Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-17
BRITISH AT BAKIJ 4
CAUSE SURPRISE
May Be Stabilizing Element
in Situation Full of
Great Danger
BALK ENEMY ON CASPIAN
Organization of Bolshevist
Force in Archangel Suggests
German Officers
Special Gable to Evening Public Ledger

special Cable to Evening Public Ledger
Copyright. 1918. by Nc,o York Times Co.
London. Aug H.
complete surprise was sprung on the
prltisn public by the announcement that
British force Is taking part in the de-
Iense of Baku and the oil district On the
western shore of the Caspian Sea- 1t Is
NOT n very large force. and 1t has boldly
plunged into a situation full of political
as we'll as military difficulties. but II Is
noped that 1t may prove just such
staoiiizing element as has SO often ac-
complished wonders in eastern affairs
!he wnoie story OF this new move cam
not yet be told, but enough has been re-
Vealed 10 excite the imagination. It be- =
gins with the resistance offered at Baku
ny remnants of the ArmenIans and local
bolsheVlsts to the Tartars and Turks
lhese Tartars. though under Russian
rule. are akin to the Turks in race and
religion. and when the revolution came
they threw in their lot with the latter.
When some weeks age General Mar
shali detached force from Bagdad to
make Its way up to the Caspian not a
Whisper of this expedition was heard in
this country. and even now its compost
| ton and strength are carefully guarded
military secrets 1t proceeded by a cara
van route through Kermanshah, Hama
dan kasbin and Resht to Enzeli, a port
on the Caspian, and thence took ship to
Baku =.
1t met with little opposition the jan
gall tribesmen offering the only active
resistance. but 1t had to negotiate an
exceedingly difficult country. Motor
transport was out of the question be-
cause Paitak pass was a serious obsta-
Gle, and supplies even were hard to
come by.
Now the British force has taken over
part Of the defense Of Baku, and Is
operating under the command of Gen.
eral Dokuchaieff He is confronted by
Turks, Of whom. perhaps, there are some
regular soldiers. Neither side has any
artillery to speak Of, but 1t Is hoped
that Dokuchaieff will be able to organize
strong pro-ally center and not only
hold Baku. but obtain possession OF the
Caspian shipping as well. He would
thus balk the enemy plans to cross the
Caspian. Fortunately the Allies can now
rely on the support Of the new Persian
Government. but all the trans-Caspian
, region Is in much disorder.
In another part Of Russia, fighting Is
rapidly developing. When the Boil
shevists were turned out Of Archangel
by the rising OF the people, they retired
southwark, committing every kind Of
atrocity. and burning the bridges to
ObeSerskaya. Here Is the Junction OF
the roads from Archangel and Omega
Bay, and the Bolshevists have been
strong enough to check the detachments
that the Allies sent there from these
two points. They are making resistance.
and are so organized as to suggest the
presence Of German officers. However.
1t is believed that they will soon be
driven back.
| Meanwhile, another Allied force 10
working up the Dwina, a fine. broad
river at Kotlas. 26O miles from Arch.
angel, which Is the railhead of Vistka,
on the Murman Railroad. 1t is expected
to arrive there early next month. An
unconfirmed rumor reports that there is
an advance Of 1000 Bolshevists from
Lake Omega, and that the Germans are
prepared to march north from all the
Finnish railroads. One Of their chief
objecti,es will be the Petchegenen gulf,
| which would make a U-boat base.
( From the rest of Russia the news Is
obscure. There Is disquieting report
ofra Czecho- Slovak defeat near Samara
by the Bolshevists, but It Is unconfrmed,
There seems to be a chance that the
Russian forces under Alexieff and Dene-
kin, which have been operating In the
southern Urals. will Join the Czecho-
Slovaks Originally composed of former
officers, 1t has been considerably re-
cruited from the anti-Bolshevik peas
antry.
The truth Of the flight of Lenine and
Trotsky Is still undetermined