REVOLUTIONARY RUSSIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 3397, 23 April 1919, Page 16

REVOLUTIONARY RUSSIA.

A CHAOTIC SITUATION. (By Cable.) THE ALLIES IN THE NORTH. A British North Russian official message states that General Maynard_ successfully attacked Urosozera on April 11, killing 50 of the enemy and taking 35 prisoners. The Bolshevists have evacuated Bolshieczerki. Archangel telegrams report that the Bolshevists are retreating along the whole front. Order has been restored amongst the American troops at Archangel. The Bolshevists retreated 10 miles. THE BALTIC PROVINCES. Messages from Libau state that the Bolshevists have mobilised all males at Riga between the ages of 18 and 38 years. They have sent many to Central Russia, including 300 prominent personages as hostages. Intense fighting is proceeding on the whole of the Libau front. The Bolshevists are daily receiving many reinforcements. The Livonians lack food and munitions, and -will be compelled to withdraw unless supplies arrive. The Letts have reached within nine miles of Riga, and anticipate its early recapture. The Bolshevists, after four days' heavy fighting, using heavy artillery and armoured cars, towards Mitau, were repulsed. The German troops are reported to have seized Libau, overthrowing the Lettish Government. The Finnish Government is willing to repatriate the Finnish Legion, which is causing trouble at Murmansk. Arrests have been made in Finland in connection with a plot to blow up the officers' club, an important bridge, and'an ammunition depot at Vi'oorg at the end of April, in co-ordination with a Bolshevist attack in Finland, where a revolt arranged for in Sweden and Norway was to take place the same day. BOLSHEVISTS IN ODESSA AND SEBASTOPOL. Allied troops irom Odessa moved on to the Dniester line. British warships assisted 25,000 Greek and other refugees to evacuate Odessa. The Bolshevists have entered the Crimea. French troops have reinforced Sebastopol. Mr Winston Churchill announces that the Allies have evacuated Kherson, a town on the Black Sea, at the mouth of the Dnieper, about 70 miles west of Odessa. A Russian Bolshevist wireless message claims the capture of Sinforol and Efantoria, with considerable military booty, and also the capture at Odessa of thousands of railway wagons, . locomotives, armoured cars, motor cars, and munitions. The Bolshevists occupy Sebastopol. THE UKRANIAN DISTRICT. The Ukrainians bombarded Lemberg on Thursday and . Friday. Many were killed and wounded. Reports at the Russian Embassy from Omsk state that an anti-Bolshevist campaign is opening, with the object of occupying all the V°lg a territory. The Bolshevists occupy Sebastopol. A Bolshevist communique claims to have forced the Dniester line after severe fighting, compelling the Rumanians to retreat in Bessarabia. The New York Times Washington correspondent reports : Unofficial advice 3 have been received saying that the Allies and the United States will recognise the Kolcliak Government at Omsk as a de facto Government of Russia immediately after Germany has signed the peace treaty. ALLEGED CORRUPTION Gross official corruption hampers General Koltchak's struggles to establish sound government. The taint of Bolshevism affects all, from the highest Jo the lowest. The Minister of Supplies is charged with frauds estimated at six millions sterling. Abuses are provoking the deepest discontent. The people are deprived of bare necessities. The Cossacks threaten reprisals. FEEDING THE STARVING. Mr Hoover estimates that 200,000 Russians are dying monthly of starvation. Under the Soviet system the school children are adequately nourished, and the Red Guards reasonably, but the middle and upper classes afe disappearing, and Mr Hoover sees their utter extinction before next harvest. The population of Petrograd is reduced 70 per cent. The few of the educated classes" that are saved are fleeing the Country. The "Big Four" has favourably viewed a proposal by Dr Nansen, the explorer, to feed starving Russia on similar lines to those adopted bv the Belgium Relief Commission. The four Powers stipulate that the distribution must be solely under the control of the Russian neople, and that the financing of the scheme must fall upon Russia. They admit a difficulty in regard to the supply of transport, but believe that with the aid of neutrals this can be overcome. It is also obvious that if the scheme is to be carried on there must be a cessation of hostilities within definitive lines.

The "Big Four" add that relief to Russia which does not a return to peace would be futile, and could not be considered. Under these conditions the Entente is prepared to support Dr Nansen's scheme.

THE ALLIES CRITICISED. M. Tseretelli, a member of tho Georgian

delegation, on being interviewed, eai4 that effective Allied intervention in Hussi* was utterly impossible owing to the six* d the country. He disapproved of jthi Allied support of General* Deniken ana Koltchak. who were really Monarchist*. The whole Georgian delegation was mor* anxious to save the country from Deniken than from Bolshevism. ALLIED INTERVENTION. The conference has received a report from Russia from an American correspond* ent, who interviewed M. Tehitcherin, who offered to pay the old debts and grani enormous concessions to the Allies if they would make peace. He added i "Russia is rich. She has uncalculatea acres of timber, priceless coal, and undiscovered ores. We ask the Allies to com* and develop the country and recognise Sovietism. Lenin will shortly visit Budapest to preside at an International Communist Congress. Allied intervention in Hungary is regarded as unlikely. Mr George Buchanan, former Ambassador to Russia, in a speech, regretted; the Allied indisposition to grapple with the Russian problem. He said he did. not advocate the conquest of Russia, but the adoption of a clear and definite policy, indicating that we are wholeheartedly with the Russian patriot* against the Bolshevists. He counselled the despatch of a small volunteer force to South Russia, and the furnishing of ample supplies of war material to General* Kolchak and Deniken. Russia would inevitably fall under the control of th* Central Powers if left to her fate. AN AMERICAN REPORT. ... The New York Times Washington correspondent states that the War Department has received a report from Major-general Graves, commander of the American troopß, saying that the reason why the American forces were not allowed to assist the Japanese contingent which was nearly annihilated on February 25 on the Habarocsk front by the Russians was because the Japanese shot women and children. The official Japanese report on the incident, received by the State Department. shows that out of 311 Japanese engaged 301 were killed.

The New York Times Washington cor; respondent says it is officially denied that Major-general Graves cabled on the 15th inst. a report that the American troops in Siberia were riot allowed to aid the Japanese troops who were annihilated at Harbarovsk because the Japanese troops shot down women and children.