CRISIS IN NORTH' RUSSIA

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 165, 7 April 1919, Page 7

CRISIS IN NORTH' RUSSIA

ALLIES IN PERILOUS SITUATION

NO IMMEDIATE HELP POSSIBLE

HEAVY ATTACKS BY RED ARMY OUTCRY IN BRITISH PRESS

By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright London, April 1. The peril of 12,000 British troops in North Russia is arousing intense indignation and anxiety. Tho newspapers demand eDergetic and united Allied action, and declare that the Peace Conference failure to define its Russian policy ui responsible for the situatiou.-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. BOLSHEVIK ATTACK BEATEN OFF

London, April i. i Bolshevik attack on the Archangel front, near Bolsheozerki, was beaten oft by the British troops, whose casualties were light.-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. STATEMENT IN HOUSE OF COMMONS. London, April 4. Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr. Bonar Law said ho was unable to make a statement regarding Koltchak s Government, which enjoyed our support and sympathy, until Paris had decided on the Allied policy in Russia.-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Aesn. AN OFFICIAL REPORT FROJI NORTH RUSSIA BOLSHEVIK ATTACKS REPULSED. (Rec. April 6, 5.5 p.m.) London, April J . An official communique from British Headquarters in North Russia says that four times on March 31 tho J3olsheviki strongly attacked eastward _ ot Bolsheozerki, mid again next morning. All attacks wero repulsed. Ine prisoners captured include a regimental commissary, who stated that these. attacks were intended to be decisive—Aus.-JN./i. Cable Assn.-Reuter.

' FURTHER DETAILS CRITICAL TIME INEVITABLE. (Roc. April C. 5.5 p.m.) London, April 5. The Australian Press Association learns that the Bolsheviki assumed the offensive on April 1 and 2, and were repulsed. They renewed the attack on April 3. .1 no result of the fighting is still unknown. A critical time is inevitable until tho\\■ Ime Sea is open for navigation again. British riverboate are now held up in the ire around Archangel, whereas, when the Ihvina thaws, the Bolsheviki will be ftble to use armed steamers before the Allies nan. Aβ, however, the British hold tno Murman railway, it is hoped that some reinforcements can be rushed into Archangel by the middle of May. Shiploads of aeroplanes, blocked in the White Sea, are now trying to reach Archangel, where the food difficulty is increasing the danger. . The military situation at Odessa is fairlv satisfactory, but food is so short that'it may be impossible to hold .tno town.-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. REPORTED DEFEAT OF THE AMERICANS (Bee. April C, 5.5 p.m.) London, April 3. It is reported that Finnish troops in Northern Russia have defeated . the Americans, and that Mr. Churchill lias telegraphed promising immediate am.— Aus;-N.Z. Cable Assn.

AMERICAN MILITARY OPINION STRENGTH OF FORCES CONSIDERED ADEQUATE. (Eec. April G, 5.5 p.m.) New York, April 5. General March (United Slates Chief of Stall) denies-that there is any seriousness in the situation at Archangel. Ho believes that the strength of Hie forces there is adequate—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. SIBERIANS IN TOUCHWITH ARCHANGEL TROOPS (Eec. April C, 11.5 p.m.) ' ' London, April fi. It is reported that a detachment of . Koltchak's Siberian forces sot into touch with the Allied force in. the neighbourhood of Archangel.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ICE-BREAKERS FOR ARCHANGEL SPECIALLY-BUILT LINERS DIVERTED FROM TRANSPORT DUTY. London, April i. 'The British Government, as part of its plans to reinforce the expedition to Archangel, has decided to requisition two specially-built ice-resisting steamers, tho ! Tsar aiid 'J'sarilza, which are now en ! route from Liverpool to Australia, carry- i ing 791 mid 803 troops respectively. I lie,: transhipment of Hie troops has been ar- , ranged for at Port Said. The Tsant/.a . arrived on March 27 and the Tsar arrives ! to-day. After a few days ashqre the Ans- i ! tralians will re-embark on the Imperial . hospital ship Dunluce Castle and Don- j gola. j GREAT BOLSHEVIK DEFEAT NORTH CAUCASUS CLEARED London, April 2. The War Office reports that General Shkur, on January 28 (?) captured Vladikftvskv, finally defeating the Bolshevil; iiriay of IGO.iIOO, and lakuip i>0.001! j prisoners. He has also captured thirteen armoured trains and' two hundred guns. Th» Bolehevild were expelled from the whole of North Caucasia, . I General Shkur is successfully forming new divisions, comprising' the Terek f.ossacks and others.-Aus.-N.Z. Cable *ssn. RED FLEET TO COME OUT THREAT TO SHOOT SEAMEN WHO REFUSE. (R«e. April G, 11.5 p.m.) London, April C. It is reported that Trotsky, threatened to shoot all the seamen on board two battleship? and a few destroyers in letrograd if they refused to go to sea to meet tho Allied Fleot.-Aus.-N.Z. Caule Assn.

