The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-19
ID RESTORE ORDER
 IN SOUTH RUSSIA
Conferences Under Way Look to Formation of
 Stable Government
By Associated Press


 London, December 12-U is reported here that conferences soon will be held in the south of Russia in which will par ticipate representatives of the various entente powers, representatives of the Ukraine government, the Don Cossacks, the Orenburg Cossacks and the provi- sional governments of Armenia and Georgia Their purpose will be to reach an understanding as to the creation of a government in south Russia, the Cau- casus and the transcaucasus, with which the entente powers can cooperate Tn restoring normal economic, social and po- litical conditions.
 Although the bolsheviki have many fol- lowers throughout the Ukraine, they never were predominant even in the shipbuilding cities of the Black sea. In the Don region and in the Caucasus and Transcaucasus their hold has been even slighter Cossacks of all sorts have been enemies of the bolsheviki, as they are all landholders and unalterably opposed to the domination of their districts by out siders.
 Many British naval and military off, cers, as well as civil officials. have left London for the Black sea district since the singing of the armistice and com mercial interests are also sending repre- sentatives to look the situation over pre- paratory to opening up the extensive oil and grain districts.
 Siberia the Ukraine, Finland and the new government at Archangel shut bol- shevik Russia off entirely from its ports, and the unfriendliness of the government in all these sections to the Moscow gov- ernment under Lenine is daily increas- ing the strain soviet Russia. me new governments in these various sec tions which have refused to accept bol- shevism are not as stable as the entente powers might wish. While they all ex- press their desire to become part or Russia should federation become possi- ble under an acceptable central govern ment the political differences in all the four sections named have been keen, and party uuarrels and the ambition of rival leaders have frequently exceeded pa triotism in the struggle for power.
 Only about 10000, ,OOO inhabitants now re- main under boshevik control. The total population of the Russian empire as IL existed before the revolution was est- mated at 1S0, 0c0. The great majority of this population is in the portion or Russia south of bolshevik rule, which Is far the richest and most populous por- ton of the former empire.
 Consequently, developments in south Russia are watched with great eager ness by military and naval men and diplomatists alike. A stable central gov ernment established at Kiev, Odessa or Sevastopol and recognized by the en- tente powers would control the great ma jority of Russia's natural resources es- pecially if it gained control of the Volga and, established communication with the mineral deposits of the Urals and the grain fields of Siberia.
 Such a government would naturally De the key to Russia S political and economic future Northern Russia Is sterile in contrast with the south. It's lands are poor. Moscow and Petrograd industries depend entirely upon distant centers for their raw products. The factories and in- dustrial populations of north Russia, or soviet Russia, are entirely within dis tricts which cannot feed themselves. And therein lies the greatest inherent weak ness of the Russian bolshevik movement It is based on theories which are repug- nant to the districts which produce the foodstuffs and can starve soviet Russia as a sign of their disapprovaL
 For automobile upholstery an artificial silk is being made from spun glass in England