RUSSIAN FIGHTING.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLV, Issue 11931, 29 October 1919, Page 5

RUSSIAN FIGHTING.

United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright, Loudon, Oct. 37. The lighting south of Petrograd has become a terrible combination of bravery, pusillanimity and savagery reproducing some of the worst features of bitter civil wars. ia increasingly intense. The Keds, as a whole, show little taste for warfare, but degraded commissaries are now all powerful and keep them in action. Trotsky’s lieutenants are making lavish use of the death penalty. The inhuman aspects of the crisis make it one of the saddest of recent spectacles. Both armies are largely composed of residents of Petrograd, and brothers are meeting brothers and fathers meeting sons. Yndenitch cannot boast of meroifulUoss. The Keds appear to revel in blood lust, for Trotsky’s wireless repeatedlv announces dreadful punishments Orders capiured on prisoners incite the troops to flagrant terrorism, Copenhagen, Oct, 37. Two officers who escaped from Kronstadt, and another wl*o flew from Petrograd, give terrible details of conditions. The whole population has been mobilised. Women are digging trenches. Absolute necessities are lacking, and even the sailors, who are the masters of Petrograd, have to content themselves with bread, herrings and water. Others seldom see bread. The Bolshevists charged the Whites with firing on factories, like the Koppel works and Baltic dockyards. They commenced house searchings, but found few arms. Business is dead. Shops are closed. Cholera and typhus are raging. Helsingfors, Oct. 38.

Bourgeois women and girls in Petrograd, who are forced to dig entrenchments and barricades, fall exhausted, and are shot. London, Oct. 36.

Denikin’s communique ® states : Onr troops advanced 180 kilometres towards Moscow during the mouth, capturing an area of 65,000 square kilometres.

The Times’ Helsingfors correspondent states that Yudenitch’s renewed efforts are checked by persistent counter-attacks. Whatever may be thought of Trotsky’s desperate methods, they have brought about hotter morale amongst the Reds. He has disbanded the soldiers’ committees, thus violating the sacred principles of Sovietism. He has also changed commanders, produced a tanks’ reserve and enforced a twelvehour day in munition factories. He has closed other factories to release men fur the firing line. It is reported that he is having women trained for military duties. fie has already formed a women’s medical corps, including stretcher bearers. British tanks helped Yudenitch to get close to Tsarskoeselo again, but a ‘communique admits that the Reds’ reinforcements compelled a retreat. Paris, Oct. 26.

The Echo de Paris says that Deniken, after a two days’ battle, has retaken Kieff.

Copenhagen, Oct. 26. '■ A message from Kiel says the naval authorities announce that the blockade, is now moderated and does not apply to territorial waters, enabling resumption of German Baltic coastal shipping. Helsingfors, Oct. 26.

Yudenitch captured in one day 12,000 of the enemy, which is more than the total number of bayonets. He immediately shot 27 commissaries and sent 4000 prisoners into the White Army’s ranks and 8000 to work at bases.

The Reds ransacked the country during their rdrreat, removing food and even furniture. Yudenitch is compelled to feed 30,000 [children daily.

Received Get. 20, 9 a.m. Loudon, Oct. 25.

A War Office communique states that there is heavy fighting on a _ 700 mile front from Tsantsiu to Kieff. The Bolsheviks are making an effort to restore the morale of the retreating troops and have concentrated in strength against Yorouesh and Orel, where they have scored success, but they have generally failed to stem the advance of the opposing forces. The Don army during the past few days advanced between 40 and 50 miles on 120 miles of front between Tsantsiu and Voronesh. Many prisoners were taken and heavy fighting continues hu the Voronesh area, the volunteers capturing Yelets, which is the junction of five railways. Doniken’s troops after quitting Orel again advanced to the outskirts of the town and made an important capture of the Bolsheviks staff's near Orel. Deuiken’s troops are advancing about Bryansk successfully. Bryansk, Orel and Yelets are important iu connection with [.the advance on Moscow, and their possession is hotly contested. Trotsky has addressed to the Bolshevik troops a message of hate against the British. He says the hatred is just and sacred, .but he concludes: “There are two Euglands, and the toiling masses are with us. Long live England’s toilers !” Deniken’s communique states that Denikon, during a visit to Odessa, refused a Lettish address, stating that he did not recognise Lettland’s independence. The British have given Deniken the Russian dreadnought. General Alexieff, which the British captured fflom the Bolsheviks. Baris, Oct. 25. " The Matin states that M. Clemenceau cancelled Maugin’s “mission to the Baltic provinces after hearing Mangin's view s regarding the conduct of the mission. Copenhagen, Oct. 25. The Lettish Legation reports that the Germans continue to shell Riga, mainly with gas shells. Hundreds have been killed and poisoned. Copenhagen, Oct. 27. Yudenitch’s offensive fighting continues around Tsarskoe Selo. Yudenitch is hampered by lack of transport, while the Bolsheviks nave been reinforced from Archangel and claim that they have driven back Yudemtch’s troops sis miles at some points. Terrible destitution prevails in Petrograd The population is now 350,000. Business is confined to barter. London, Oct. 28, The Daily Express’ correspondent at the White Russian headquarters, telegraphing on the 26th, states that a further retreat by Yudenitch is inevitable and it is clear that Petrograd cannot be taken unless the British Elect takes Kronstadt and Krasnoye Gorka. The White Eus-

siaiis pushed forward too rapidly and big Bolshevik guns on the heights of Pulkova prevented a flanking movement against the defenders of Petrograd. The organisation of the White army is poor and disputes between corps commanders' are common.