Jan. 15. With the latest news from Russia the military refeat of the Bolshevists passes into the realm of distant possibilities. Flame and sword are furnishing ghastly spectacles of ruin and disaster in south and south-east Russia. Great Russia is being triumphantly re-established by Trotsky’s armies. Amidst this welter of misery and death the last remnants of Koltchak’s and Denikin’s armies arc disappearing, leaving nothing. The “Times’ ” correspondent at Warsaw says Denikin’s forces are completely annihilated. The correspondent adds that Trotsky and Red officers favour an invasion of Poland which is regarded as certain in April after two months’ reorganisation and regrouping of forces. The Poles, it is pointed out, are ready in strong strategetic positions with Letts and Rumanians on the flanks, but immediate Allied assistance is vital. The Bolsheviks are infinitely more numerous and are better

equipped. The Reds are making rapid progress at Odessa where a few Whites under Allied warships’ guns, are rallying, and talking of opposition. The Black Sea position is complicated by the Russian fleet which we handed over to the Russian Volunteers early in the year. The “Times’ ” Zeheran correspondent telegraphs that information there shews the Russian fleet is permeated with Bolshevism. The whole Russian Caspian Sea fleet in a similar position, sailed from Krasnovodsk apparently joining the Bolshevists. The Tatarara and Georgian Governments refused to trust Denikin whose riged adherence to methods and ideas of the old . regime and his failure to recognise the. peasants' desire to keep their land, raised, wherever he went, a larger crop of enemies than he conquvred.

Eastern Siberia is in a state of utter chaos. Hunger is widespread and even the wealthiest refugees are dying of its sharp pangs. Irkutsk is aflame. Local insurrectionaries are deposing of Koltchak’s officials everywhere. It is not known what has become of the alert dapper, sharp-faced little man who since the coup deetat signed himself as supreme rulei. Czech troops were turned back at the Allies’ request and sent along the railway with orders to effect his rescue. The only news coming from the territories to which they returned are fragments telling how British, American and Japanese groups are isolated and apparently overwhelmed and taken prisoner. Extremist outbreaks are reported at Vladivostock which the Allies are quelling.— (United Service).

WATCH GERMANY. “DAILY MAIL’S” WARNING. CAN SOVIET BE TRUSTED. DIVERGENCE~OF OPINION. (Received 19, 1.5 p.m.) London, Jan. 15. The “Daily Mail” considers the collapse of the White forces in I Russia furnishes a drama as tremen- | dous as the peat war and equally; terrible, for it means the massacre of thousands accompanied by hide-i ous tortures. The “Mail” save thei unpardonable course would ne to' yield to the temptation of financiers, who are begging the Allies to allow i Germany to march in in order to pay off the Allies' war debts with thej proceeds of the exploitation of Russia. That policy will make Germany mistress of the world bringing a new and worse war when Germany has conquered and assimilated Russia. The paper further declares that unless Japan largely augments her force the Bolshevists will soon reach ' the Pacific Coast. They have travelled at a great pace since reaching Omsk and are shewing brilliant; organisation. The whole of the; Japanese Cabinet, except one. in' December favoured military interven-, tion. I

On the other hand large sections of opinion view the Whites collapse with equanimity producing ample evidence of the Soviet’s desire to remain within their own frontiers reorganising industry and society According to Communist theories recent interviews with Lenin and Radez Joffe indicate the concentration of energies upon economic organisation. The Premier is the strongest believer in peace. On this basis the British Cabinet is tending to peace but France remains implacable.— (United Service.)

ALLIED AID WITHDRAWN. NO “WILD ADVENTURES.” ALL FAITH LOST. IN ANTI-BOLSHEVIKS’ CLAIMS London, Jan. 15. The “Daily Express’ ” Paris correspondent says that in consequent of Inter-Allied discussions AngloFrench intervention in Russia, both financial and material, has ended. Mr. Lloyd George is convinced that nt> good results can come from the further costly subsidising of the anti-Bo]shevik forces. w Me Lloyd George is disappoihwl Mt the anti-Bolsheviks’ failure to profit at the liberal support hitherto given. He has lost faith in their claim that they deserve assistance. French leaders concur in h's view.— (A. and N.Z.) [The British Prime Minister, while denouncing Bolshevism in a debate on Russia in the House of Commons, a little time ago, declared tbpt it is impossible for this country to continue to finance civH war in Russia unless we wish to find ourselves in a financial morass. He juade it plain that ho is against "wild adventures” in Russia. He ■aid: “This country, with its vast burdens, cannot undertake the tas*. of financing a civil war in Russia. Our first concern must be for our own. There is no surer road to B<»'ishevism than financial ’ ■ c If we attempt these ado ", > dens wo shall sink this • the same morass. I dread aiiit *v .ventures.”