The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1917. THE RUSSIAN TANGLE.

Taihape Daily Times, 11 December 1917, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1917. THE RUSSIAN TANGLE.

(With which is incorporated The Taihapo Post and Waimarino News).

Russia’s place in the war is at present difficult to clearly define, and the ultimate of the B'olshevik movement is, if anything, more obscure. Still, there is not Avanting some evidence upon wliich to build a reasonable and probable thesis. The Bolsheviks have been enlightened to the fact that Germany is not anxious for a separate peace with them alone; They have been made aware that Germany’s sole object is to use them, and Russia, against, the Allies; in fact, that Germany is not sincere in ail her peace lucubrations and they are uoav feeling chagrined and outwitted. They must allow themselves to be the & willing tool of Germany or they are not Avanted. The extreme pro-German element among the Bolsheviks are blaming Britain and France lor tiiis cavalier and;, be it noted, they are vowing to do all sorts of unreasonable things; 1 including the repudiation of the debts due to the Allies for money lent and goods supplied. Yesterday, advice came that these Bolsheviks were sending a force to Yladivostock, the far eastern port in close proximity to Japan; that there AVere large stores of shells, guns and other Avar material there Avhich the United States had landed and Avhich this Bolshevik force is instructed to seize. We have also been informed that an American-Japanese force is under discussion, but of hoAv fa r it has assumed material proportions we have not yet been permitted to know anything. We may be quite assured, hoAvever, that Japan is more than prepared for any such Bolshevik audacity and brigandage in close proximity to her shores. According to one correspondent the tAVo hundred and fifty thousand Chinese importuning the Allies to be allowed to take a hand against the Hun pack, have groAvn into half a million, and, let us not forget that the great Gordon said, Chinese soldiers '"were amongst the best fighters in the Avorld when drilled in modern methods and officered by Europeans. France is particularly desirous of accepting Chinese co-op-eration, presumably in France, but that inference may be merely a cloak. There is som e probability that China and Japan will march and fight together Avhen the time comes. Provocation has already been given to Japan in the need for Japanese having to flee from Russian toAvns owing to revolutionary orgies, afid if the Bolsheviks lay one hand upon the store of munitions and guns America landed at Yladivostock, it will be the spark to cause the conflagration, and at any hour uoav cables may flash the intelligence that Japan has taken possession of the great Siberian seaport, Yladivostock, and of the Siberian railAvay. The Japanese navy could reduce the town to poAvder, but an easy landing of troops needs no such extreme measures. The war seems destined to cover the tAvo continents of older civilisations. As corroborative support to Avhat may be gathered from ncAVs relative to Japan and Russia, there is the threat of the British Government. Bolsheviks expressed determination to hold British representatives in Petrograd, and the talk about declaring Russia bankrupt so as to shake off all responsibility for money borroAved from the Allies

brought a threat .from Britain that Russia would entail very serious consequences. However much Bolsheviks and Germans may do so, Britain’s Government does not make empty threats; behind Britain’s words are the means of inflicting the promised punishment. Much importance may

not be attached to Presiuclit Wilson’s promise to render assistance to Roumania, but we cannot believe that any such promise would be made if President Wilson had no means at .hand of fulfilling it, that would be cruel in the extreme, and only worthy of a German Kaiser. Because we cannot see just how Britain’s threat is to be carried out, and how America is going to render assistance to Roumania both threat and promise are still important somethings to be honoured if needs be. It is utterly impossible to punish Russia or assist Roumania from an European source, but both are comparatively easy of accomplishment from a landing of Japanese at Vladivostock and the seizure of the Siberian railway, more especially as Siberia and the Cossacks are distinctly pro-Ally. There is a strong presumptive relationship between the threats of Britain, the promises of President Wilson, and the Bolshevik provocation of Japan in threatening to send a force te seize American guns and munitions landed at Vladivostock, and thus, in carrying the war quite close, to Japanese shores. The little brown people will not tolerate the Russian Red Feds near the shores of their land, and we shall indeed feel surprised if rupture between Japan and Bolshevik Russia is not actually now on the tapis. It may be urged that Vladivostock is a long way from Europe, and that the Siberian railway is but a single line; that Russia would resent Japanese presence on Russian territory; we must remember, however, that Russia and Japan arc allies, both pledged not tu''accept separate peace, but to fight on till Germany is completely conquered. Moreover, there was a RusSo-Japan-ese understanding or treaty in existence before this war was declared. Therefore Russia and Japan have double ties of friendship, and under such a menace as Russia is now threatened with, that is, the extinction of all and sundry who do not conform to the lawlessness, brigandage, repudiations, confiscations, robberies and murders of the Red Feds of that country, they will fight together for common freedom. There are equally ,as good 1 reasons way Russia and Japan should fight shoulder to shoulder on Russian soil as that England, America, and France should fight side by side in France and Italy. All have pledged themselves to fight on till the one common object is attained, and no surprise need be felt if to-day, or in a month hence, the news is flashed to us that Japan lias landed a force at Vladivostock and is in possession of the Siberian ‘railway. That fact alone might strike, fear" into the Red Fed Bolshevik heart, for Bolsheviks Avere quite aware that some such calamity might befall them, and they made arrangements with Germany accordingly. Germany promised to send an army against the Japanese, but this promise has not brought that quality of peace to the B'olshevik heart fEht President Wilson’s has to the Roumanians.