NEW PERILS.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 January 1920, Page 5

NEW PERILS.

THE MIDDLE EAST, THREATS TO ASIA. tfEW BOLSHEVIK AIMS. BT Tilegriph.—Prui Ann.—Copyright. Received Jan. 17, 12.10 a.m. London, Jan. 1". Jt is stated by a high military auththat the present situation" in the Middle East is causing considerable anxiety. The French are having considerable trouble in Syria, and there are also difficulties In Asia Minor. The whole « the Middle East is reported to be fa a state of subdued combustion, which fcay flame up into anything. Probably Wilh>» a teg months we will be faced ffitli a great danger in the Middle East Cud the East necessitating large iniliiary eamniuncnts. J Tltt rammary of opiat'oci Itates m this connection that the Bolthevik occunation of Transcaspia may be regarded as practically complete. xm Georgia and Azerbaijan Republics •re anti-Bolshevik, but their armed Itrength is insufficient to resist th« threatened invasion from two Bid.js. The CMitioli of L'ajriii*, ten is even more h> Inn. The Bolsheviks continue to jjour tr>op4, tuti T'&rewtpia. Troy trains from laihkent t< Askhabad -nly tUe ttx days and *re arriving at the rate tf One daily lip rew arrivals tackda considerable number of mounteda, and an largely led by old army officers *cw serv'ng with the Bolsheviks. A Climbff of !«r<re armored cars Uue arrived at A«bk?l ad A party of Bolsheviks and Turks is (•ported to have reached Herat with two carts containing aeroplanes' parts and a trireless Bet. The cars nave now proceeded via Kandahar to Kabul, es<ort«d by Afghan cavalry. The Bolthevikf have opened a large number of Cavalry schools at Tashkent, where Oriental languages will be taught, and •gents have been sent to India, China, tnd all the Moslem countries. The Tashkent Soviet recently determined to concentrate efforts first on In4ia, and it is intended to open propaganda centres there as soon as possible. —Aui -NZ. Cable Assn.

NEARINC PERSIA.

TURKS JOIN THE BOLSHEVIKS,

ALLIES REALISE THE PElfo.

Received Jan. 17, 12.40 a.m. London, Jan. 15. The grave situation in the Middle East l* mainly due to Bolshevik successes, and Allied statesmen at Paris are giving most serious consideration to the progress of the Red Armies, now realising that the Bolshevik peril to civilisation is far greater than ever before, tod at all costs must not be allowed to spread beyond Russia. Thft situation broadly summed up is ttat the Caucasus are now in peril. The Bolsheviks have reached the vicinity of the Persian border and the Turks are Joining hands with certain Bolshevik forces, while tribes in the area of British Occupation in Mesopotamia are being •tired up by the Ramdan Shalash. General MacMunn, G.O C. in Mesopotamia; sent an ultimatum to the Sha*«h, and attacked and dispersed the letter's rfiarauding parties. JfMfiwhile, owing to Koltchak's comP'ete collapse, the only serious military force in the Par East is a Japanese division, which is totally inadequate to •tan a big thrust. Moreover, it is Cnderstood that Japan is reluctant to •ake any heavy commitments at present.

Bolsheviks are concentrating ifcaintt Dinikin in South Russia. The Utter baa just won success by recovering & strong; line of defence on the Don River, but he is hopelessly outnumbered ud stands unaided, though it is admitted that be holds the road to India. Moreover, it should not be forgotten that his troops are at present suffering fr#tti the influences of retreating hun<b«ds of miles and the fact must be ftjw that they mi?ht give way at any BMbMBt. Incidentally it may be reealed that the Bolsheviks are feverishly searching for a gold hoard amounting to 180,000,000 representing the Russian national treasury, which was last in the «*Udy of Koltchak.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

THE ALLIES CONCERNED. A CONFERENCE IN PARIS. Received Jan. 16, 9.5 p.m. Paris, Jan. 15. • The Allied Conference summoned Mr. Winston Churchill (Minister for War) and Mr. Walter Long (First Lord of the Admiralty) to disetus the Bolshevik feriL—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. Received Jan. 17, 12.40 a m. London, Jan. 15. Lord JSeatty and Sir Henry Wilson Accompanied Mr. Churchill and Mr. Long to Paris to discuss the Bolshevik peril. SOVIETS AND JAPANESE. MEETING OP ARMIES EXPECTED. London, Jan. 13. A Moscow wireless message states that the Soviet army will soon arrive in proximity to the Japanese, but will not undertake any aggressive action calculated to provoke a collision with Japan. The Soviet victory over Koltchak's army is doe to the support of the Siberian peasants and the wholesale desertion of Koltchak's troops. The wireless does not mention Admiral Koltchak's capture. It says General Manikin's defeat was due to Red cavalry created in order to answer MamoritofPs raid. The exploits of the cavalry under Budenny and Dumenko will ever be famous in military annals.—Aus.-N.Z. Oable Assn.

DENHHN STILL IN POvTER. Beceived Jan. 17,12.20 a.m. London, Jan. 15. The latest reports from Odessa intimate that contrary to the report of his gaperMMion, DenHdn is still is full jfamnwd 1 lAiiii

POSITION IN RUSSIA,

: A RAPID ADVANCE. A WORLD REVOLUTION. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received Jan. 10, 5.5 p.m. London, Jan. 14. The Bolsheviks' claim to have captured Melitopol, sixty miles from Crimea, and to be advancing rapidly, is causing serious comment in the London press. The Times points out that Lenin's military triumph is almost complete. He has conquered the greater part of the immense Russian Empire, and is ready to take the field in the spring -with a great disciplined army. He aims at a world revolution, and the overthrow of Western civilisation and Christianity. The danger must be faced. How do the Allies propose to face it? —United Service.