THE RED MENACE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19850, 20 January 1920, Page 5

THE RED MENACE.

SITUATION SERIOUS.

DANCER IN THE EAST.

' ROAD TO INDIA OPEN.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Australian .and X.Z. Cable Association. (Received January “JO, 9.5 n.m.) LONDON. January lb. A review of the Bolshevik peril states that the situation revealed yesterday by Mr Churchill ami 41 Ear I Beatty's sudden call to Paris is most serious. The Allies are now reaping the fruits of their utter lack of statesmanship in dealing with Bolshevism, since the Armistice. Hie trouble has been that the Allies have -dissipated the efforts which they had given in support of Donikcu, Sasanoff and lndemteh. The assistance given was never sufficient to secure victory, and was given regardless of the necessity for a connected policy. The Allies, now realise that all these generals have failed them, and that Lenin and 'lrot<tky have the whole of Russia and Western Siberia at their mercy. The Allies’ leaders seem utterly at a loss how to meet the peril. France would doubtless like Great Britain to put in forces in Russia, if only to save some of the huge Russian investments, in exchange for which French investors are anxious to secure grants to work mines and forests. There is not the least likelihood of this, as public opinion in Great .Britain is strongly averse to renewing the war in RussiaThe ipity is. as Colonel John Ward says, "in the middle of J9lb. forty thousand Britishers could have got through to Petrograd. and wiped out Bolshevism. Now the Red Army numbers .two million or more, it is Intel that the force lias been raised by terrorism, but it is formidable.” the danger in the East is serious. Peace with turkey is not yet secured, and there are elements favourable to tlie spread of Bolshevism in Asia Minor. General Deniken’s breakdown leaves the road to India open, and Bolshevik elements are already at Herat. Great Britain's quasi failure in the *ri i W!U bas increased the danger, while there is much unrest among the Bolder tribes. An obvious precaution is to control Persia and the waters of the Caspian, where the loval Russian warships should iimncliatclv ha by the British .Vary, , m | situation secured.

RnU . “I i rC:l1 . (lanwr of a serious Bolshov !k advance in Siberia, as a vwv small Japanese force is capable of deafmg with tho huge Bolshevik rabble. Indeed it is believed that Lenin and trot sky do not contemplate attackin' Japan, and will prefer to transfer their lorces to the Estlionian, Lettish, Fiunisti and Polish fronts. The Poles arc quite incapable ol meeting a, big ;t f_ tack by tbo Red armies unaided, as they are poorly led and would be greotl)- outnumbered. This is not the least difficulty tho Allied leaders m lans are now considering, as Poland has been a bulwark against Bolshevism m Western Europe. There are also dangerous possibilities in south-eastern Europe.

A Daily 'Holograph” correspnntlont, ns tils* result of a personal tour in Centi ill and Eastern Europe, expresses tbo opinion that Rumania, is fneocl with [amiiie. Practically no wheat has vet been sown, though the seed should have been in tbo ground early in December. Aot ten per cent of the, maize land has yet been ploughed. The new class of peasant proprietors are responsible for the delay. The peasants harvested enough oi the 1919 crop lor their personal use, and left the rest to rot arguing that they had boon exploited by the townfolk for centuries and were not going to support the rest of the community any longer. There is unrest in Bessarabia, owing to Rumanian exactions and misgovornment. As Bessarabia. adjoins Odessa add Ukraine, both of which aro under the sway of Bolshevism, an eruption in Bessarabia vs imminent. Serbian men have developed a distaio for manual labour, as the result of the war. hut the land is fairly well cultivated by women, whom tho men have not allowed to heroine infected with male ideas regarding work. A shortage of food is likely in Serbia, but There, will he no famine if Dalmatia is fed from overseas. Bulgarian agricultural labour is so scarco that the (lovornme.it is considering tho possibility of forced agricultural labour, based on tho principle of no work, no food. There is much sympathy for Bolshevism amongst the masses and tho governing classes are occupied with political feuds and intrigues. Indeed throughout Central and Eastern Europe, tho upper classes are behaving with disgusting extravagance and reckless disregard fo; their countries 1 future.

BRITISH WARSHIPS MOVE.

(Received January 20, 9.15 a.m.) MALTA. January 19. British warships have sailed for theBlack Sea.

POSITION IN SIBERIA.

(Received January 20. 9.45 a.m.) NEW YORK, January 16.

The Washington correspondent of the “Now York Times” says that it is understood thnrb the United Stales’s intention to withdraw American troops from Siheriq has presented an embarrassing problem to the Hara Ministry, which mat he compelled to resign. There is also n probability that Japan will not attempt single-handed to stem the Bolshevik advance, and she will probably also withdraw her troops.