The Washington herald., 1919-01-21
Bolshevists Generally Ad-
mitted to Have Best of
Situation.
HAVE ARMY OF 100000
England Favors Inviting
Reds to Peace Table with
Food as Bait.

Food as Bait.
Paris. Jan. % - Realizing that the
Russian problem is of the utmost i'm
portance at the Peace Conference in
the light of new information regard
ing the Russian internal conditions,
the peace conferees are considering
three plans:
L Armed Intervention for the pur-
pose Of overthrowing the Bolsheviki
and setting up a constituent assembly
for the Russian people. This would
] require perhaps 10000 allied troops.
!. No armed intervention. but as
distance of every kind, including guns
Ind ammunition for the forces ar
Prayed against the Bolsheviki, so as to
4 make possible the formation of an
army capable of fighting terrorism.
/ Cessation Of opposition to the Boil
sheviki and an endeavor to persuade
them to come into the conference.
holding out offers Of food and assist
ance as bait
Last Plan Born in England.
The last plan is practically that of
the British. It developed from late
and accurate information that the
Bolshevist army numbers 800, 900 fairly
Wen disciplined troops, obedient to
Lenine, and held together by high
wages and abundant food
This force is sufficient TO make
headway against any opposition now
in sight Allied opposition consists
Of about 2o.OGO American, British and
Russian soldiers in the vicinity of
ArchangeI, who have been unable,
thus far. to join the 10000 Siberian
and Czech forces extending from
Perm to Ufa and opposing a Boil
, sheVik army of 117OOO along the mid
die course of the Volga
The Omsk government claims 900, 900
loyal troops and the Kuban govern
ment at Ekaterinodar. 10000.
\ small British force returned from
Baku. and anti-Bolshevik Cossacks
are reported to have occupied the
north shore ports of the Caspian Sea.
Following the signing OF the ar
mistice. British and French divisions
were sent across the Black Sea and
troops have been landed at Odessa
and Sebsstopol. -.-
Reds Have Best of 1t.
This showing makes it perfectly
clear that the Bolsheviki have the
best of the situation, at present at
least. and that unless one of the three
plans suggested is adopted Russia
must be left to her own destruction.
1t is undeniable that Bolshevism has
been gaining new recruits lately from
an element opposed to foreign inter
vention in Russian affairs. The
changes in the international situation
during the last few months also
helped to buttress opposition.
Germany's withdrawal allowed the
Bolsheviki to reOccupy large territor-
les lost at Brest Litovsk. The spread
of the German revolution strengthened
the seIf-COnfidence of the BOlsheviki
leaders. Lenine being still predomi-
] nant.
p Economically, ruin and desolation
! face the Russian people. There is lit
tie food save in the army. The only
money circulated is made by printing
presses. The transportation system is
Fnot far removed from complete pa
ralysis.
Seek Bridge Into Germany.
The Bolshevik leaders are turn
ing their attention to offensive op-
erations on the CRussian) Western
front. Probably they hope to open
a bridge to Germany They have
overrun a considerable part of the
Baltic provinces, and are now not
far from Warsaw. Thus far they
have not met any serious military
resistance.
They have suffered some serious
reverses on other fronts, however
notably in the loss of Perm.
Representative of the various
anti-Bolshevik Russian governments
are gradually gathering here.
1t is now clear that immediate
steps must be taken to settle the
Russian question unless a fence is
to be built around a nation of 17O,-
OOO,O 900 souls and that nation is to
be left to work out its destiny in
the same bloody way that has held
the world in awe.
All cOnferees considered the uues-
| tiOn today. No decision is expect
ed for a long time. NJ. Noulens.
French ambassador to Russia, Just
ck from ArChangel. addressed to-
: conference. The plan to send
fommissiOn into Russia to gather
Frther information and perhaps to
ggest plan is still under con-
ideratiOn.