ALLIED FORCES IN RUSSIA

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 74, 21 December 1918, Page 7

ALLIED FORCES IN RUSSIA

WHY THEY WERE SENT

BOLSHEVIKI WERE AIDING ENEMY

STATEMENT BY LORD MILNER

By Telegraph-Press Association- Copyright London, December JB.

The Pre-s Bureau reports that Lord Milnor, Minister of War. in replying to a correspondent, tinted (hat Allied forces, of which (ho British supplied only a small proportion, were cent (o Jfussia because Ihe Bolshcviki were assisting, our enemies in every possible way. 'L'lie action of the Bolehcviki released hundreds of thousands of Cierniens for the \Vest front, and caused Uumnnin to fall into Oi'iiiiin hands. They handed over the Black Sea ileet to the German?, and treacherously attacked the Czechoslovaks who were endeavouring tu leave Kussia (o fi&ht for the freedom of their own country. Furthorn'oiT, it was nctu protect the v;\st quantity of military stores belonging to the Allies in Archangel and Vladivostok. The intervention, Lord Jlilner continued, had proved successful. The Czucho-Siovaks were saved: the resources of Siberia and South-eastern ](us?m were denied to the enemy; and the northern ports of European "Russia were prevented from becoming German submarine bases, from which our North Sea barrage could be turned. These, important achieveents had. contributed materially to the defeat of Germany. In the course of the Allied intervention; thousands of Russians had fought on (he side of the Allies. It would he an abominable betrayal to leave them lo the tender mercies of their and our enemies because our oivn immediate purposes had been served. v

The Government did not desire to leave the British troops in Russia a day longer then was necessary (o. discharge the moral obligations which lie also lielioved to he {he guiding principle of all the Allies. Personally lie thought (he time was not necessarily distant when withdrawal would be possible without disastrous eonsc(|iiences. If (he. Allies scrambled out of Russia immediately the barbarism which at present reigned in only a part of the country would almost certainly spread over the whole of it. The ultimate consequences of such a disaster could not be foreseen, but it would assuredly involve a far greater strain upon the resources of the British Empire than the present com-mitment3.-Aus.-N.is. Cable Assu.-Reuter. GREAT ANXIETY IN BRITAIN THE SPREAD OF BOLSHEVIK PRINCIPLES (Rec December 21, la.m.) London, December 17. A correspondent of the "Daily Chronicle" calls attention to the situation in Kussia, which is causing great anxiety in official circles in Britain. Little recent news is available, but massacres of all classes, except the Bolsheviki, nit frequent.' Large numbers of people havfc been arrested, and the prisons are crowded under appalling conditions, tins prisoners having no medical attention, while sanitation is non-existent. During a general massacre of the. bourgeoisie on September If, it is officially admitted 512 were killed, but probably many more perished. The people are compelled to adhere to the liolslieviki regime or starve. Thousands of officers arc serving in the | Bolshevik Army as an alternative to starvation. The story of a Bolshevik army of three millions is discredited, but Jthere is a probability ,of an attempt to 'increase the force with a view to an invasion of other parts of Europe in order to spread Bolshevik principles, constitinin" a danger comnarable with the invasions of Genehis Khan and Tamerlane-Aus.-N.Z. Gable Assn. CRITICAL ESTHONIA GERMANS SPREADING FALSE REPORTS. (Rec. December 21, 1.20 a.m.) ■ London, December 18. The situation in Esthonin is declared to bo critical. The Itnssian Rolsheviki are following the German withdrawal, .plundering as they advance. These marauders are followed by a crowd of Chinese armed with kimW and axes, who entered Russia, in 1910. and now follow the Bolshevik armies everywhere. The only hope for the inhabitants appears to spring [mm the. presence of the British squadron at Reval where the local Bofshevih are very active buying arms and ammunition from the. German soldiers. I he, Germans are spreading reports that the English are coming to take possession of the Baltic provinces, whereas, the residents are reported a' regarding the. English as their saviours from anarchy.— lieuter (via America). BOLSHEVIKI mm THE CAPITAL ACTIVITY OP BRITISH FLEET IN BALTIC. Stockholm, December 13. The action uf the British Elect at T!evfil has greatly unset Uulshevik circles in Petrograd, and they arc secretly preparing for the evacuation of Potrognid and Moscow, and the moving of < nP '"'•P ,- till to Novgorod (113 miles south of Pelrngnul). The British Fleet is expected shortly at Hel'rtngfors.—Renter. RUSSIAN NORTHERN ARMY (Rec. December 21, 1 a.m.) London, December 17. General Mjller, a Russian general, formerly commander of an army corps ill Bnkowina, left London for Archangel to take command of the Russian Army now forming in Northern Russia.-Aue.-N./j. Cable Assn. , '