POLISH WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 August 1920, Page 5

POLISH WAR.

PEACEMAKERS' PERILS. . A BAREFOOTED ARMY. By Telegraph,—Press Atsa.—Copyright. Received August 2, 5.5 p.m. London, August 1. _ The Warsftw correspondent of the Morning Post states that two motorcars conveying the Polish armistice deleheaded by General Bomer and at Wrobleski, vice-Foreign Minister, started on Friday night along the Brest Litovsk-Baranowice road for the appointed meeting place. The delegation crossed a burning bridge near Kobryn, which was immediately afterwards blown up. Then they crossed another burning bridge three hundred yards further on, and it was also blown up, virtually making the delegation hostages in the hands of the Bolsieviks. ' ' The states that an experienced military officer, who secretly Itttehed ieveral days' progress of the Bolshevik army on the north front, reports that the army is wel organised, has good discipline, and is properly anned, thqugh mostly bare-footed. The transport consists mainly of a thousand tnall farm carts, in good repair.—Aus.&Z. Cable Assn. f; a&'aijarming outlook. i REDS THREAT TO RUSSIA. Berlin, July 31. ' Palish situation is alarming. It Is reported that Brest-Litovsk has fallen after slight resistance, and the JRWs m advancing on Lemberg. sfce BM» are irresistibly advancing ftt the East Prussian frontier and have (gestured fte fortresses of Ossowitz, Sufklki and Lenta, and are now occupy - fag' tie frontier towns of Cragewo and Augustowo.' ' ' ' 2>tte fluting front" no longer exists. EHryttiing is in a state of dissolution. A correspondent found the last fighting front a scene of desolation. The Polish frontier guards had fled.' Everywhere tbere was silence. The- whole frontier <r|s dominated by tie Beds, who, immetiatftly p* the German frontier, kept up a regular artillery fire-on the Polish rearguards. ]Tne Polish army is fleeing : panicrtHcken, discarding everything.' The Uttte that will decide the fate of the FVttih northern army is pending: in the Wfcinfyy of tonse. 'The inter-Allied troops in the east Prttssian plebiscite area nave been withdrawn to 'AHen stein. An Italian battalion atiLyk .was withdrawn, as K was BOt considered desirable to r expose Alli»4 troops to conflict with the Reds or %foles.: - .The German frontiers (are weakly " guarded by police. The . first detachmfent of Polish troops crossed the Ger»an frontier and were immediately infcfrteA Fugitives state that Russian •(Beers .declare ignorance oT the arfcistie*.—Times Service. - London, August 1. The Herald states that Ludendorff has Htfered the British authorities personally to lead an army, of 1,500,000 against j&t Russian Reds.—United Service. . LEANING ON THE ALLIES'. 'LOOKED ON FOR HELP: Warsaw, August I. , i The announcement of the armistice fend arrangements for the London conference calmed public opinion, - though tt is believed that the Reds intend to protract the negotiations until they have gained their intended objectives, including Lonberg. Allied diplomats and PoKsh statesmen and generals are in lose consultation and have decided on the best use of resources to meet the immediate danger in the event of a tireak-down of the negotiations. A cargo of rifles in the steamer Triton, which was held up at Danzig for a, week, arrived and was unloaded by { Britisn soldiers. Other cargoes of nnr-1 pitlons are expected. Half-trained volunteers, singing patriotic songs, continue to march to the tront, but the stations are thronged with wealthy fugitives. The population is Inclined to apathy. An official communique expresses satisfaction with the Allies' prompt realisation of the. possibility of the Bolsheviks not wanting an armistice, and adds lb»t undoubtedly the Bolsheviks want to BoMherise Poland, either by arms or by diplomacy. They cannot compass this if the Allies support Poland, but there is danger of a great military movement. <

It is reported that the northern army Is within the frontiers and that the Bolsheviks are in communication with Germany through southern Lithuania, bttween Kovno and Suwalki, and have expelled the Lithuanian administration from Vilna. Red cavalry are in the yicinity of Lomsea. Brest-Litovsk is |ltill jn Polish,hands. It is understood that the Allies have fro intention of allowing undue delays in tbe armistice negotiations. Effective measures have been taken to pre■vetit sporadic attacks on the capital, but wealthy people continue their flight. r-Tiineg Service.