Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-08-18
OFFENSIVE IN
NORTH RUSSIA
SEEMS FAILURE
Junction With Kolchak is
Frustrated by Superior
Bolshevik Forces. '

Archangel, July ~
nee of the Associated Press'M 1ar1h
Russia. which was intended this sum
mer to connect with Admiral Koi-
chak's Siberian army and estapiisn
Archangel as a base through Wnlcn
allied supplies might be handed 70
all anti Bolshevik armies In neio'
has met with Unexpectedly strong re-
! s,stance on the Dvina river at the
Same time that Admiral kolchak's
armies have been driven
Into Siberia.
because of insufficient forces, lack
cf open support by the allied govern
naent and the fact that natural rae
tors have aided the Bolshevikl' the
expedition, according TO- milltafy opt he
ion in Archangel at this time, may De
doomed this summe to a fallure
equally as bad as that which met last
sumHfer's efforts unless large FORCES
are thrown in at once by the all,eo
vernme and n war against the
Bo]sheviki undertaken in arnes
Held on Defensive.
Throughout the long winter. when
the allies and Russians on the Arch
angel front were fighting a hard
dressed, defensive battle against su-
nerior forces. the allied command was
waiting the arrival of summer to take
the offensive. >,
Fearing that political conditions in
England would be greatly disturbed
II II were to become known that me
two brigades of British volunteer
troops. sent ostensibly to erect the
relief Of allied forces already lmperll-
ed AND outnumbered, were in reality
to be used as a reserve for this sum-
rner's offensive. tho censor did not
hermit the local announcement to that
effect to be cabled abroad.
This announcement, mad to the
Archangel press on June 8. by Major
General lronside, commander-ln-chlef
of the North Russian forces. was to
the effect that Archangel was to be
made a base for the Siberian army
through an immediate offensive for
Kotlass, on the river Dvina. kotlass is
the rail head for the line running to
Viatka, on the Trans-Siberian rail-
way, a distance of approximately ESQ
miles from the position at that time
of Kolchak's advanced posts. since
then driven back many miles east
ward. In this campaign, SAID General
Ironside, the British troops were to
act as a reserve while the Russians
went ahead.
Offensive Was Checked.
The offensive began late in June,
but so far has advanced only a few
miles. Kotlass is still more than a hun
dred miles from the Russian ana Brit
ish positions on the Dvina. which are.
in fact, only at about the same point
where the Americans were establish
ed last autumn before the strong Boil
shevik offensive caused them to with
draw during the winter.
Although compared with last sum
mer's pitifully small force the pres
emit British and Russian command is
4 well equipped, it is still far below the
y strength of the Bolsheviki in both
numbers and artillery. The British
gunboats and monitors. of which a
large f1otilla was sent for operations
on the Dvina and Naga rivers, have
for the most part proved useless be-
cause of the low water.
Americans Out.
Even the British volunteer forces
have been informed that they will be
withdrawn from North Russia before
winter sets in. All Americans ant
French arc nov off the Archange
front. and the newly trained Russian
troops. most of whom were secured
by draft, are limited in number, thu
territory being sparsely settled. They
are, however, we'll equipped.
At the present time the North Rus
sian government. which has establish.
ed, under direction of General kol
chalk, a STRONG" policy to hold up tht
discipline in the army and among tn,
civilian population, is determined t.
carry on the war against the Bolshe
Wiki to the finish and the people ap
pear anxious to cooperate.