The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-06-30
War Minister of Russian Soviet
Government Tells of
Military Situa-
tion.
ATTACK rs BEATEN OFF
kolehak's Troops Demoralized and
Surrenderlna by Thousands
While Belng Driven
Back.
[By Edward Bing, United Press Staf'
Correspondent

by Edward Bing, United Press Stair
Correspondent
copyright 1919, by The United Press]
BUDAPEST, June 2S-Leon Trot-
sky, war minister OF the Russian
soviet government said in a wireless
interview today that the allied attack
against Petrograd has been definitely
beaten Off
Trotsky made a condition of the
interview that it should be published
literally as he sent it by wireless from
Moscow. AS result it Is necessary
to follow Trotsky's own style in the
interview, which follows: g1s Y
believing this to be an opportunity
to inform the American public, am
answering Bing's wireless questions.
"The first question is regarding the
military situation as 1t affects the Rus
sian soviet system.
Reply: Military condition Of the
soviet at present Is unequal on various
fronts. Our western front is In a large
territory which German imperialism
seized under the pretense of liberating
small nationalities. The entente
powers are now repeating on our
western front Germany's venture.
which has obliged the newly formed
Esthonian, Lettish and Lithuanian red
armies to retreat eastward.
"Regaring the southern front, we
defeated Krassnoffs army. which
existed formerly on sustenance fur
nished by Germany and later on that
furnished by entente imperialists.
Deniken's troops replaced Krass'
noffs. English shipping, through the
Black sea ports abundantly supplied
Denikin. But had it not been for the
spring floods along the rivers, which
restrained our offensive the soviet
forces would have chased Denik1n's
army into northern Caucasus. In the
present fighting in this territory par
tial successes by Denikin have been
extremely exaggerated by our enc
mics.
..The long prepared attack against
Petrograd, expected to furnish over
whelming results, has been beaten OIL.
The organized wire pullers OF the
Petrograd plan must reconcile them
selves to this fact.
Attempts to stir up military up
risings against the soviets in ukralna
are a complete failure. The Ukraln-ans
are wiping out these bandit gangs ana
organizing a disciplined red army.
aKolchak's winter offensive against
our eastern front was duly resisted. IN
the last six weeks Kolchak has oeen
driven back over a territory totalllns
100000 square kilometers, losing large
quantities of munitions. his troops
are wholly demoralized and surrender
ing by the thousands. Some of the
hest of his volunteer regiments are
now fighting valiantly in the ranks OF
the red army. Even Kolchak, who was
honing recently to crown himself
within the Kremlin walls is at present
seeking his crown in the Siberian
tnndras. The eastern front offers
typical spectacle, inasmuch as the
TEMPORARY western and southern front
failures will result in the same reac-
+ion as the campaigns on the eastern
front The working masses are re-
crl,iting our army in such manner
that reversal of the position on the
southern and western fronts Is in
evitable.
'The second question is regarding
the reds army supply system.
"Reply: The army supply works
made the biggest progress curing the
last wear. Difficulties in the distr1-
button Of clothing show the lack OF
adequate transportation, not short
age of materials. At present the cen
tralized war supply system Is under
the direction of Krasin, an economi-
cal man and one of the Russian or
who has made invaluable
improvements. War materials are not
lacking, but the numerical growth OF
the army necessitates three shifts in
the arms and ammunitions factories.
1--WE should prefer making plows
and harvesting machinery, but we