REVOLUTIONARY RUSSIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 3414, 20 August 1919, Page 17

REVOLUTIONARY RUSSIA.

(By Cable)

ADVANCE ON THE DWINA. LONDON, August 13.. A complete British victory has been gained on the Dwina. The British advanced 12 miles and annihilated six Bolshevist battalions. One thousand prisoners were captured and also 12 guns. A Bolshevist wireless message admits that its forces were driven back on both banks of the Northern Dwina. A War* Office communique states that General Sadlier Jackson conducted the attack on the Northern Dwina River with complete success. The British gained all objectives. The British casualties were not heavy. HAND-TO-HAND FIGHTING. The Archangel army's victory secured over the Bolshevists on the Dwina front was absolute and complete. The attacking troops marched through forests on both banks on a dark night. Capturing or avoiding the enemy patrols, they took up positions in the enemy's rear and flank. The first enemy notification of their presence was a hurricane of bombardment from the Russian and British batteries; gunboats and motor launches heavily armed and machine guns co-operated. The extreme mobility of the launches was most effective. All points of possible retreat were guarded by detachments of Russian cavalry. The enemy were completely surrounded, and ceased fire simultaneously. The British forces charged all villages with the bayonet, and there was much hand-to-hand fighting, though many surrendered immediately. Fifteen hundred were taken prisoner at one spot and manv killed. Practically none escaped. Most of the enemy guns and machine guns were captured. Our casualties are believed to be of the lightest. All our objectives were reached. There are no enemy troops now north of Kotlas.*"' A further advance is not anticipated. NAVAL AND AERIAL ASSISTANCE. COPENHAGEN, August 12. Sixteen British destroyers and a largo motor-laden transport traversed the Sound en route to the Baltic. Four British aeroplanes to-day bombed Kronstadt, causing extensive fires within the fortress, and great destruction of buildings. PROPOSED ALLIED WITHDRAWAL. APPEAL FROM ZEMSTVOS. . LONDON, August 11. Archangel advices state that a moving appeal has been issued to the Western democracies by the President of the Zerostvos of Northern Russia against the withdrawal of Allied troops, thus leaving the population at the mercy of the Bolshevists. The appeal recalls the crimes of the Bolshevists, their dispersal of the Constituent Assembly, and the wholesale murders of those demonstrating in favour of the Assembly, the signing of the BrestLitovsk Treaty, the dissolution of the workers and peasants' organisations, their shooting of everybody who criticised them, and the arrest and the expulsion of the non-Bolshevist Socialists. The appeal states : '' Despite terrorism, however, the peasants in various part 3 of Russia rose to fight for the Constituent Assembly. Now they have heard that the Allies are leaving Russia. This moral and material blow will make the struggle against Bolshevism beyond our strength. We shall not give up the fight, but we ask you to remember that help not only calls forth gratitude, but brings certain responsibilities to the helper. Consider those thousands of executions of old men and women, those suffering from hunger, and the absence of elementary justice and freedom which undoubtedly will result from the departure of the Allies. We ask, or we demand, that the Westercr'democracies shall think of what this blow will mean. We appeal to those feelings of human justice which never can die in the hearts of free democracies." BRITISH EXPENDITURE. A White Paper shows that since, the armistice British expenditure on naval and military operations in Russia amounted to £70,000,000, including £43,315,000 in assisting the Baltic States and Generals Deniken and Kolcliak. POSITION ON ALL FRONTS. LONDON, August 11 (delayed). Official : The anti-Bolshevists in South Russia are steadily gaining ground on the Astrakhan and Volga fronts. Volunteers have occupied Otchakoff, and only 60 miles of the Black Sea coast remains in the possession of the Bolshevists. The Ukrainians have captured Dubno, defeating the Bolshevists. August 14. The prisoners taken on the Dwina now total 2000, and more are coming in. The Bolshevists drove in our outpost line westward of the Murraan railway. There are clear indications that the Bolshevists are aware of our intention to evacuate the country, and contemplate a serious attack on the Murraan front to hasten the withdrawal, hoping to damage the retiring troops. General Petlura has been reinforced and re-equipped from Rumania, and is advano ing well towards Kieff. General Deniken is within 40 miles eastward of Odessa. GENERAL KOLCHAK'S CAMPAIGN. WASHINGTON, August 11. The collapse of the Kolchak movement in Siberia is reported to be pending owing to lack of supplies. NEW YORK, August 12. The position of the forces under Commander Kolchak is so precarious that official American circles fear the utter collapse of the anti-Bolshevist movement.

