NEARER PETROGRAD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17293, 17 October 1919, Page 7

NEARER PETROGRAD

RAPID ADVANCE. THIRTY MILES FROM CITY. YUDENITCH AT GATCHINA. BALTIC BLOCKADE. GERMAN SHIPS SEIZED. By Telferaph—Press AssociationCopyriebt i Received 12.-15 a.m.) 'A- a-nd X.Z. COPENHAGEN. Oct. 18. General Yudenitch's army has reached (iatchina, which is 29 miles by rail south of Petrograd. The Bolshevik resistance is weakening rapidly. The Red Army is only fighting because of the fear of machine-guns, which have been posted in their rear with orders to Ihe gunners to fire upon fugitives and cowards.

FINLAND AND BOLSHEVIKS. OVERTURES FOR PEACE. REJECTION' PROPOSED. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Heed. 10.30 p.m.) COPENHAGEN. Oct. 15. The Finnish Government has submitted to the Diet a proposal to reject the Russian Bolsheviks' overtures for peaceThe North-west Russian army's offensive is progressing. General Yudenitch's troops have crossed the J'skoff-Petrograd railway in two places, and have captured an rumored train and large quantities of material. British warships stopped steamers proceeding to Germany from the Gulf of Finland, and escorted them to Reval.

YUDENITCH AND HIS MEN. A MAN OF IRON WILL. A correspondent, writing to the Times in August, described Genera] Yudenitch as one of the most remarkable personalities in the Russian Army. " His steel-grey, penetrating eyes," he wrote, " may be compared with those of Marsha] Foch. He is endowed with tremendons strength of character, and has a will of iron. In military operations ad dutch is methodical and persistent. His talents of organisation, his self-con-trol and perfect calm in the midst of difficult fighting conditions aro remarkable. " An episode in the Caucasian campaign speaks for itself. In 1914 the situation at one moment was regarded as hopeless. The front was broken and the troops, demoralised, were in full retreat. Enver Pasha with superior forces was advancing towards Sarakamysh ; other enemy forces threatened ; the Kurds had revolted in all the Kars region ; Tiflis was evacuated. At this critical moment General Yudenitch, with small forces, fought his way to the Sarakamysh bridge, where he stopped a Cossack regiment and a reserve battalion, and at the head of these forces got hold of the bridge. With the help of a thousand Cossacks during a whole day he stemmed the flood of Enver Pasha's corps. On the following day General Prejivalsky came to his assistance with Cossack troope, and the battle, ended in the complete defeat of the advanced Turkish forces.

"In the hotel at Helsingfors which he used as headquarters, sitting at his little tablu in fcis little room. General Yudenitch spoke of a recent tour of inspection at the front. The general has changed but little; still the tamo keen, searching eyes, the same jolly smile that flashes I out and light* up his whole face. In this I polyglot hotel, with not a few spies and ' > agents of Germans and Bolsheviks, his , aide-de-camp in the next room has to be ! constantly on the look-out to head off ; ' stray callers, or the possibility of greater ! danger. But General Yudeuitch, in a' , loose suit of sober black, is genial and j . patient. | " ' Yes,' he. says, ' it is a difficult life '; then, with a hearty laugh, he pute annoyances behind him. " ' There is,' he goes | on, ' a remarkably high spirit among the j men, and quite exceptionally good rela- I tions between them and the officers. During my recent tour they received me very well.' General Yudenitch, when he says that he was well received, describes what a less habitually modest man would speak of as a tremendous ovation. What is j particularly gratifying is- the popularity of the army with the civilian population. I found evidence of it wherever I went.' " ' Our food ? Ye«, we are all right for I food now, thanks to the efforts of the \ Allies and the American officers are 1 supervi<?ing the distribution of food to the civilian population. With military sipphes it is tint' irtunately a different story, and I cannot say the position in this respect is Ratifit'actory. The Bolshe • ;ks. on the contrary, are extremely well fiupplied with shells and use them lavi*hlv, most lavishly. They are still drawing upon the old stores, for at the beginning of 1917 an enormous reserve of shells had been created, and the army was splendidly provided. Besides, up till recently the war factories were going on working, and had an estimated capacity ; of output of 25 million shells a month. | " ' Mv pleasantewt recollection is per- i haps of "the Sunday that T spent at Pfkoff , it is a pretty town and lias a fine an- i cient church. My f-taff and I went Jo I church, and there was such a crowd to welcome up that we could hardly pet through, they all pressed round us so. wanting to thank us and touch us. There were one or two who were actually squeezed out'. Yes, that was real Ru'sia.' "