RUSSIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 August 1918, Page 5

RUSSIA.

AT WAR WITH THE ALLIES.

LENIN'S DECLARATION.

Press Association—Extraordinary.

Received August 15, 4.5 a p.m.

Washington, August 14. It is officially announced that Lenin has declared that Russia is at war with the Allies.

Received August 15, 7.20 p.m. Washington, August 14. The American Consul at Moscow destroyed all the codes and records, and turned our American affairs to the Swedish representatives.—.Press Assoc.

GERMANS CONSCRIPTING RUSSIANS.

RUTHLESS METHODS ADOPTED.

Received August 16, 1.20 a.m. London, August 15. The newspaper Falk, of Vladivostock, states that the Germans have commenced conscripting Russians between the ages of 18 and 45, and are trying and shooting those refusing to mobilise. The conscripted units are being officered by Germans.

RAPID SPREAD OF DISAFFECTION. AUSTRIAN GOVERNMENT ALARMED Received August 18,1.20 a.m. Berne, August 15. The Austrian Government is seriously alarmed at the rapid spread of CzechoSlovian disaffection, and is endeavoring to rigorously repress it. There have been numerous arrests and shootings.—United Service.

THE CECHO-SLOVAKS. IN A DANGEROUS POSITION. Received August 10, 12,55 a.m. Vladivostoek, August 15. The Czecho-Slovaks in Siberia are ill a dangerous position, being liable to be cut off. The force is distributed over three thousand miles of railway between the Volga and Lake Baikal. They are unarmed and deficient in equipment, clothing, artillery and ammunition. The whole region is cut off from the far east.

The Czechs here are pathetically anxious to help their compatriots, and contemplate fighting their way from the Manchurian frontier to Baikal. They are poorly equipped and likely to meet with disaster unless the presence of the Allied troops disheartens the Bolshevik and prisoner forces. The Czechs desire to relieve their compatriots before the Siberian winter. This is impossible without Allied cooperation on a larger scale than is arranged. Tho bridges ahead have been broken, and the rolling stock removed. The enemy is busily enforcing the enlistment of the local population. Prisoners are liberally mixed with all units, German officers commanding.—Times Service.

SOVIET ACTION. AGAINST OZKM3-SLOVAKS. ->• Amsterdam, August 14 The Soviets have seized all the Czecho-Slovaifcs' vessels on the Volga, cutting off the Ozl-cno -Slova,k.s from their headquarters at Simlbirsk. A battle i s raging on the middle Volga. The Soviet amy numlbers 1'50,000. German papers state that the Soviet's general executive has appointed a dictatorship, consisting of Lenin, Trotsky and Binovleif, and empowered them to taike all measures to crush their enemies.—Aus.-JT.Z. Cable Assoc.

GERMANS MARCHING ON PETHO- ' G'RAD. Helsingfors, August 14. German troops are marching on Petrograd—Renter.