New-York tribune., 1918-12-20
Duty OF Allies
To Aid Russia,
Ayers Milller
War Secretary Answers Crit
ics by Pointing Out the
Meuacc of Bolshevism
Esthonia Begs for Aid
:oval Russians Would Ne in
Danger if Deserted in
Crisis. Declares Viscount

IONnON. Dec. 1S.--ln response to
..,onc protests against the secrecy
maintained concerning military opera
.;ons in Russia and the insistent de-
monds by liberal newspapers that the
,ovornn,cnt explain and justify the
rontinuancc of these operations, Wis
oount Miner. the Secretary for War,
has issued q statement to the effect
.bat the Allies have an obligation Of
homer to protect the Russians and 9TH
ors who have aided them against the
Bolshevlki. For the Allies to scramble
ont Of Russia now would threaten to
involve the whole country in barbar~
sm. the War Secretary declared.
The Esthonian provisional govern
ment, controlling the territory covered
nv the former Russian Baltic Province
Of Esthonia, has placed the republic
under the common protection of the
Entente Powers pending the decision
al the peace conference
The Esthonian Premier announced
this action in telegram which
reached London tonight. in which he
called attention to the difficulty the
Esthonian troops were experiencing in
withstanding the Bolsheviki, who are
attacking the territory Of the republic
from the East.
Bolsheviki Aiding Foe
The cabinet member in his state
ment. which is in the form of letter
in reply TO a correspondent, goes over
the situation created by the success of
The Bolsheviki in gaining control Of
Russian affairs, and points out how
their acts were adversely affecting the
cause of the Allies in the West and
otherwise hampering the winning of
the war by the Allied nations.
"You ask me-" says Viscount Miner
in his letter. what right we ever had
to send British troops to Russia to
meddle with the internal affairs of that
country, and how long we mean to
keep them there now that the war is
over.
"The question itself shows that you
misapprehend the facts of the case as
we'll as the motives of the government
The reason why Allied. not merely
British forces-indeed the British are
only small proportion of the totaI
Allied troops-were sent to Russia is
that the Bolsheviki, whatever their
ultimate object, were in fact assist
lng our enemies in every possible way
Il was owing to their action that hun
dreds Of thousands of German troops
we're let loose to hurl themselves
against our men on the Western front
i was owing to their betrayal thai
w. !, -
gram and oil, fell into the hands OF the
Germans.
1T was they who handed over the
black Sea fleet to the Germans and
who treacherously attacked the Czecho-
Slovaks when the latter desired only tc
get out Of Russia in order to fight fol-
the freedom Of their own country ir
Europe. The Allies, every one of them
were most anxious to avoid inter
ference in Russia, but it was an obliga-
tlon OF honor to save the Czecho
Slovaks and it was military necessity
OF the most urgent kind to preven'
were struggling to escape the tyranny
Of the Bolsheviki from beng overru1
by them and so thrown open as
source Of supply to the enemy.
Military Stores Menaced
say NOInlnS Oh tHe eHOIuOuS guam
titles of military stores, the propert.
Of the Allies, which were still lying a
Archangel and Vladivostok, and which
we're in course of being appropriate,
by the Bolsheviki and transferred t.
the Germans until the Allied occupa
ton put an end to the process.
And this intervention was success
full. Rioting was stopped. The Czecho
Slovaks were saved from destruction
The resources of Siberia and South
eastern Russia were denied to the en-
emy. The northern ports of European
Russia were prevented from becoming
bases for German submarines, from
which our North Sea barrage coul
nave been turned.
these were important achievement
and contributed materially to the O.
feat of Germany.
II say nothing of the fact that vas
portion Of the earth's surface and mill
ions of people friendly to the Allie