The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-01-13
STABLE GOVERNMENT
FOR SOUTH RUSSIA
ENTENTE POWERS TRYING TO
AGREE WITH VARIOUS FAC
TIONS IN THAT SECTION

here that conferences soon will be
held in the south of Russia in which
will participate representatives of the
of the various powers, representatives
of the Ukraine government, the Don
Cossacks, the Orenburg Cossacks and
the provisional governments of Ar
menia and Georgia. Their purpose
will be to reach an understanding as
to the creation of a government in
south Russia, the Caucasus and the
Trans-Caucasus, with which the en-
tente powers can cooperate in re-
storing normal economic, social and
political conditions.
Although the Bolsheviki have many
followers 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 Trans-Caucasus their
hold has been even slighter. Cos
sacks of all sorts have been enemies
of the Bolsheviki, as they are all land
holders and unalterably opposed to
the domination of their districts by
outsiders.
MANY British naval and military
officers. as we'll as civil officials have
left London for the Black Sea dis
trict since the signing of the armis
tice and commercial interests are also
sending Representatives to look the
situation over preparatory to opening
up the extensive oil and garin dis
tricts.
Siberia, the Ukraine, Finland and
the new government at Archangel
shut Bolshevik Russia off entirely
from it's ports, and the unfriendliness
of the government in all these sec
lions to the Moscow government I'm
der Lenine is daily increasing the
strain on soviet Russia. The new
governments in these various sections
which have refused to accept Boil
shevism are not as stable as the en-
tente powers might wish. While they
all express their desire to become a
part of Russia should federation be-
come possible under an acceptable
central government, the political diff
ferences in all the four sections nam
ed have been keen, and party quarrels
and the ambition of rival leaders have
frequently exceeded patriotism In the
struggle for power.
Oniv about 4O,0O0,000 inhabitants
now remain under Bolshevik control.
The total population of the Russian
empire as it existed before the revolu-
ton was estimated at 180,000,000. The
great majority of this population IS
in the portion of Russia south OF Boil
shevik rule, which is far the richest
and most populous portion OF the for
mer empire.
Consequently developments in south
Russia are watched with great eager
ness by military and naval men and
alike. A stable central
established at Kiev, Odes-
"a or Sevastopol and recognized by
The entente powers would control the
great majority Of .Russia's natural re-
sources, especially if it gained con-
,rol of the Volga and established com
with the mineral deposits
If the Urals, and the grain fields OF
Such government would naturally !
,e the kew to Russia's political and
economic future. Northern Russia is {
sterile in contrast with the south. It's '
ands are poor. Moscow and Petro- {
rad industries depend entirely upon
Instant centers for their raw products 1
rhe factories and industrial popula- 1
ions of north Russia, or soviet Rus
ia. are entirely within districts which
annot feed themselves. And therein c
les the greatest inherent weakness i
f the Russian Bolshevik movement. 6
t is based on theories which are re- a
to the districts which pro- a
uce the foodstuffs and can starve Q
oviet Russia as sign of their dis \
pproval. i
Arabs and Turks holding Armenl- a
ms. bargain with relief workers for u
fair price for their captives. One n
ollar OF thereabouts, often buys an t
.rmenian. But the transaction is not f
lways easy to start Mr.. Lacy writes n
rom Bagdad although we are p
laking efforts to get into touch with S
ne many Armenians among the S
lrabs outside, in order to purchase Il
lem, up until now we have not man Il
eed anything definite; 9Ad the I'M
ettIed country, owing to- military OPP
-ations, makes the task very diff
lit. We hope the way will eventually
pen for getting hold of most of these b
aptives. In this case we shall have t.
, make quick call on all the funds |.e,
e have = r il