BENIKIN'S MARCH

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 278, 20 August 1919, Page 7

BENIKIN'S MARCH

ANOTHER BOLSHEVIK DEFEAT BRITISH AIRMEN AT THE FRONT 9j Te'.osrash-Prifts Aissociatlon-Oopyrisht London, August 18. General Penikin has occupied Lemcsh- | kino, across the JCamirhin-Balashov raiS- | way, taking 700 prisoners. Ho occupied Krmwnehug, Ziiamanka, and Elizril-et-tfrad, from which tho populace drovo out the Bolshovists. Tho lat£or aro reported to have been expelled from Odos=a by Iho inhabitants nwsnit?, and it is rumoured that the Bolshevist's aro evacuating Kioff and the whole of Ukrainia. According to a Bolshevik wire-less message, a party of British airmen has loaded at Novorrossisk.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. EFFECTIVE BOMBING BY THE ZIEHEN. Melsingfors, August IS. British aviators bombed Petrozavodsk, in tho Oioriotz district, caftans* large fires. Tj.',??3 are only 500 of the Finnish Red Army on_ the ovteMrts of Petrosa-vodsk. I'iKy Piw.ish "lied" women carry out the sxecutions. The Russians refuse to sbsct* tho* prisoners.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. REPORTED EXECUTION OF MAXIM GOP.KY, _ ~ London, August 18. wports state that tho Bolshejisj*: d&v* asttrafed Maxim Gorky, tho i#ksk~4 Resist, in Petiejrad,—Aus.-N.Z. uiw? Ajjsn. EUBSIAS EX-AMBASSADOR DEAD. . . Paris, August 18. ■ _'" i - "Mi-Bosjian Amboc-sador to fr&nto, „ e;»,i,--Aus.-N,Z, Cable Assn.

I IKS VOl'jN'MS hnWi Ir. •jei'svai iiezistit, the head of the | volunteer Army, has appealed to the | Allies to heip bin; in tho struggle i against the Bolsheviks, evec if ozJy in | the form of equipment ammunition. ; Hers is a short history of the Volnnj t?.er Apiiy. Alter the Boiehevik coup • d etat ;n November) 1517, it became obvious that tho Waasiau Army had become comuletti;) disaspganwad, arid that the now authorities wauid »ot Kiiuiin true to the Allies MEcsralAjj the termination of the war. Then General'Alexeiov accepted the hospitality of the Don Cossacks, who had not beon at once, overwhelmed by the wave of Bolshevism, and began to form a _ Volunteer Anny. From all parts of Russia officers and military cadets began to flock to Thero wero no soldiers among these. In November lie was joined by Generals Kornilov, Denikin, and Markov, who had escaped from tho prison into which tliey had been thrown by order of the Provisional Government. It was very difficult for tho newly-formed army at once to repel the Bolsheviks advancing on the Don Territory. Colonels as Privates. Communication with the Don was very difficult, 'and thero was a shortage of arms. In the beginning of February, 1918, tho Volunteer Army was forced to give up tho Don Territory to the Bolsheviks and retreat to the southeast. General Kornilov, at the head of 3000 officers and cadets, almost iinarmed, and with only six guns, retreated to Ekaterinodar, the capital of Kuban Cossacks. The rank and filo were officers, mostly tho younger ones, but even grey-haired colonels were, to be found among the "privates." Tho' story of the march of the Volunteer Army is wonderful. Three thousand badly armed men wandered over tho Steppes among a half inimical population, without a base, without a rear or supplies. They wero hunted by an enemy at least twenty times greater in numbers, with an enormous quantity of crtillery. When tho Volunteer Army ran short of ammunition, it was forced to get it by main forco from the enemy. Tho wounded were either taken along, or shot, to prevent their falling into the hands of tho Bolsheviks, who killed off tho wounded most brutally. The greatest fortune for these volunteers was to fall in battle. 1 Kornilov's Death. Ekaterinodar waft not taken at once. At first it was held by the Bolsheviks, theu it was retaken. In tho battles at Ekaterinodar Kornilov was killed. General Markov fell pome months after. This was a great blow to the army, but it still hold together, and retreated eastward of tho Steppes. 1

And often at the hardest times tho glad rumour would spread that the Allied English troops were coming up from somcwhero to help , them. Of course, no one could explain whence or how they were advancing. This was incredible, but it was equally incredible that this best officers of tho Russian Anny, who had distinguished themselves in action, who did not want to bo. false to tho Allies or submit to the Bolsheviks, should wander, cold and hungry, over iho vast Russian Steppes, manfully repulsing tho attacks of tho soldiers whom they had formerly commanded, and with whom they had several times saved tho situation for the, Allies.

By May the situation improved, and with enormous efforts. the Kuban Cossacks began to free themselves from the Bolsheviks. Tho Volunteer Army played a great part in this struggle, and suffered heavy losses, but its ■ position was improved, as tho territory it occupied ceased to bo inimical and became friendly. In Aujust Ekaterinodar was" taken from the Bolsheviks and an outlet was opened into tho Black Sea.

Rebuff for Germans. During this period the Germans, who were in tho neighbourhood of tho Volunteer Army, tried several times to seduce it. But however liard it was to be without munitions, and however tempting it seemed to receivo arms from the Gcr-' mans, General Alexeiev would have nothing to do with them, any more than his successor General Denikin, who took the post of commander-in-chief after General Alexeiov's death.

Tho victory of tho Allies filled tho Volunteer Army i: it'll hope. Now thoy would be able to ccmniunicate with tho Allies, who would help them and give them munitions \ liieh Germany had taken.from Russia, and, which by right belonged to those Russian officers who led the troops against Germany to the end, and who, when at the time of the Provisional Government the soldiers rofused to fight, advanced alone without them. Munitions Wanted, At present tho troops of the Volunteer Army are with difficulty withstanding the pressure of the Bolsheviks in the South of Russia, the granary of' Europe. Tho Volunteer Army numbers tens of thousands at pre/cut. They include the Kuban Cossacks.

But, as beforo, they lack munitions. The enemy is superior both in numbers and the amount of ammunition and artillery. General Denikin not only wants munitions, but iiis troops are also unshod and badly olot'fted, his doctors are without mcdicines and surgical instruments. Thus, tho. Volunteer Army, tho Russian officers, look to those to whom they havo always remained faiU-ful and whom they wore saving, when leading tlio oneo powerful Russian am.;, either in Prussia or in Jalicia, against the common foe.

General Denikin, ordinarily calm and reserved, now makes an alarming appeal. He has tho greatest difficulty in checking the pressure of tho Bolshevist forces. Europe herself is now beginning to fear Bolshevism with vliicli tho Volunteer Army is' carrying oil an unheard-of. and heroic struggle tlrise sixteen months. And now tho Volunteer Army is asking for help, not in men, but only in munitions, of which there is a great storo in overy town of Western Europo. The sooner tho Allies wi!l find it possible to transmit these war supplies to the most enduring and experienced general—Denikin—tho sooner real peace will roign in Europe.