Arizona republican., 1920-11-23
Officials Fear Cannibalsm On Board Bosphorus Relief Ships
 Unless Food Supplies Received
 Shortly---D Death Rate Appalling
Over Confidence Caused Defeat Of
 General Wrangel
Republican A. p. Leased Wirel

ONSTANTINOPLE, Nov. 22-The first story of the downfall of General Baron WrangePs white army was given the correspondent today by one of Baron WrangePs officers who has just arrived here. General Wrangels defeat was ascribed by the officer to the overconfidence of General Wrangel and lack of appreciation of the strength of the enemy.
 The operations across the Dnieper in October, the officer said, had shown the bolsheviki concentration to be more considerable than had been anticipated and this induced General WrangeI to give up his positions in Taurida and withdraw within in Crimean fortified positions, where he awaited the bol- sheviki offensive. The principle req son given for the success of the bol- shevild was improvement in the rail-
 way system and the disposition of con- siderable bolsheviki reserve. These | included the Budenny cavalry, which was reformed after the Polish victory and increased with fresh units after the failure of the attempt to outflank the Kakhovka bridgehead after which 1 General Wrangel resolved to evacuate
 Taurida. The bolsheviki, however,
 started their drive two days earlier, than General Wrangel planned to re- treat, his retirement of the second and
 third corps to Perekop leaving the re-
 mainder of his army, except the Don Cossack cavalry corps, on the Tschon- I gar isthmus. While this retreat was going on, the Don Cossack corps coun- ter attacked in another westerly di- rection and successfully reached the Dnieper, where the panic stricken bol-
 shevilzi destroyed the pontoon bridges
 General Wrangel then reformed three corps under, General Kuitepoff. which
 after a brief resistance against the
 bolsheviki, moved southward to cut of
 Budenny's cavalry which was advanc- ing with extreme rapidity toward the
 southeast. Budenny's cavalry already
 had reached SallSovo and was threat
 ening to cut off the retreat of Genera
 Wrangers right wing
 The bolsheviki, taking advantage O
 the freezing of the Putrid sea. crossed , and outflanked General WrangeFs ad
 vanced position across the isthmus. ap bearing in considerable strength at Ar
 mianski Bazar.
 They thus were enabled to advanc e the main body of their artillery with = out difficulty to Perekop where thei e superiority in guns gave them the ad = vantage in a frontal attack on Genera s Wrangefs principal lines.
 |, In the meantime, the bolsheviki wer y concentrating against Wrangers righ
 flank. The heroism of the defender n during these operations against over s 1 whelming forces was magnificen l. Wrangers forces did not have time t n cook or sleep, as the bolsheviki con q stantly were throwing in reserve: t | Wrangel, without achievements, wa 1t at great disadvantage.
 The struggle around Perekop taste e long enough to enable the evacuatio y of it's defenders. Then the left fan 7, was withdrawn on Sebastopol, the righ l. flank on Yalta and Feodossia, and tn l. Kuban divisions on Kertsch. Tn
 evacuation of Sebastopol began Nc s vember F, and ended on the IA. IT General Wrangel was the last | e leave. When standing on the deck ( 1t the Russian steamer Korniloff he coul Q see small bands of enemy horseme Tel slowly crossing the summit of the lon d ridge north of the city. Wrange el m evacuation of the Crimea was
 marked contrast to that of odessa. d was executed according to plan with l. minimum loss, after such severe dt h feat.