The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE TUESDAY, JULY 9, 1918. INTERVENTION IN RUSSIA.

Taihape Daily Times, 9 July 1918, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

TUESDAY, JULY 9, 1918. INTERVENTION IN RUSSIA.

(With which is Incorporated The Taihape Post and Walnramo News).

The Allies have intervened in Russia; French and British troops have landed at Vladivostock, and have been received with transports of joy and vehement they were given a tremendous welcome by the Russian residents of that rar-eastern dependency, The Czechoslovaks had already occupied the town and had taken possession of huge stores of war material that had been accumulated when the revolution broke out, and the Russian people became madly intoxicated with their first drink of real liberty. A commissariat has been established; in fact, everything is ready for a rapid forward movement British and French soldiers are marching amid beflagged buildings and are likely to continue to do so lor some weeks as all eastern Siberia is jubilating over their arrival; Russians recognise that their pre-war Allies have come to save them from the German monster that would enslave and rob them, and they will flock to a standard which is powerful and just, and which will bring them redemption and re-establish the security of their homes and country. At present the Japanese and Chinese, who are present in great force, are not, it seems, to take any prominent part in flinging the German thieves arid murderers back into their own land. They will probably act as guards, maintaining order in Vladivostock and right along the lines of communication; it may also be a part of their mission to look after the accumulations of war material and to supervise the unloading of yet untold shiploads of guns, munitions, and stores that are coming from Japan, which is just about one day's sea journey from Vladivostock. How.' ever that may be, there is no doubt at all about a very rapid forward movement being made, and It is not unljike--ly that some part of the British and French forces are already in Harbin, and at work organising Czecho-Slovak and Russian forces for a further push on towards the .Baikal Lake. The Allies are in Russia and some vital aspects of their errand are suggested by General Foch’s urgent desire for their intervention. It is a safeguard against fortunes of war going finally against the Allies; but if there is no fear or such a contingency, then it must result in a great saving of Allied life on the West front; the burden of war will again be divided between east ana west, and armies in France will not again be faced with a concentration of the totality of armies that Germany can control. The break in the ring df steel is being repaired, and pressure from all parts of the circle of g\ms and bayonets will soon be re-establishea around Germany that will quickly result in sensational happenings. Can intervention in Russia have any mitigating effect upon the great offensive operations that Germany is supposed to be organising on the West front at the present moment? It is doubtful whether it can, but little is known of the disorganisation of plans resulting from the crushing defeat of the Austrian offensive, and, consequently, of what time will be needful for Germany to build up an offensive force so much more powerful than all others previously launched as would give some dependable prospect of success. Then there is Poch’s urgent desire for immediate action by the Allies In Russia; what is he aiming at? He has undoubtedly definite plans and views; he is not acting with urgency from contingent or promiscuous motives; no one will accuse Poch of acting haphazardly, therefore it is assured that he has formulated a scheme that the German High Command will understand much better than we do, whose place it is to wait. Prom the landing of the Allies in Siberia the war took on a new phase, and, whatever else may result, the end Is thereby brought appreciably nearer. Ger-

many may start anew to first conquer Italy and then transfer Austrians to the West to overwhelm the Allies, but such a reorganisation of plans would render the effort so belated as to dictate its futility even to those in the last stages of desperation. Any such undertaking by Germany would have a very serious menace in Russian intervention and" reorganisation, for it must be realised that the millions of Czecho-Slavs, Slovens and Bohemians, will line up with their brothers in Russia as they approach Europe, or as opportunity offers. Germany now realises that she has to meet immenselyand rapidly-growing forces on the East front as well as on the West front; will the offensive on the West be delayed for a revengeful overpowering of Italy, or will another desperate thrust be made to break the Allied line and make a way to the British Channel? Whatever Germany may now denide to do we are inclined to accept the United States Secretary for War’s view that “Germany’s doom is sealed.” The enemy is hampered in some way we know not of, or he would not allow the western allies to go on taking a toll of five thousand prisoners in one week, capturing dominating positions and carrying away huge quantities of guns and trench mortars. While Germany is re-arrang-ing her maximum effort the Allies await it with confidence, and continue a pitiless harassing warfare on land and in the air, rendering the provision of communication and concentration of men dangerous and difficult.