RUSSIA.

Taihape Daily Times, 20 August 1918, Page 5

RUSSIA.

THE BOLSHEVIKS’ REIGN OF TERROR. CRUELTY, BRUTALITY AND COWARDICE. Received 8.55 a.m. LONDON, August 19. Mr. Arthur Capping, the “Daily Chronicle’s” correspondent at Murmansk, gives a pathetic narrative of the misery under which the Russians are suffering owing to the brutality, cruelty, and cowardice of the Bolsheviks. He says that Murmansk is a haven at which people of half a dozen nationalities are arriving by truckloads and trainloads, occupying days and weeks at rail sidings. Some have taken more than three months reaching their destination. The refugees have ( bee a accommodated in wooden huts, j with grouped tiers of shelves for . beds. Refugees still drift across the j stricken country; babies are born and old people die among their ranks. All talk of the murderous Bolsheviks. One group included an ex-professor of Petrograd, whose sou, when playing soldiers in the street, was bayonetted and the body thrown into the river. The correspondent met an old Russian admiral, whose property was confiscated, and money stolen, and who is now living with his barefooted wife in a wretched hovel. Since the Allies’ arrival the zone of safety has gradually extended. The Bolsheviks quickly quitted Archangel . HUNS TO ABANDON BOLSHEVIKS WITHDRAWING FROM MOSCOW. Received 9.10 a.m. LONDON, August 19. The “Daily Telegraph’s” Milan correspondent quotes the newspaper “Secolo” as stating that Austro-Ger-many at the conference decided to abandon the Bolsheviks, clearly foreseeing that with the reestablishment of the Eastern front they, will be unable to send masses of troops to Russia. Therefore they are withdrawing from Moscow to the railway line between Petrograd and Mohilev. They believe they can hold the line for certain in the meanwhile, and thus strengthen their occupation of the Baltic provinces. THE CZECH O-SLOVAKS. CONTROLLING SIBERIAN RAILWAY. Received 9.20 a.m. NEW YORK, August 19. The “Times” correspondent at Moscow says the Czecho-Slovaks hold the railroad from Rumari into Siberia. The capture of Simbirsk gives them control of the Volga, thus threatening Kazan, Misani, Novgorod, and even Moscow. Apparently there is no change in the Bolsheviks, who are able to prevent the Czecho-Slovaks advancing in scuth-east.grn Russia. CZEOHO-SLOVAKS CAPTURE IRKUTSK. WASHINGTON, August IS. Diplomatic advices from Russia announced that Irkutsk has been captured by the Czecho-Slovaks. Military officials point out that the Czechoslovaks’ capture of the city will have an important bearing on the Siberian situation. The city was the base cf the former German-Austrian prisoners of war, who, after release by the Bolsheviks, organised an armed force and attempted to obtain control of Siberia for the Central Powers. Official despatches from Russia add that the traus-Siberian railway is open between Irkutsk and Samara, indicating that the railway between these points is under Czechoslovak control. (The distance from Irkutsk (on Lake B'aikai) to Samara, north-west of'the Caspian Sea, is over 2300 miles as the crow flies.) Mr. Poole, late United States ConsulGeneral at Moscow, cabled the State Department, saying that after he turned over American affairs to Swedish fhq considered it his duty to remain to aid the Allied officials, although he was able to obtain safe conduct to leave Russia, Ho, with the aid of the Swedish representative, obtained the release of several hundred Entente citizens, mostly French and English, who were held as "hostages by the Bolsheviks, for the Soviet members imprisoned in the north. Ninety ‘civilian -hostages remain in custody of the Bolsheviks. Mr Poole added that the Japanese consul has left Moscow under safe conduct. He will report conditions to the Entente Governments. JAPS JOIN ALLIED TROOPS. LONDON, August IS. The United Press’s Vladivostok correspondent states that Japanese j tr °ops have landed and joined the British, French and Allied contingent. I They received an ovation when on 1 their way to the front.

A REIGN OF TERROR. LONDON, August 18. Arno Doschfleurot, the New York World’s Petrograd correspondent, states: "Throughout Russia there is a reign of terror. The Bolsheviks are trying to maintain power by spreading fear. At the bottom of the trouble is the disaffection of the pea- « sants, who are refusing to yield grain at the low prices fixed except in exchange for manufactured 'articles at | equally low prices, which the Bolsheviks are unable to provide. Expcdi-j ; tions were sent to villages to force the peasants to yield grain. As' a result } there have been constant killings. Bolshevik soldiers dare not leave railways except in force. In one instance, peasants killed 150 soldiers comprising an expedition sent against them. I was struck, on returning to Russia, after an absence of three ( months, by the fact that the masses j have fallen away from the Bolsheviks, 1 but the masses have no organisation J capable of seizing power. The Bolr sheviks are having the greatest difficulty with scattered uprisings. The Jngo-Slavs are now mutinying. WHOLESALE ARRESTS IN POLAND Received 11.55 a.m. ZURICH, August 19. The Germans are making wholesale arrests throughout Poland, especially at Romza and Plock. The arrestees are accused of joining Brigadier-Gen-eral Polduski’s forces. BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME. Received 11.55 a.fli. ZURICH, August 19. An attempt to assassinate the Chief of the German Secret Service at Warsaw failed. A fight ensued between the culprits and the German military patrol. Two of the former were killed, and the rest escaped. LITHUANIANS'. WISE STEP. Received 11.55 a.m. AMSTERDAM,- August 19. The Lithuanian . representatives have written to Field-Marshal von Hindenburg, stating that as the Ghahcellor has refused the Council’s demand for a-conference tn discuss the government of Lithuania, the Council has decided to settle their own form of government. NOt A CANDIDATE FOR MARTYRDOM. HELFFERICH WON’T GO TO RUSSIA. - Received 11.55 a.m. AMSTERDAM, Augu*.). 19. The Cologne “Volks Zeitung” declares that Herr Helfferich has decided not to return to Russia, owing to the dangerous conditions. JAPS GOING TO MANCHURIAN BORDER. LONDON, August IS. The United Press’s Tokio correspondent cables ’ the Japanese Government has issued a statement that, under agreement with China, Japan is sending troops to the Manchurian border, where danger is threatening.