NEW PERIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 January 1920, Page 5

NEW PERIL.

■i - ,i ti. i *N ALARMIST STATEMENT. ISSUED BY THE WAR OPUCE, DANGER OF BOLSHEVIK DRIVE. , Br TttagraDU.— Vt ess Asm.—Conrrifht. Received Jan. 19, 12.35 a.m. London, Jan. 15. An alarmist statement was issued this . afternoon by the War Office, reviewing the Empire's.military position. It declared that a new and great danger has arisen in the East, where the subdued combustion is. likely to flame up on a wry large scale, and military commitments will become necessary. The statement is inspired by Mr. Winston Churchill (Minister for' War), and is regarded as an endeavor to prepare the public for army movements against the JJolinevtks.—United Service. CRISIS APPROACHING. *EDS PREPARING TO ATTACK. ALLIED DRIVE FEARED. Received Jan. 18, 5.5 p.m. London, Jan. 14. The Morning Post's Moscow correspoadaat states that the Polish advance against the Bolsheviks on the Dvinsk and Volhynian fronts halted a week ago. It Is believed a crisis is approaching, •ud the Reds are contemplating a strong attack against the Poles without waiting for more favorable spring weather conditions, the idea being to forestall the Polish drive, which, it is feared, may be MAOa latex under the auspices of the AHita, particularly England. It-ie reported that Trotsky is planning tf open a campaign at the beginning of JAarch. Many German officers are in•eeruetiag the Bolshevik forces. Moscow newspapers describe Denikin's runt under such headlines as: "Denikin Now," "The Poles Next."—Aus.-N.Z. G»ble Assn.

ALLIES TO STOP HELP. VO FAITH IN ANTI-BOLSHEVIKS. By Telegraph.—Press Awn.—Copyright. Received Jan. 18,5.5 p.m. London, Jan. 15. The Daily Express' Paris correspondent *»y» that, in consequence of interAllied discussions, Anglo-French intervwtio* In Rnsaia, both financial and. material has ended. Mr. Lloyd George is convinced that no good results can come from further costly subsidising of the anti-Bolshevik forces. Mr. Lloyd George is disappointed *t the anti-Bolsheviks' failure to profit bf the Liberal support hitherto given. He taw lost faith in their claim that they deserve assistance. The French leaders concur in this f i»w*-Aus.-NJJ. Cable Assn.

WHAT IS HAPRENING IK RUSSIA, A WHOLE GENERATION WITHERING AWAY. Prince Kropotkin, perhaps the best known of all living Russians among Englishmen, a man of unquestionable honor and public spirit, and imbued with a scientific mind's sense of evidence, has addressed a letter to George Brandes, the .well-knows Banish literary critic and essayist, and it is reproduced in L*HununJU and the Manchester Guardian.

It fives us an honest picture of what is happening in Russia while old age compels its writer to devote himself to the task of a book on ethics.

KROPOTKIN IN RUSSIA. Prince Krepotkin went to Russia after the fall- of the Gear's regime. On various occasions he had been reported imprisypsd and persecuted by the Bolsheviks. His letter is dated April 28, from Dmitrov, Government of Moscow. "My dear Jriend,—l find, at last, an opportunity to write to you, and I hasten to make use of it, though I am not certain that this letter will reach you. The bearer of this letter will tell you of the solitary life we are leading in our small provincial town. It is physically impossible, at any age, to take an active part in public affairs during a revolution, and to take merely an amateurish interest in them is not in my nature. Doting the last winter, which we spent in Meeeow, I was engaged with a group of collaborators in evolving the elements <gf a federative Republic. But the group lead to break up, so I took again in hand • work on ethics which I began in Engfcad tone fifteen years ago. AN ANALOGY. "AD X can do now is to give you a general idea of the situation in Russia, Wtfeh I do not believe is well underMood in the West. It may be best explained by an analogy. "Wi are now passing through what Itanee west through during the Jacobin revolution, from September, 1792, to July, 1794, with this J»rence, that it fs a social revolution Ourfnow seeks its way. ' «*The dictatorial methods of the Jacofcnu were wrong. It could not create a •table organisation and inevitably ended in reaction. But, nevertheless, in June, 1793, the Jacobins achieved the abolition of feudal rights, a measure begun in 1789, which neither the constituent nor the Legislative Assembly would bring to eonpfation. And they also proclaimed atari the political equality of all citizeng—*wo profound fundamental charges wafeh during the nineteenth century have nude the round of Europe.

