The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE TUESDAY, MAY 28, 1918. DEVELOPMENTS IN RUSSIA.

Taihape Daily Times, 28 May 1918, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 1918. DEVELOPMENTS IN RUSSIA.

(With which is Incorporated The J.eihape Post and WalnratJno News)..

The rapid progress of the invasion of Russia by Germany has been causing alarm in some quarters; now, the Japanese themselves are viewing, very suspiciously, every movement that Germans and Bolsheviks are making that would be likely to result in securing control of the great far eastern highway. One says that no delusions should be cherished, for, although the Germans are lingering in the vicinity of Irkutsk, their ambitions go much farther, as from that place they could dominate the whole line to the Pacific, from whence they could paralyse any attempted Japanese ■.intervention. This Japanese writer sjays that intervention is urgently necessary, and, he adds, Japan is ready and willing to begin operations at a moment’s notice, Britain and America have only to say the word. It is stated that Russian people would welcome Japanese and Allied help to push ;out the German invaders so long as guarantees were given that their objects and purposes were not similar to those of Germany. Russia fears a return to. Czardom, also that effort may • be made to take land from the poor people, The only strange feature of the Siberian question is that the Allies do not regard it sufficiently serious at present to warrant intervention, ‘ or, they look upon it as a minor matter which will shrink into any proportions the Allies may desire as the result of more important operations. Here is the Empire of an ally being menaced by Germans and Bolsheviks, that i$ deterred by Britain and America from coping with the danger; it is creeping on and is nearing a stage when it could paralyse any Japanese intervention and yet the word that would, instantly set the armies of the little brown men in action is withheld. Britain and America must have some vit-. al reason for holding them back. It has been stated that Japanese action at the present time might result in Russia, or what there is of it, declaring war against the Allies and submitting themselves to mobilisation by Germany. On the principle that the more a dog is kicked the greater its attachment Russians might link themselves up with their destroyers. We are inclined to the view that Germany is placing a good deal of dependence on the invasion of Siberia. The prime purpose was, undoubtedly, to get food, but having lost Bagdad, they are building on the possibilities of securing an equally good road to the Far East from whence to obtain raw materials for their manufactures, but they are finding that many more troops are required to carry the project through than was anticipated, which is interfering materially with their projects on the Western front. It should be patent to everyone that Germany would not delay action on the West front one minute fif the forces were available Hindenburg considered adequate for the task. That the delay is due to shortage of man-power is now tolerably certain, and the foraging difficulties in Siberia are not calculated to improve it. The Poles have dared a stand-up fight against Germany’s chief Eastern army, and the slaughter has been great. Success will embolden the Poles and Prince Ruprecht will need to call on Hindenburg for more men. The Russian trouble is far from over; the Russians are not taking the invasion of their* country as docilely as Germany anticipated, and the opposition is found to be increasingly strong. The Allies have under consideration some schemes for assisting Russians to maintain their nationality, and so that no secret may leak out the whole matter is left to the United States to deal wdth. Germany’s trouble is shortage of reliable troops and absence of food wherewith

to feed them. Austria is urged td* furnish. an army of manoeuvre for the Western drive, but Austrian military leaders are disinclined to take any risks in depleting the Italian front. Then, a Moscow message states that Austro-German prisoners in Russia refuse to fight for Germany, and that a German general has thought it advisable to shoot several hundreds of them. These prisoners are joining Bolshevik and other political movements in Russia which all tends to make the man-power question more troublesome. The Siberian situation is, however, still enshrouded in some mystery; Germans are moving across the Continent to the near neighbourhood of Japan and still the Allies let it proceed unchecked; we are wondering what the surprise in store is for “Brother Boche” in Siberia, so far away from home. The Allies are doubtless largely influenced by the men, munitions and transit equipment required for the Asiatic campaign. That which is essential in Asia cannot be concentrated in France. Hiudenburg fully realises the colossal task before him in France and Gelgium, or he would not withhold the blow one moment, knowing that hundreds of thousands of Americans aie pouring in each month. That the Siberian invasion is exercising consider, able influence on the progress of the war in Europe there can be no doubt, but just what that influence is we are not yet permitted to know.