New-York tribune., 1919-01-29
Allied Reverses in Russia

The Russian Bolshevists may or may
not go to the Princes Island confer
ence. But they are making an earnest
effort to get to Archangel.
Dispatches from the North OF Rus
sa disclose an active mdwinter Boil
shevist offensive 1t is directed against
the Allied forces which pushed south
last summer from the White Sea toward
the Petrograd- Perm railroad Possession
of this line would have connected the
Allied Arctic front with the Czecho-
Slav front in the Volga and Ural re-
gions. The main lines of the Allied adj
vance were, on the west, along the
Archangel- Nologda railroad and, on the
east, up the Dwina River toward Kotlas,
whence a good road runs southeast to
Viatka, ON the Petrograd- -Nologda-P Perm
trunk line.
Last summer and fall the Lenine gov
ernment was in great difficulties It's
troops were hard pressed on the Voga.
Trotzky, the Red Secretary of War, ac-
cused the officers of incompetency and
treachery and the men of cowardice.
There were no forces available to
check Allied progress in the north.
Since October however. the Soviet
arrfy has been reorganized and greatly
strengthened. The Reds have been hold
ing their own against the Czecho- o-Slo-
vaks. Lenine has been able to send
armies west to invade Esthonia, 1.-Two
MIA and Lithuania and to threaten Po-
land He has also modified a force
to operate in the north against the
thin columns of the Allies, dangerously
dispersed from their Arctic base.
The Allied expeditionary army in the
north has not been reinforced since the
armistice with Germany was signed. 1t
has been left more or less ''in the air
The vigorous Bolshevist offensive has,
therefore, produced quick results.
The Allied forces in the centre of the
line from the Archarce!-V -Vologda rail
road to the Dwina River occupied posi-
tions in a semi-circle below Shenlursk.
At Velsk they were thirty miles to the
south. The Boshevist attacks began on
January g. The Allied outposts were
steadily driven in. By January "a they
had retreated north thirty miles They
made brief stand at Shenkursk But
two days later they retired thirty miles
further toward Archangel The Red at
tack is also being pressed successfully
along the Nologda railroad.
The Allied troops are at a great dis
advantage, not only because of inferi-
ority of numbers. but because of the
lack of any definite Allied military pol
icy in Russia. They have been left to
shift for themselves, just as the Czecho-
Sioyaks have been left unrelieved for
almost year on the Ura front. The
Parls Conference has invited the Lenine
government to discuss Russian pacifca-
ton But Lenine continues to attack the
Allied forces in Russia while he con-
slders the invitation.
Allied military Intervention in Rus
sia has been Ineffective because it has
oeen half-hearted and ON parsmonious
scale. Practically all that has been ac
complshed IN the way of saving Russia
from Bolshevst regime, acting in Ger
manys interest, was Accomplished hv
wv "NS eA-prlsOnerS of war
VINO dropped miraculously out Of tho
clouds at the propitious moment Bnt
Tor them the Allies at this moment
would probably be holding only Kola
Archangel, Vladivostok and the Black
Sea ports and Russia would bo :.
malignant and powerful enemy. extreme
" difficult to deal with because of the
spread everywhere Of the Boshevist
fanatcism
II it is desired merely to hold Arch
angel the Northern Russia expedition
afy force ought to be withdrawn to the
coast Otherwise, it ought to be rein
lorced- Allied prestige and influence in
russia are being shattered by a lack Of
poilcy which permits feeble Allied forces
70 be enveloped and defeated by Soviet
troops.