RUSSIAN MIX-UP

Hokitika Guardian, 16 February 1920, Page 2

RUSSIAN MIX-UP

AUBTIIALIAN it N.Z CABI.E ASSOCIATION]

BOLSHEVISM GROWING. LONDON, Feb. 12.

The “Times” correspondent in Soviet Russia describing his experiences declares that the social conditions could hardly "he worse. Russia,, industrially, is almost at a standstill. Politically, the Bolsheviks have increased their hold on the mass of the people, who have now given up hopes of deliverance through the Allies. Bolshevism is fast gaining ground with all classes though hated and distrusted by nearly everybody, but the people see no other choice. Cast iron discipline is welding the masses into a great soulless machine. The re-organised and well-disciplined Red Army is a force to be seriously reckoned with.

JAPAN IN SIBERIA

TOKIO, Feb. 11

On the question of the continuance of intervention or withdrawal from Siberia .the Government’s hesitating is producing confusion and cross currents of opinion. The Asaki, which is among the journals advocating withdrawal, decla”'"tha tthe Red regime to which th” Americans are giving encouragement is fast spreading in Siberia. Japan must lose the leadership ,in the East, if she further hesitates to declare her policy out of consideration for the other countries.

The newspaper Kokumit publishes an article written by the Government Publicity Commissioner advocating evacuation, but contending that Bolshevism is militarily checkable. The community of Vladivostock regard the prospect with alarm and have petitioned the Diet to continue protection.

ESCAPING FROM RUSSIA. CONSTANTINOPLE, Feb. 9. There are ten thousand refugees on ships at Odessa, awaiting to escape - from the city. Russian officers, and other refugees are marching in small bands to Tarnpol on the Roumanian border. The British battleship Ajax, three British destroyers, an American destroyer and a French gun-boat are standing

oy. The British cruiser Kerjss is towing a steamer loaded with refugees to Varna.

TERRIBLE DOINGS AT ODESSA

A BLACK PAGE IN HISTORY. (Received This Day at 8 in.) LONDON, February 14. The Daily Telegraph’s Constantinople correspondent’s story of the recapture and sack of Odessa is one of the most terrible chapters in the history of Bolshevism .

Eyp witness state that Odessa was taken nojc by the war operations of the Bolshevik, but by an unprovoked rising of the dregs of the population, in which thousands were massacred by these armed looters and murderers. The spirit of the volunteer forces in the city were utterly broken. The insurrection could have been crushed in a few hours by resolute action, but resolution is the last thing expectable /from volunteer officers. There lias been such enormous losses in the volunteer rank and file, chiefly due to tv. pints, that a oo'nt in turns stream of superfluous officers flowed to Odessa, which was the one city of luxury behind General Denikeii’s front. Twenty thousand of Doniken’s officers were in the city when the havoc began bn the sth, but not eveij a handful ctiujd be found jto organise a defence. Silin, the General commanding, was | amongst the first, jo fjoit the city. The remaining officers looked on helplessly, while the looting of the defenceless city proceeded day and night. The so-call-ed fighting was nothing more than cold blooded murder and made the streets re-echo with the refugees. A large number of the officers paid for their lack of initiative with ibgiy Ijvps The insurgents had neither the desire nor had the ability to keep the prisoners An Ukraninn detachment for a while attempted to maintain order, and then started to tight- its way out to the BessArabiau frontier. Meanwhile the quays were more and more .crowded with an unending sj, reams of miserable fugitives, demanding help from the British wnrghip? Ares, Sportive and Ajax, whose behaviour in rescuing jhp rpfugees was beyond praise. The seamen forthwith requisitioned every ship in the harbour, and manned the Cebraker, without which probably nobod v would have escaped. The British embarked twelve thousand, sadly leaving many times more, still crowding the quays, and falling under Bolshevik maxims. One or two record worthy incidents amid the welter of chaos, and inefficiency of a. platoon of professional troops rilling jo (jufond the quays. Cadets aged from ten upwards maintained a lefenee despite eoiftinuous casualties. Phe British rescued all the survivors. [ Another gallant action was the salving of two nearly completed Russian torpedo,ers, which necessitated cutting a passage through flic ice. The arsenals and workshops are now in the Bolslieyilds hands, constituting a constant menace to the Allies. The Red cavalry, liv a forced march , from Perekon, entered the city on flic 9th, The correspondent adds that the utter collapse of General Deniken’s left wing changes the whole aspect of the Near !v mid the problem now is one of the gravest- emergency. No settlement, of the Turkish question can now pretend to be honest, unless it provides against dangers which a month ago seemed well nigh impossibje.