RUSSIA.

Taihape Daily Times, 15 September 1919, Page 5

RUSSIA.

NORTH RUSSIA_

" LIEUT.-COLONEL KELLY’S DEFENCE. LON'DON'_.‘Sept. 14. Lieut.-Colonel Sherwood Kelly, in a letter to the ‘_‘Daily Express, gives the text of letters informing that his only offence consisted in writing a letter criticising and condemningthe operations in North Russia. He says» -he wrote it With’% deliberate intention of being sent home, as he knew the censor would see it. General Ironsicle stated that the only offence was that he censored the letter and offered him abetter job if he stayed on six months‘ leave and the command of a reserve battalion in England. I Colonel Kelly found that when he reached England General Rawlinson had not confirmed General Ironside’s offer. LENIN] AND TROTSKY APPEAL ’ ron HELP. Received 8.5 a.m. NEW YORK. Sept_ 13. Ofiicial despatches say that Trotsky and Lenin have sentfurgent. appeals requesting aid from Soviet sympathisers in Germany, Austria, an€'Sc-andinavian countries.THZE: 801-SHEVIKS. A BOLSHEVIK CLAIM. _ LONDON, Sept. 12. A further Bblshevik wireless communique claims forty-five thousand of Koltchak’s southern army surrendered last Week, with full ‘equipment, artillery, baggage, and moneys_

A Bolshevik wcireless communique claims that a delegation of Koltchak’s southern army, numbering from fifteen to twenty thousand, offered to‘ sur-» mender. The commun‘ique.adds: “We captured a further twelve ~' thousand at Aktinbinsk, in the Omsk~_region, and an additional five th~on:san_d surrender-f ed. ’ ’ Koltcha-k, accompanied by General Knox, has proceeded to_"«the front;-. < TROTSKY DESPONDENT. ; - Pixels, Sept. _l2. Advices from Moscow state that Trotsky has declared that the Soviets will -be unable to continue the war through the winter, owing to Deniken’s and Koltchak’s convefging offensive. It is expected that the Workers’ and Soldiers’ Council at Moscow will favour peace negotiations. SUCCESS T 0 KOLTCHAK. NEW YORK, Sept. 12. The Times’ Washington correspondent says that Omsk advices state that Koltchak’g Siberian Army continues successful operations against the 801sheviks, and Omsk i no longer menaced. . 1' A BERLIN REPORT. BERLIN’. Sept. 13. Wireless reports from Moscow claim great successes {and an etdvance in Turkestan, with large captures of prisoners. It is also claimed that 12,000 of Koltchak"srarmy surrendered between Aktinbinskoc and Omsk, south ward of Orontmrg. A

TROTSKY WARNS FINLAND. HELSINGFORS. Sept. 12‘

Speaking in the Petrograd Soviet, Trotsky warned Finland that the road from Helsingfors to P\e+rr~gmd also led from Petrograd to Hclsingfors. Unless Finland desisted from further provocation the Reds would launch a shattering attack. and “our ciusade against the Finnish bourgeoisie would not only be one of revenge, but because Finland is acting at Englanagbidaing. We have strength enough for everything

nearly.’ ’ - r l The report of Esthonia (leclares that the Bolshevist peace offer has neither ‘been accepted not refused. Esthonia will not conclude peace without consulting Finland and the Allies. STILL ANOTHER VERSION. N LONDON, Sept. 13. A War Oflice communique states: After a three days’ battle for "I‘:<.aritsin, in which the Bolsheviks made combined attacks from difierent directions, upon the town, the defending troops. under Wrengel, heavily repulsed the attackers, capturing nine thousand prisoners, eleven guns, and over at hundred machinc guns. Three Bolshevik regimen-ts surrendered, and two others were completely destroyed. BOLSHEVIK REVERSE. IN WESTERN SIBERIA. Received}-0.10 a.rn. V “'I:éyNL~oN. Sept. 13. Mr Wilton, The Times“’Omsk correspondent, says that three armies commanded by General Dieterieh, were engaged in an anti-Bolshevik offensive. and for 21 days adhered to the time'_£a.'ble.', The Reds were out-gen‘era_lled. and beaten, and will ‘probably ’,lo_s-3. their entire position-"in Western Sib-' erla, if ‘the Weather favours an often-

sive in another fortnight. Sweepinzi; cavalry charges smashed the enemy.,‘s rear at several points. Armoured trains rushed the station near Kurgan and captured a whole Red Regiment_ ‘Elsewhere the enemy maintains a sem‘blance of retreating in order, despite the hardest knocks. Dieterich’s ofl"1,cers say that the fighting spirit of the :infantry and cavalry equals the best §Russian troops of 1914.