A WRONG METHOD. "A similar thing is happening in Rtiseit. Ths Bolsheviks strive, by the dictatorthip of a section of the Social Democratic party, to introduce the socialisation of land, industry, and commerce. Thai change which they endeavor to achieve represents the fundamental principle of Socialism. Unfortunately the

troduce in a highly centralised State a Communism resembling that of Babeuf—• and this by paralysing'the people's constructive work—that method makes sueeess altogether impossible. And this prepares the ground for a, violent and mischievous reaction. It already endeavors to organise itself with a view to bring- . tag back the old regime. It is putting to .profit the general exhaustion, caused first by the war, then by the famine from which we are suffering in Central Russna, and the complete disorganisation of commerce and industry, which is inevitable in a revolution of such proportions accomplished by decrees. "The West is talking of restoring 'order* in Russia by a military intervention of the Allies. You, my friend, know well my opinion as to how fatal to all social progress in Europe .as the attitude of those who worked to disintegrate Russia's power of resistance—which prolonged the war by one year, brought upon us the German invasion under cover of a treaty, and made necessary a river of blood that conquering Germany might be prevented from crushing Europe under her Imperial heel. You know well my sentiments on this point.

. NO ARMED INTERVENTION. "Nevertheless, I protest with all my strength against any armed intervention of the Allies in Russian affairs. Such an action would result in an outburst of Russian jingoism. It would give us a jingo monarchy—the signs of which are already looming—and, mark it well, it would stir up amongst Russians in general an attitude hostile to Western Europe, which could not but have the most unfortunate consequences. The Anjgricnns have grasped this already. "T'eople imagine, perhaps, that they are supporting a Liberal Republic party in ivoltchak and Denikin. That in itself is a mistake. Whatever the personal intentions of these two military leaders, the majority of those gathered round them follow quite different aims. They would inevitably bring us back a monarchy, reaction, and a bath of blood.

"Those of the Allies who understand the situation should, therefore, repudiate all armed intervention. The more so, as they would And no end of work to do in another direction, should they really want to help Russia.

WE LACK BREAD. "We lack bread everywhere in the vast expanse of the central and northern provinces. "To obtain m Moscow, or here in Dmitrov, a pound of black rye-bread—in addition to the pound or quarter-pound per head which the State supplies at the very high, though relatively moderate, price pf R. 1.60 per poupd (which once was equivalent to Fes. 4) —one has to pay 25 to 30 roubles (i.e., Fc5.62—75), the English pound. And even then it is unobtainable. That is famine, with all its consequences. A whole generation is withering away. .... And we are denied the right to buy bread in the West! Why? Is it that we may be given again a Romanoff?

"We lack manufactured goods everywhere in Russia. The peasant has to pay enormous prices for a scythe, a hatchet, a few nails, a needle, a yard measure, a piece of cloth; a thousand roubles (onco worth Fc5.2,500) for the four-ironed wheels of a miserable Russian cart. In the Ukraine it is even worse; manufactured goods are not to be had at any price. TO THE ALLIES. "Instead of playing the part which Austria, Prussia, and. Russia did play towards France in 1793, the Allies should have done everything in their power to help the Russian people out of this terrible situation. As for that, one may cause rivers of blood to flow in order to make the Russian people go back to the past, it all will be in vain.

"The Allies ought to help us build up a new future by the positive development of a new life, which is already taking shape, in spite of everything. Let them come to the help of our children without a day's delay. Let them come and help us in the necessary constructive work. And to that end they should send us not diplomats and generals, but bread, implements for its production, and organisers, like those who have known so well during those terrible five years how to help the Allies to maintain their economic organisation, and to beat back the barbarous invasion of the Germans. . . . "I am being reminded that I must finish this letter, already too long. I do it in embracing you fraternally. » "Peter Kropotkin.