AN APPALLING STORY

BOLSHEVIK TORTURE OF VICTIMS (Ecc. April 8, 5.5 p.m.) London, April 4. The Foreign Office .White Book, just issued, contains a collation of Britisli official and other reports coverin s the Rolnhevik regime from the summer nf 1913 to the preeoiit dute, published m ac cordance with the decision of the War Cabinet last January. It is an appalling story of atrocities ami misery. A British subject who left Moscow in Decemoer says' "Thousands of inhabitants have been shot, but lntel.v the victims have Wμ hung." He mentions that laO Bussinn officers taken prisoner at Pskoff were sawn to pieces by Mongolian solTMie British Consul at Ekaterinburg on January 13 reports that hundreds of »ivil. inns were murdered in the Ural towns. Captured officers had their elionldaretraps naUed to their shoulders, borne

civilians had their eyes gouged out,-while others had their noses cut off. Others again wore dipped in the rivers' till they were frozen to death. The Dutch .Minister in Petrograd fid his utmost to succour the British. Other Allied citizens were arrested wholesale' in Moscow in the panic following the. r.ttonipt to assassinate Lenin. Ho repeatedly'interviewed .Tchitcherin, who was impressed with Britain's power, saying that the time had come when the Soviet authorities must pay individually for acts of .terrorism, but it was impossible to obtain definite promises from Tchitcherin regarding the fate of British subjects; "The measures adopted by can only end in bankruptcy," he says, "though the resources of the country are such that there is still scope for a continuance of Bolshevik rule. Nevertheless the position of agriculture is monthly becoming more acute, and eventually the seed grain must be consumed. and the food stocks and live stock become es-hausted."-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. ANTI-RELIGIOUS DECREE BY LENIN CROSSES FORBIDDEN ON GRAVES OP CHRISTIANS. (Rec. April G, 5.5 p.m.) London, April 5. j Lenin has issued a decree forbidding I the religious ceremony at funerals, and prolnbitin? the erection of crosses on the i graves of dead.- Christians.-Aus.-N.Z. \ Cable Assn. -. ■ " GALICIA JOINS THE REVOLUTION A RUSSIAN REPORT (Rec. April G, 5.5 p.m.) Copenhagen, March 27. Russian advices assert that the whole of GaliciiV- has joined the revolution, which bf?an in the Brohobyozpil districts, where a Soviet- has been established. It i 3 also averted that the Polish Government's troops have joined the revolutionaries. A general strike ras been declared at lemberg. The Rumanians have crossed the frontier and pro advancing towards Stanislaus.-Aus.-A.«j. Cable Assn. HUNGARIAN SOVJeFwAR ON SERBIA (Rec. April G, 5.5 p.m.) London, April 5. It is reported in London that the Hunearian Soviet. Government has declared war against Serbia and the surrounding countries.—Aus.-NX Cable Assn. RED AGITATORS" IN VIENNA TO BE EXPELLED"BY OBDBR OP . THE. ENTENTE. (Rec. April G, 11.30 p.m.) London, April 5. The Austrian Government has complied with the Entente Mission's demand for thq expulsion from Vienna of tho Bolshevist agitators who were sent by the Hungariau' Hopublie:--Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. , LOOSE MARRIAGE LAWS BOLSHEVIK POISON IN HUNGARY. London, April 2 (delayed). _ Tho Hungarian revolutionary authorities have issued a decree that illegitimate children shall have equal rights with legitimates. Two people living together for n year shall bo regarded as lawfully married. Husbands and wives living apart shall be permitted to enter into a new marriage and to cancel the former obligation. The Red Army is to receive full rations, the lower middle class half rations, and tho bourgeoisie only tho 'most meagre' fraction—Aue.-N.Z. Cable Assn. KAROLYPS FATE REPORTS DENIED, '• . London, March i>7. The report of the arrest and assassination of Karolyi are officially denied.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

