RECRUITING IN RUSSIA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17861, 6 August 1918, Page 4

RECRUITING IN RUSSIA.

Ottb of the fears of the pro-Entente party in Russia is that tho Germans will succeed in recruiting largo forces' for their armies from the peasants of tho provinces they now dominate. This view was pressed upon the Allied Governments by a representative of the Provisional Government, who was in London in June, in support of an appeal for. immediate armed intervention. He stated that tho recruiting was known to be proceeding some months before, and that tho ignorant peasants were enlisting freely, drawn by specious promises of pay and Opportunities of loot. General Aloxiov, he added, had several months before expressed, the opinion that the Germans intended to rais« an army of Russian peasants) and use them with a force of Moslem Turks, under German officers, in an attack on India. Tho German, advance in southern Russia, and tho Turkish activities in Trans-Caucasia, made it appear at one stage as if events might bear outthe forecast of the Russian General, but so far there has been no reference to the - appearance, in Russia oi elsewhere, of Russian soldiers in German uniforms. There can be no doubt that if the enemy were ablo to secure soldiers in large numbers in the Baltic provinces or in the Ukraine ho might hope to offset, for a time at least, ithe additional man power secured to the Allies by tho appearance of the American Army in Europe. Germany's advantages arc manifest. She would have no great transport difficulties to overcome, and with a population of some thing over 20,000,000 to draw upon in the conquered provinces she might achieve a great deal in the direction of refilling thei ranks, of her shattered divisions. But it is probable that the peasants of the Baltic provinces will be no readier to fight Germany's battles than were the Poles. The utter failure of the effort to raise a Polish Legjton that could be relied on, notwithstanding lavish promises and terrible threats, was a serious blow 'to Germany, and it will not be forgotten if any effort is made to induce the Russian peasant to fight for his oppressors- It is probable that some recruiting has been done, but it is difficult to believe that the accretions to the German fighting forco have been important. This, however, doos not exclude the possibility of the laboui of the Baltic provinces being conscribed, and used in the most favourable fields for assisting in food production, but it must be remembered that the Germans are not likely to bring into contact with their own peoplo more Russians than they can " help. Every Russian is a potential Bolshevik, and the individual Bolshevik amongst the workers of Germany will not be welcomed by the authorities, whatever may be Berlin's view of the Bolshevik Government as an ally or a dupe.