The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1917-12-21
cOSSACkS UNDER kORNILOFF
AND kALEDlNES FIGHTING
THE BOLSHEvlki.
LENlNE'S RULE T0TTERING
Germans Prepare for Great Offensive
on Western Front-Haig RepuIses
Their First Attacks-ltalians Still
Holding Piave River Line-Our
War Preparation Methods
Are Being Investigated.
By EDWARD w. PIckARD.

Specializing on what has happened
In Russia and what is about to happen
has become a favorite occupation of
the rest of the world. Dispatches
from PetrOgrad, where the means of
communication are controlled by the
bolsheviki, are wholly unreliable, and
news from other sources is fragmentary
and conflicting. At this writing the
facts appear to be about as follows: In
southern and southeastern Russia the
Cossacks, who stand for law and or
der, are fighting the bolshevik forces;
in Petrograd and Moscow Lenine and
his crowd are maintaining themselves
in power by using the strong hand, ar
resting and numbering their opponents
and bulldoZing the constituent assem-
bly,, which began its sessions; the Rus
sian armies on the east front, follow
ing the arrangement of an armiStice.
are rapidly disbanding, and the Rou-
manians were forced to accept an arm
istice by the action of their allies: but
the negotiations for peace started by
the bolshevki have run against Il snag
in the extraordinary demands made by
the Germans many different parts Of
Russia have declared their independ-
ence, and Siberia shows signs of re-
verting TO the rule of the deposed car;
Vladivostok. where are immense guam
titles of supplies sent by America and
the entente allies, is patrolled by Japa-
nese troops, and Hardin is being pro-
tected by Chinese soldiers.
If this is correct statement Of con-
dtions at the close of the week, It
would be a bold man who would pre-
dict the immediate future.
Reports of Battle Contradictory.
According to official bolsheviki dis
patches from Petrograd, the Cossacks
under Korniloff were defeated early i'm
the week near Bielgorod, but another
account of the battle said Korniloff
routed his opponents, that. many of
them joined his forces and that he
surrounded the others and "dealt with
them very drastically." General Kale-
dimes, the Cossack hetman. also is ac-
tive In southern Russia and ii is said
to be his hope, with the aid of the al
lies, at least to shut the Germans out
of the food-produclng part OF the coun-
try.
Wireless reports from Rostov which
did not reach the outside world until
Thursday said Kaledines was besieg-
ing that city and that within Rostov.
the Cossacks had been fighting the
bolsheviki and destroyed their head
quarters. At the same time a trans
port manned by bOlsheviki was bonn
harding the Kaledines forces.
Bitterly disappointing to the bolshe-
wiki must be the German demands
made In the peace negotiations, and at
this distance II Is hard to see what
may he the kaiser's purpose in being
so severe. His commissioners are re-
ported to have insisted that Germany
shall not give up any Russian territory
she now occupies that Petrograd must
be evacuated until peace Is concluded;
that the Ukraine shall be coded TO
Austria-Hungary that Germany shall
control the Russian wheat market for
fifteen years and German goods shall
ne duIultteu w isuSSiu uuty Tree. lie
armistice, IL Is said, Is to continue for
three months. Germany seemingly
evaded the Russian demand that dur
ing its continuance no troops he
moved to other fronts, and meanwhile
has been transferring hundreds of
thousands Of soldiers to France and
Italy.
Germans Preparing for Great Attack.
All the signs during the early part of
the week led to the belief that the
Germans were preparing for Q supreme
fort at some point of the west front.
,IIIed aviators observed long motor