NORTH RUSSIA.

Taihape Daily Times, 15 September 1919, Page 3

N ORTH RUSSIA.

DI.FFICUL’I,‘ POSITION OF BRITISH -TROOPS. LONDON, Sept. 12. Ml‘ Cllurchill, in‘ an ofiicial Note replying to criticisms of the British policy in,North Russia, says; The policy accepted by :the House of Commons on July 29th is being speedily and punetually pursued. The decisions on which it is based are irrevocable. ’l.‘here is no reason to suppose that General Rawlinson, who is in suprenie command of the British forces at Archangel and Murinzmsk, will not succeed in his task at an early date. Nevertheless, the peculi:2.~r ditt"u‘:u.l=ty of the with—drawal operation must be realised. The enemy forces on the above-mventioned fronts may well ‘be equal to the combined British and Russian Nationals. The attitude of the latter, who are mneh more numerous than the British, also the attitude ot‘ the civil population, must ir-e\'i!t:»lb4ly atl’eet the Bri- ‘~_ '-.\'ith:i: 'l‘hus the task «of ext*.'icating' the British, whi.le injuring

~ Russian‘ Nationals’ subsoquomtos :1 little as possible is most complex. The Govomnient (=,onsi<le.v'o<l it its (jl,fy to ofi’ol' means of I'o‘r.'ugg to all Russians who have conlpromisod themselves with the Bolslieviks through assisfing us. Considerable numbers of pewstiixs, including‘ women. and (fllllCll‘L‘]l, lwshlos British .‘rl‘oopS. must, tlmrr>fm'c‘. be evacuated by sea,

I\.lfr Cliln'chil"l‘ sr=.n+.hin\g.]-y d'o.scr'ibes the suggested process of simply n1:1n:c]1ing the British into transports and sailing away under cover of the war ships guns as likely to result in :1 series 01" episodes dishonomrable to the Brifish name. The military aut}lorif'les huvb always insisted that the British could notbe wiflidrawn except by certain offensive opm-a-tions, limited in sr-ope, in ‘O-‘-.llol‘ to d"Smigage thv froni-. It would be \\'rnn,9; and unpu‘rl'io’tic to inrtroasn ‘rho difficulties o’r7;flle with<h'a\\'u] in its most m'i'fic:l] phase by inspiring‘ ‘tho (-nom_v mid dishoal"roning the Russians.