RUSSIAN MIX-UP

Hokitika Guardian, 12 October 1920, Page 2

RUSSIAN MIX-UP

PETROGRAD’S PLIGHT. \ LONDON, Oct. 10. .v Professor Zeidlir’s appeal to American Red Cross for aid for starving people of Petrograd concludes—“Petrograd is faced by the worst winter in her tragedic history. Death stalks on every side, waiting for his ally, King W inter, to help in the grim job of hewing down the hungry and sick who are'dying in thousands in the streets, and ho’ ses, which are choked with filth.” * POLISH ADVANCE. IGNORING THE ARMISTICE. [LONDON TIMES SERVICE COPYRIGHT] . LONDON, Oct. 10 The “Times” correspondent at Kovno reports serious apprehension is caused by the news that the Poles have entered Vilna. Thus, despite official assurances and despite the Suwalki Conference and intervention of League of Nations the Poles are making Lithuania subjected. The correspondent after declaring the Polish armies are ignoring the armistice, quotes the case of the British military Attache, Major Pargiter, who motored to headquarters and was detained by the Poles until nightfall, lest he betray military movements. . They told him they were repeating D’Annu- ; zio’s trick, by crossing the Niemen with- - out the Government’s authority, as an independent army, to occupy Vilna, and despite the League of Nations. It is understood the British urged the Lithuanian Government to remain in Vilna at all costs, leaving the issue to the League of Nations. Most of the Government Departments however, hav fled to Kovno. The French military mission assumed the Governorship of Vilna. The Lithuanian army gave the Poles tlie final fight a few miles from Vilna, temporarily repulsing them and inflicting severe casualties.. The Lithuanian troops then retired. The residents of Vilna, terror stricken, are fleeing westward. Mr Garvin writes in the “Observer,” • the Poles triumph is dazzling, but it is the most sinister omen that they had doubled the territory awarded them at Versailles Conference. They now rule non-Polish races 200 miles to the eastward. Their population is larger than that of Spain, and their fighting forces exceed Germany’s. Poland seems to have a fair chance of ranking as a great nation, yet nothing is more certain than that she will never retain the present \.'& space on the map. They have knocked the bottom out of the League of Nations. The recovery of Russia and Germany is only a question of time and it is certain these two will make common cause against Poland. Huge revisions of the eastern map must come. Will they bring another war, or can diplomacy prevail. - PEACE DELEGATES AT RIGA. (Received this day at 8 a.m.) RIGA, Oct. 10. The Peace delegates are worn, gaunt--1 eyed and sleepless as The result of a sL prolonged squabble over the terms, the Poles claiming their share of the gold reserve in Petrograd as well as the res- - torafion of the gold taken from Warsaw banks at the time of the retreat in 1915. A NEW GOVERNMENT. (Received this day at 8 a.m.) BERLIN, Oct. 11. After the Poles captured Vilna, the Polish Commander proclaimed n new Government.