RUSSIAN AFFAIRS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17881, 29 August 1918, Page 5

RUSSIAN AFFAIRS.

•AN OPTIMISTIC VIEW., NEW YORK, August 27. Mr Joseph Shaplin, United Press 1 correspondent, who lias returned to New York, iii the course of an interview was asked: What will be the future of Russia? Mr Shaplin replied: In my opinion Russia will reorganise the cast front next summer. Meanwhile the Revolutionary Democratic Party is preparing to make up a power of government, quietly reorganising the economic resources. Germany will supply tho Bolsheviks’ requirements aa long as it is able to use them to keep Russia disorganised and disunited. The restoration of Russia will' be hastened in proportion to tho speed with which the Allies send military aid to strengthen the hands of the opponents of tiie Bolsheviks. Two names mentioned as possible leaders of the new party which will oust the Bolshevika are Victor Tchernov, leader of the Socialist Revolutionaries, and Martov, ' leader of the Mensheviks. Two leaders of the Russian northern republic, Zuboff and Dedushenko, are strong men, but Tchernov is the most likely leader of the now national party. The Russians anil endeavour to re-establish the line with Poland, with subsidiary fronts on tho Murman and at Archangel. It is estimated that 600,000 Germans are engaged in maintaining ordeT in Russia, and the reorganisation of tho Russian front will mean detaching a million more men from Germany’s western front, thus ensuring an early victory for the Allies. The reorganisation of n stable Government in Russia is slowly but surely coming, I regard thei future with optimism and complete confidence.,

SIBERIAN SITUATION. TOKIQ, August 27. General Seminov’s troops after the!# sot-back resumed operations against 7000 Bolsheviks around Kailer, where Japanese reinforcements are arriving. Twelve thousand Bolsheviks on the Ussuri front . were completely repulsed on Sunday night. Twenty-three thousand officers, whomi the Leninites interned at Moscow, have been released, in consequence of a popular demonstration: COMMUNICATIONS ENDANGERED, "Tho Times Service. liONDON, August 27. “ The Times ” Harbin correspondent states that Japanese and Russian cavalry have been sent to protect the Vladivostok-Hnrbin railway. The maintenance of communications is causing anxiety. Enemy agitators are constantly stirring up the Bolshpvik element) amongst the population, and the Allies are considering taking over the control of the Chinese Eastern railway for the better transport of troops and supplies.

HORVATH SEIZES CONTROL OF

TROOPS. Reuter’s Telegrams,

VLADIVOSTOK, August 27.

General Pleshkov, on behalf of General Hervath, carried out a coup d’etat. He issued- a proclamation declaring that the Russian military forces •in tho Far East were under his command, whereupon the Russian volunorganised locally on behalf of the Siberian Government, went over to General Horvath en masse. The suddenness of the affair non-plussed the Siberian Government, which was unable to organise opposition. No bloodshed occurred. Allied representatives are considering the situation.

THE ARCHANGEL FORCE. - NEW YORK, August 27. Mr Doschflcurot, the “ New YorU World’s” . Petrograd correspondent, savs that within two days 2000 Russia 4 officers, from subalterns to generals, have been arrested. It is reported ill IVtrograd that a liaison between the Allies from Archangel and the Czechoslovaks has been made at Viatka,* and that the Allies are advancing on the line to the Volga River, and are setting- up a Government at Novgorod. This will probably result in cutting the railway from Moscow to Petrograd. The revolt at Narva, on the Gulf of Finland, is so serious that the Bolsheviks are powerless to suppress rt.