Reliable information received by the Government indicates that General Kolchak is being badly beaten, having been compelled to gradually retire 800 metres east ot fhe position held by him last spring. General Kolchak's forces are estimated to total 100,000 ill-equipped men, and he is opposed by a force of half a million wellequipped Bolshevists. WASHINGTON, August 13. The United States has ordered a large quantity of supplies to be sent immediately to Admiral Kolchak, in order to enable his advance to be resumed. The New York Times Tokio correspondent states that he has authoritative information that the Japanese Government have informed Admiral Kolchak's Government at Omsk that the Japanese are unable to send military aid against the Bolsheviks. KOLCHAK AND DENIKEN JUNCTION. LONDON, August 12. A War Office communique reports that General Deniken has completed junction with General Kolchak's left wing, thus establishing an anti-Bolshevist front across the whole of East Russia, between the Urals and the Black Sea. Most important results are expected in consequence of. General Deniken's achievements. GENERAL DENIKEN'S SUCCESS. LONDON, August 12.^ The War Office reports: General Deniken's captures at Kamishin included 11,000 prisoners, 60 guns, and an immense amount of war material. Two crack Bolshevist divisions were completely shattered at Kamishin. General Deniken's advanced cavalry in the direction of the Wabakh-Astrakhan railway junction with the Ural Cossacks forming General Kolchak's left wing, 85 miles south-east of Kamishin. August 14. The War Office reports that Deniken's left wing is closely converging on Odessa. The Bolshevist occupation of that port is precarious, and their escape is cut off. It is authoritatively stated that the left wing of-.'the Volunteer army is enclosing Odessa from the north-east. Recent successes leave only one line of railway open to Odessa, from which the Volunteers aie only 30 miles distant. WHY PETROGRAD WAS NOT ATTACKED. LONDON, August 12. The Daily Express correspondent on the Russo-Finnish frontier states that General Gough sent an ultimatum to the former White Russians threatening to withdraw British support unless prompt action was taken against Petrograd. The Esthbnians and General Yudenich's troops are quarrelling, and though they have been fully equipped by Britain, this equipment including tanks, they continue discontented. These conditions prevented action when Petrograd seemed to be within the grasp of the anti-Bolshevist forces.

ADVANCE ON PETROGRAD. LONDON, August 15. A decisive advance on Petrograd is pending. - . It is expected that General Yudenitch will shortly advance on Petrograd, with Esthonian support. An Esthonian communique states that the Esthonians after violent fighting recaptured Calmotka and Chalbino. Their advance continues on the left bank of the Luga River. Alexandrovikaja was retaken by the bayonet, and an enemy battalion has been annihilated. On the Porhovo front we broke through towards Tharevoly. ITALIANS LEAVE MURMANSK. ROME, August 13. The Italian Commission and the Italian Expeditionary Force left Murmansk for Italy on August 9. A NEW GOVERNMENT FOR THE NORTH WEST. HELSINGFORS, August 13. It is reported that General Yudenitch is forming a Government for North West Russia, with the consent of the Entente Powers. BOLSHEVISTS* EASTWARD ADVANCE. LONDON, August 14. The Bolshevists continue their eastward advance, and have captured Lumen. POLISH SUCCESSES. LONDON, August 14. A Polish communique states that on the Lithuanian front the enemy continues to retreat in the direction of Beresina. We have reached a line 25 kilometres northwest and south-east of Minsk. The Polish forces have commenced an offensive near Brody and Luck, and the enemy is retreating towards the Stubes River. LENIN'S DIFFICULTIES. LONDON, April 11. It appears that Lenin ordered the Minister of Railways to prepare an understanding with the Menshevists, and issued a proclamation reproving the workmen for continuously demanding higher wages. The Government recently sought to suppress strikes, and executed two leaders. Nevertheless the strikes spread. The peasants obstinately refuse to send grain to the towns. It is reported that Valiatis, the former Bolshevist Commander-in-Chief, and his Chief of Staff have been arrested for organising the counter revolution of bourgeoisie, which included mutilation, scorching, and the pulling out of teeth. Korvin, Chief of Police, confessed to 500 murders. LONDON URIMINAL CONTROLS MOSCOW. COPENHAGEN, August 13. Dr Martins, Chief of the Danish Red Cross Misssion to Russia, has returned.

He says that Lenin no longer rules. The ultra-Radicals have supplanted him, and Moscow is now governed by a Lett named Peters, notorious in connection with the Houndsditch (London) sensation in December, 1910. Peters is endeavouring to arrange a massacre of all foreigners in the city. LEAVING THE SINKING SHIP. - LONDON, August 17. Advices from Helsingfors interpret the report of the establishment of a Socialist Coalition Government at Petrograd as an indication that the Bolshevists are nearing the end of their tether. It is probable that the Bolshevist leaders will vanish lest they be punished, leaving lesser officials to carry on propaganda with a view to thwarting the establishment of a Democratic league. EXCITING EXPERIENCES AT MOSCOW. COPENHAGEN, August 13. ■' Members of the Danish Red Cross Mission, who returned from Moscow, state that the situation at Moscow is terrible. A thousand foreigners were executed there in July. The members of the mission were themselves arrested, and were in danger of execution until they got into communication with reliable Red troops, who enabled them to escape. The members reached Poland after hiding in dug-outs. Once they found themselves between two fires during the Polish-Bolshevist hostilities. RUMOURED MONARCHIST PLOT. LONDON, August 13. A Bolshevist wireless message states that Russian monarchists have offered the Russian Throne to Prince Sergius of Romanovsky, a great grandson of Josephine, divorced wife of Napoleon Bonaparte. JAPAN'S ATTITUDE. TOKIO, August 11. There is a growing feeling of resentment against the continued retention of Japanese troops in Siberia since the necessity for military assistance, which was the sole reason for their despatch, has ceased to exist. Japan was pledged to non-inter-ference in Russia's internal affairs. Besides objections 'to continuing expense, is a feeling that Japan must never be involved in Russian civil war. FINNISH AFFAIRS. HELSINGFORS, August 13. In consequence of General Mannerheim's refusal to retain supreme command of the army, the Finnish Premier (Castren) and several of his colleagues have resigned. LONDON, August 14. In the House of Commons Mr Austen Chamberlain announced that permission had been given to the Finnish Government to raise a loan in Britain, one condition being that the proceeds be expended on the purchase of goods in Britain.