New-York tribune., 1919-04-23
The Situation in Russia

According to information from Paris
Admiral Kolchak's recent operations on
The Nolga front are part Of carefully
planned offensive. The admiraPs plans.
1t is said were communicated to the
Allied military experts in France and
received their approval Munitions are
to be supplied to Kolchak, and there is
now talk of giving his regime the same
sort Of recognition as was given by the
Allied governments last year to the
Czecho-Slovaks and the South Slavs.
kolchak is fighting on front whore the
Bolshevist armies have found it exceed
ingly difficult to make any progress. The
Red Guards of the first period of the
Soviet dictatorship could not hold the
Trans-Siberian Railroad. They lost all
Siberia to the Czecho-Slovak ex-prisoners
Of war, and w-re then driven west of
the Ural as far as the general line Of
the Nolga. There they have stood on
the defensive for the last ten months,
occasionally making slight territorial
gains and then losing them, Siberia and
Southeastern Russia seem to be firmly
anti-Bolshevist and to be fully equal to
dealing with Lenine's eastern armies.
In recent months the Moscow gov
ernment has found it much easier to
gain ground on the northern, southern
and eastern fronts. The main reason
for this has been the shift in Allied
policy at the peace conference. The
Allied expeditions in Northern Russia
and IN the Ukraine were left without
support, moral or military. The white
feather was first shown in the proposal
for the Prinkipo parlev and in the an
nouncement that Allied troops would be
withdrawn from the Archangel district
as soon as the White Sea was open.
Thereupon Lenine began winter cam
paign in the north which pushed back
the Allied lines more than one hundred
miles.
In the south, too, conditions had been
favorable up to the time the peace cor
ference began to daily with the idea Of
recognizing and placating Lenine.
French, Greek, Serbian and Rumanian
forces held the Crirnea and occupied
Odessa. Since then the Bolshevists
have cleared the Crinea up to the out
skirts of Sebastopol and have forced the
Allies back from Odessa to the Bessa-
rabian border. The only efficient anti
Bolshevist force left in this region is
The Jkrainlan peasant army under
Petiura in Northern Ukrania, which is
now reported to have defeated and capt
ured the Bolshevist First Army.
TrotzEy at one time last winter seemed
to have almost reconquered the Baltic
provinces. These states were weakly
organized and faced grave internal trou-
bles Poland claimed Wilma, but could not
defend it because she was busy fighting
the Germans in Posen, the Czecho-
Slovaks in Silesia and the Ruthenians
and Ukrainians in Eastern Galicja.
When General Haller's Polish troops
arrive from France Poland will be in
position to drive the Bolsheviki out
Of the department of Wilma. Possibly
alter the dispute over the possession of
Aemperg and Eastern Galicia is settled
at Paris the Ukrainians will also give
ail tneir attention to expeling the RoI-
shevist invaders.
The Soviet dictatorship in Moscow is
today the greatest single menace TO the
peace OF Europe. Instead Of helpinc 70
sustain it by sending food to the ponuIa.
''oh under its control, the Allies ought
70 send military supplies to the govern
ments IN Russia which are willinc -
night it. These governments rnuss ~
depended on to do the work which +bo
conference is not willing to do Tbon
may reileve the Allied nations If ~
obligation which they have dodped ~
this certainly they should have evor,.
assistance short Of that military ro;r
forcement which we deny them. r. bonas
Of sterilization of Russia, once centrir.
IN the Paris conference, now centre 10
koichak, Petlura and Paderewski tb.aa
leaders should be assured Of no,;t;ca1
moral and economic support. And moth
ing can be gained meanwhile bv trv;ro
TO beg Of or buy OF Lenine with eb:n
nents Of foodstuTs into Bolsboyis+
Russia -''