The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1920. THE RUSSIAN CRISIS.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 January 1920, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1920. THE RUSSIAN CRISIS.

"A new and great danger has arisen in the East, where the subdued combustion, is likely to flame up on a very large scale, and military commitments will become necessary." Such are the words of what is described as an alarmist statement issued by the British War Office last week, and inspired by the Minister for War (Mr. Winston Churchill). To those who have closely watched recent developments in Russia, the crisis, which appears to be near at hand, has been expected to be reached at any moment. The failure of the anti-Bolshevik forces to cope with the Bolsheviks has given the latter free scope for extended action and the perpetration of even more horrible atrocities than ever. According to the Moscow correspondent of the Morning Post, the Reds are now contemplating a strong attack against the Poles, the idea being to forestall the Polish drive, which, it is feared, may be made later under the auspices of the Allies', particularly England. Thjp attack on the Poles, fraught as it is with terrible possibilities, is but a phase of the new and great danger of the subdued combustion bursting into flames. The menace to India and Egypt is very real, yet there is even more cause for apprehension from the machinations of the Germans. In a remarkable letter written by a British officer in South Russia to his wife, and recently published in the London Times, it is stated: "The Boche is still fighting us, through the Bolshevik, but in a subtle way, and by underground methods which it is hard to counter." He points out that the Germans sent Lenin to Russia, organised Bolshevism, gained a footing in the Ukraine, commenced exploiting the resources of Russia, and were contemplating the raising of Russian troops for use on the West front. Since the Armistice they have not lost hope or interest in Russia. They continue to organise Bolshevism and Bolshevik propaganda in Allied countries. They hated Denikin and opposed him, because he was fighting for a united Russia, free from Gem an influence and exploitation. Denikin is now a back number —put out of action—but Bolshevik Russia is a channel of communication to the Committee of Union and Progress to Egypt, India and Afghanistan. This British officer makes the following ominous statements:—

"Unless beaten by us, the Bolsheviks will beat us. It's a side issue for the present, but the danger of their rousing and letting loose the Chinese is not so very remote. They are aiming at raising all non-Christian races against Christian countries."

It is no longer a question of settling the form of government in Kussia. Bolshevism stands for a world upheaval of immense proportions, with Germany as the sinister manipulator. "When speaking at the Guildhall last November, Mr. Lloyd George stated he did not like the outlook. Since then the position has altered materially for the worse, and the shadow of a great struggle heralds the coming into force of the League of Nations with its covenant for peace. In view of the statement issued by the War Office there can be no doubt as to the serious nature of the crisis. It is now more apparent than ever that the Allies, sad especially

Britain, have never fully realised the import of the Bolshevik menace. Many millions have been wasted in assisting the anti-Bol-sheviks, who appear now to be a negligible quantity,- and instead of good results accruing therefrom, the position has gone from bad to worse, the outlook being certainly of a nature to cause alarm, and it is quite conceivable that the problem will be difficult of solution. It is unthinkable that the Bolsheviks will be left to massacre unhindered, or that the Poles are to be left as victims of Red ferocity. And what of India? "We cannot ignore the aim of the Bolsheviks to stir up all non-Christian races and nations against Christian countries, and therein lies the elements for fanning the subdued combustion into flames on a very large scale, and the longer the delay in checking the conflagaration, the greater will be its volume and the more difficult will be the task of subjugation, possibly involving the whole of the East, the Near East, and the Far East, The Bolsheviks are verily intoxicated with success and will be stopped by nothing except force. The very idea of entering upon another war cannot be anything but repellant to the Allies, yet, if we are to judge by present portents, there must be war against Bolshevism, or civilisation will be doomed. Such a terrible catastrophe would be a •ferious blow to all our hopes of peace. The situation admits of no half measures. It could have been effectively dealt with some time back, but the spirit of optimism was largely in evidence, while now the wayward child has become fierce in manhood; has taken on a strength that was never deemed possible. The position has even gone beyond the stage of armed intervention, and has become a menace of such magnitude that military commitments have become necessary. Mr. Lloyd George said there could be no peace until there was peace in Russia. The truth of this prediction is indisputable.