CZECHO-SLAVS IN SIBERIA.

Taihape Daily Times, 12 July 1918, Page 7

CZECHO-SLAVS IN SIBERIA.

The' dramatic enpy of, < C2echo-Slo-vaks > Yladivostock 'is 'an event which will resound throughout Russia and the Central Empires'. It would be, easy to 'exaggerate its military irq* but it wou|d be Qifficult tfp over-statb IM & The Czechc-Slav movement is one of those great national ---uprisings - which* have frequently’ changed -the face of history, and as yet it is*'only in Its infancy. It dates from the time when the Slav groups of the. Balkans me% and decided in favour of a Greater Ser.yia, to, include the ?whole of Servia; Montenegro, Croatia, "and the Slq;?' venue lands of Hungary. It became an aggressive-, anti-Austrian force 4 -! when'ltaly formally recognise?! th;# claims’ of-.the' Slavs, thus removing' allcauses of/friction with them, And 1 tilled, herself: with’ the programme of independence for the subject nation*,, alities. dfi'Austria. America, Britaifif and France-have since ‘ virtually 1 enf dorsed this programme and the rev suit has, been a, r , great rally of Slav-’* elements |to thei| Allied; cause. Sla'yj legions %le being, formed- in Italy is -employing' Czochd-Slav forces;,, recruited from among Austrian ers, and the Czechs who were set free by the disorganisation of Russipf Instead ’-offreturning 'to the*■Austrian Army, have set themselves to organise Siberia against the Bolsheviks, whom I they regard as. pro-German, and fore friends of Austria. TSey have been highly and 'already control Eastern Siberia ancTa considerable portion of the west of Asiatic Russia f Their Autry dntdl’Vladivastodk brings Them definitely into tou?si with : the Allies, who . have troops in the 1 town, and raises the’whole question of intervention with fresh urgency. If the Allies'decide -to’‘do-dperate with the Czecho-Slovaks £hey will have the assistance of a trained and organiser force lacking only equipment to makr it formidable. The Czechb-Slovaki are moreover a homogeneous Tacia! element^-wictir may'’quickly draw tc itself such national aspirations at still remain in The soul ol the Slav did hot die when Bolshevism sold Russia, and it . may be awakened by these prisoners of war, who represent the new Slav movement which has taken the place--of-the old order ■arid looks to Servin' instead of Russia for leadership.