The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-01-16
BOLSHEV|K| REDS.
ARE THU \ NDER|NC
AT THE DOORWAYS
OF NEAREST INDIA

London, Jan. 16.--Attention of the
British people is fixed on Near East
where recent bolshevid successes have
carried the Red Russian armies al.
most to the threshold of India, Per.
sla, Mesopotamia. and Asiatic Turk,
ey. Cabinet members and Niefs of
the British army and navy a. today
ia Paris, whittier they were .astily
summoned yesterday and are confer.
ring with Premier Lloyd George on
military and naval matters in connec.
ton, it is believed, with conditions in
southwestern Asia.
Apprehension was aroused by the
issuance OF a scmi-official statement
yesterday pointing out the situation
that has arisen through the collapse
Ut General Deniiinc's army in south
Cn Russia and bolshevili penetration
Of trans-Caspia. Not only was 1t ad.
mitted the menace from a Russian
boSheyiki invasion of the Near East
was very real. but it pointed out That
internal conditions in Persia, Turkey,
and Afghanistan were threatening.
In Mesopotamia, too. the British
are forced 10 contend with difficulties
arising from racial dissension.
1t was said that soviet advance
that capturs the Crimea would make
the Black Sea virtually 4 Russ an
bOlsheyiHi lake, and it was further in.
dictated that Great Britain could hopC
for little help from the new republics
Of Georgia, Daghestan and Azel bal
jan, which are directly in the path of
the soviet advance.
While there is n possibility the boi
sheviM may launch an overwhelming
attack against Poland. the statement
issued yesterday showed the greatest
pre- e'Occupation Of officialdom was over
the debacle of Denilline's armies and
the rapid advance of the soviet forces
toward the Persian and Afghan from.
tiers.
The situation which now confronts
Great Britain. and more or less Japan
and China. is not Of sudden growth
however. for the past two months or
more the bolsheviki have had an al
most unbroken series OF successes
which have swept them forward on
all fronts where their forces are be-
lieved to be formidable.
Admiral Kolchak's army in Siberia,
seems 10 have been completely de-
feated il not dispersed. The Reds
are today east Of Krasnoyarsk. and
are moving nearer Irkutsk
While reports from Siberia have
dealt almost entirely with operations
along the Siberian railroad. occasional
advices have indicated the holshevikl
have moved far south Of that line
and have established themselves near
the Mongolian frontier southwest OF
Irkutsk.
Further to the southwest, the sov.
let forces have passed Akmolinsk ard
are believed to have moved southward
and eastward toward the frontier Of
Chinese Turkestan.
The capture of Bokhara, less than
200 miles from the Afghan border, was
announced from Moscow q week ago
| and 1t was said krasnodOvsk, on the
eastern shore of the Caspian Sea was
firmly iii The hands of the Red forces.
Thus from the Yenisei river, TO the
Caspian, distance Of more than p
| 200 miles, the bolsheviki seem to be
quite firmly established From this
line it would appear they might be
able to essay incursions toward China
to the southeast. or Afghanistan and
India to the south, Persia lies south
OF the Caspian Sea, and bolshevih
agents are said to be active there.
Odessa is virtually hemmed In by
the Reds, who have moved southward
until they have drawn their lines
across the base Of the Crimean penln'
sula from Nikopol to Melltpol.
Thinly vciled threats to resort to
methods OF terrorism should the boil
sheviki be opposed by the entente
| are contained in a wireless message
received here from Moscow. 1t is
said capital punishment will be in
fllcted upon enemies of the soviet
government only when sentences are
approved by the all.Russian eXtraor
diuary commission, but n return to
wholesale executions was hnted at
should the entente nations take steps
, to combat bolshevism.