THE ALLIES AND RUSSIA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17658, 23 June 1919, Page 4

THE ALLIES AND RUSSIA.

— <lvvk;MlXL. Interest in the situation, in. Russia is quickened, owing to the possibility of fresh developments, by the important announcement of policy made by the Allies in a communication to General Kolchak, leader of the Russian antiBolshevist offensive. The Allies notify that it is their purpose to restore peace to Russia, to enable her to control her own affairs through an elective assembly and to arrange boundary disputes through the League of Nations. As it is their conviction, based on the experience of the past year, that 'this cannot be accomplished through Soviet rule, they express their willingness to assist General Kolchak with munitions and food upon certain conditions. The most important of these conditions stipulates that when General Kolchak shall haye reached his military goal, which is Mos- , cow, he shall not attempt to revive the special privilege of any class or regime that was destroyed by the revolution, but shall summon a democratic assembly, or call together the assembly of 1917, pending fresh elections; and shall uphold civil and religious liberties. The other conditions to which the willingness of the Allies to render assistance is subject relate to the independence of Finland and Poland, and the rights of other nationalities on the Russian frontier. Recognition is required of the authority of the Peace Conference in certain directions, and a guarantee is asked that Russia, as reconstituted, will join the League of. Nations. What has been the precise outcome eo far of the negotiations between the Allies and General Kolchak is not made very clear. General Kolchak is reported to have sub-stantially-accepted the Allies' terms, save in respect to the re-establishment of the assembly, of. 1917, which?is opposed by him on the ground that it was elected under Bolshevist influence. Tne Allies have apparently made up their mind that the time has come when they must do something more definite than they have done in the past to help to clear up the Russian tangle, and that the opportunity of lending to General Kolchak's campaign such assistance as would be likely to crown it with success' is not to be neglected. One thing which is certain, however, is that they are not prepared to lend themselves to the restoration of anything in the nature of Czarism or autocratic government. Their principal aim is the restoration of the system vof democratic government which the first Russian revolution introduced, but which the Bolshevists overthrew and replaced by the present tyranny. If the principles which General Kolchak is fighting to assert coincide with those which the Allies uphold the prospects for the freedom of Russia from this tyranny should be substantially improved. The Red armies in Russia are formidable, but, in spite of their redoubtable fighting qualities, "the real strength of the Bolshevist movement resides, in the recently expressed opinion of a competent authority, not in its military organisation, which lias manj weak points, and would quickly collapse under a forcibly-delivered blow, but in the subtle propaganda and unscrupulous diplomacy of the Moscow dictators and the secret support which their symin other European countries--afford them. Lenin himself is credited with the statement that Bolshevism cannot exist in Russia alone, but it can exist in the whole of Europe. Paradoxical as this may sound, it impressively touches one of the reasons why the Allies cannot afford to look on indefinitely while the fountain-head of Bolshevism continues to disseminate its insidious doctrines, but must be prepared to assist any strong and genuine counter-movement for the re-establishment of Russian democracy and freedom.