The sun., 1918-07-09
Germany's Excuse for the Occupa-
ton OF Russia.


BACH, the German Ambassador at
Moscow, which has been officially con-
firmed by the Bolshevist Government,
has been made the occasion of the
most humble apologies to Berlin from
the Russian Premier, LENINE. MIR
BACH was Germany's ablest agent in
Russia. With reeQuipped force Of
German prisoners at his command he
was the power back of the Bolshevist
Government. That the German army
had halted at the Ukraine frontier
and had not advanced upon Moscow
was credited to Berlin's faith in MIR
BAcH's ability-to control the situation
in Germany's interests.
There Is nothing to indicate whether
the assassination was the act of
fanatic with Il personal grievance or
was a part of the plot of the Social
Revolutionaries. the enemies of the
Bolsheviki, to rid Russia of German
domination. The comments of the press
of the Allied capitals are TO the effect
that the assassination was an evil
dence of the awakening of the ven
geance of Russia against German
tyranny. The HumdnitG Of Paris
says that the act twas not vulgar
assassination, but an act of open re-
bellion by exasperated patriotism"
The growth of peasant opposition
to the Bolsheviki has been either con-
cealed or has not been marked in the
provinces of Old Russia. There is no
doubt of the revolt of the peasants in
Ukraine. This was clearly shown in
their refusal to accede To the de-
mands of the Germans for grain to
supply the Central Powers. The So
we're retaliatory measures of the Ger
mans have heightened this opposition
until the peasant army has reached
n total enrolment Of 100000. Accord
ing to correspondence to the London
Daily Express n peasant army num-
boring 10000 has forced the retreat
of the German army Of occupation.
The peasant army has been REINFORCED
by a Polish contingent, the first Pol
ish corps under General MUoNITsKI
engaging the Germans near the Polish
frontier and the second corps under
General MIcHAELIs advancing upon
Klev, the Ukrainian capital.
The second centre Of known discon-
tent is the Thurman coast district, Dor
dering on the White Sea and the Arc
tic Ocean. The Importance of this
region to the Allies lies in the fact
that at Archangel, on the opposite
shore Of the White Sea, were stored
early in the war by the Entente Pow
ers vast military supplies. With the
occupation of Finland the Germans
sent force of White Guards, made
up largely OF Prussian soldiers, TO
seize these stores. The people of the
Thurman coast not only rose In op-
position to this invasion of their cOun-
try, but they called upon the Allies
for assistance. This was answered
by the despatch of American, French
and British marines to the Kola
peninsula and later by supply OF
provisions from the United States to
the town of Murmansk. The result,
as stated in despatch from Copen-
hagen, Is that the entire popula-
ton OF the Thurman region has broken
with Russia and Joined the Entente
Powers in the protection Of the sup
ply base at Archangel.
The situation in Russia, from the
German viewpoint, thus demands as
imperatlvely as at any other time the
interference of such a man as MIR
BACH. While his power over the Boil
sheviki Was sufficient to make I'M
necessary the actual presence Of n
German army in Central Russia. his
death will practically compel an at
tempt to occupy the cities of Moscow
and Petrograd. Berlin is demanding
this on account of the assassination
of Its Ambassador, and also as n right
for the avOwed purpose of maintain
ing order. Germany thus has found
an excuse for advancing in Russia
that she has long sought. That
LENINE will accede 10 this demand, as