Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-10-14

l. by a formidable ring Of enemies. The
Allies have launched not less than four'mili-
tay expeditions against them-in the Muir
man, at Archangel, in Siberia and in Turkes-
tan. to say nothing of one to Baku. where we
were supposed to be cooperating with the
Bolsheviks against -the Germans and the
Turks With at least two of the old border
States-Finand and the Ukraine-Moscow
has not yet concluded peace, while we doubt
whether anybody could disentangle the reia-
tions between the Bolsheviks and the Don.
the Caucasus and other great reaches OF one
time Russian land. Beyond the border states
there is Germany, which has recently con-
cluded new treaties with Moscow but when
assuredly has no passion, for the Boisheviks
and will readily seize any tool that promises
to aid her purposes.
WITHIN Great Russia herself the Boil
w sheviks are faced with perhaps their
most formidable enemies OF all. The others
are on the outer fringes these are at the
very heart of their dominion When the
Bolsheviks made their revolution they couio
carry with them outside their immediate
party, the Left Social Revolutionaries, whose
support was valuable because of their inti-
mate association with the peasantry In
July the Left Social Revolutionaries declared
war on the Bolsheviks. They murdered
Count Mirbach the German ambassador. and
they attempted a rising at Moscow. The
effort failed utterly, and there was no re-
sponse outside Moscow; but 1t left the Boil
sheviks absolutely alone for the future, with
every other Russian faction. from the Black
Hundreds down through every shade OF
iliberalism and liberalism and revolution
against them
NF THE various military expeditions
I J against the Bolsheviks the public know
something about two only Our Archangel
force has advanced with some dincuity
about seventy-fve miles. On this front the
Bolsheviks would seem to be putting up
fairly stubborn resistance because the threat
is nearest to a vital center Of Great Russia
But the military forces engaged on poth
sides must be very modest, and II snouid De
remembered that the Germans are only rev
hours off Petrograd and. IL they desired
could occupy that city long before our Arch
angel force could approach II. The Allied
forces operating In Siberia have had more
signal success. The whole Siberian line.
certainly from Irkutsk to Vladivostok ana
probably for a much longer stretch west
ward, is under Allied control. The Boil
shevik resistance in this region has coiiapseo
swiftly Along the Amur railway the boi-
dreds Of miles, and It may be reasonably an
ticipated that their power there aSo is
broken. These operations show that the
stories about large Bolshevik forces ana large
Austro- Hungarian prisoner forces In eastern
Siberia were fables.
yv1HE German menace In this part OF the
world is clearly fabrication; but like
many another fabrication, has served It's
nurpose. The Allies have succeeded In
rescuing the main body of Czecho-slovaks
who were in Siberia. The road out OF RUS
sia is now open to them, " that IS what we
wanted Doubtless by negotiation the
czecho-Slovaks on the Volga could Also be
redeemed. The Allied Governments have TO
make up their minds whether the rescue OF
| the Czecho- -Slovaks is their real purpose IN
these military adventures. IL II De- theh
that purpose has been achieved III their
nurpose is more extensive. then they should
| Tell us, Is II TO detach siberia from boil
sheyik rule? II II be. let them say SO, TOT
that involves commitments OF very eNteh-
sIye kind. or is It their aim to overthrow the
| Rolsheyik government everywhere In Russia !
| Again let them say so. for this involves stili
| more extensive military commitments PROD
| ahlv the Allies have not made up their mind
| on any OF these very important questiohs.
| One has but to read the documents issueu py
| the various Allied Governments 70 see mat
| there is no real unity OF aim and spirit De-
| tween them In these Russian adventures
| The time however. has now come ,or theIn
| to have a policy. for they are rapiay Great
| ing a situation which demands policy
| ACCORDING TO one report the American
| "A diplomats who have just left Russia stin
| believe the Bolshevik Government % b the
| only political foroe WITH reei neN npon