BOLSHEVISM IN GERMANY SPARTAGIST UPHEAVAL INEVITABLE BOURGEOISE FLEEING EN " MASSE ' (Rec. April G, 5.5 p.m.) Copenhagen, April 5. •\. Spartacisl; upheaval in Munich is inevitable. Belatain, the Hungarian Foreign Minister, lias arrived, and id reported to lie negotiating for a treaty between Bavaria, Russia, and Hungary. Panic prevails. Tho bourgeoisie are fleeing on musse, selling their property at any price. The railway stations are crowded—Aus.-N.Z.- Cab'lo Assn. SOVIET REPUBLIC PROCLAIMED IN BAVARIA. (Rec. April C, 11.30 p.m.) London, April 5. While flerr Krzberger was at Spa he received a wireless message announcing that :i Soviet. Republic l.nd been pioclaimed at Munich.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. SPARTACIST RMIENT DISARMED (Rfic. April G, 5.5 p.m.) Berlin, April 5. Government troops surrounded and occupied tho barracks and disarmed a _rcgi-.; ment showing Spartaeist tendencies.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. . . I SECRET RIiSSO-GERMAN RED TREATY ■ WELL-LAID SCHBJI.U THAT WENT WRONG. J (Rec. April li, a.!> p.m.) . J ' London, April 5. ! The "Daily Chronicle'.-;" Geneva corres-f-pendent learns from reliable sources that : a formal secret treaty exists between the j German Spartucists and tho Russian Boli Blieviki. It was concluded on January ! 5, in Rosa Luxemburg's room, and in tho i presence of Liebkuecht and Radek. Acti ing on behalf of Lenin, the hitter underI took to recognise. Liebknecht as President i of 'the Gorman Soviet Republic, to fur- | nish important funds for Stmrtucist pro- : paganda, supply trained agents, and to i order the Russian Soviet army to cross ! tho Geniiiin frontier to support a.simul- ! tfiiieous rising in Berlin. Liebkiieelit miis i pledged to establish a.Soviet Government I and raise an army of half a million, which would 'bo placed under tho War i Commissary at Moscow. The murder of Liebknecht disarranged this concerted plan. It is believed that Herr Ebert, the German President, is toying with this agreement, and even threatens to ! ratify it with a view to intimidating the Entente Powers— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn anti-bolshevikTabour movement ■ MANIFESTO TO' SOCIALISTS. (Rec. April G, 5.5 p.m.)- .. ••

Paris, April 3. The outcome of friendly relations bo tween leading representatives ol tho Franco-Amwieair. Labour Socialist bociea: is the inauguration' of a movement op. posed to the pro-German, ,pvo-13oleliovil: winjr of tho international Labour movement. A manifesto has been-issued callins on the Socialists to support tho League of Nations, which should enly admit as members those nations .Riving the people self-gwernment, who give etfective guarantees, observe international obligations, aiid'ieduce their armaments compatible with their international ob-ligations.--Aiii.-N.Z. Cable Assn.