Republican farmer., 1920-01-23
MENACE 0F RUSSIAN
 INVASION IN NEAR
 EAST IS VERY REAL
INTERNAL CONDITIONS IN PERSIA, TUR- KEY AND ARGF1ANISTAN ARE THREAT ENING-DEBACLE OF DENIKINE'S
 ARMIES

London, Jan. 16-Attention of the British people is fixed on the Near East; where recent Bolshevik successes have car ried the Red Russian armies almost up to the threshold of India, Persia, Mesopotamia and Asiatic Turkey Cabinet mem bers and chiefs of the British army and navy are today in Paris, whither they were has tily summoned yesterday, and are conferring with Premier Lloyd George on military and naval matters in connection, 1t is believed, conditions in South western Asia.
 Appreh ension was aroused by the issuance of semi i-of1cia1 statement yesterday pointing out the situation that has arisen through the collapse of General Denikine's army in South ern Russia and Bolshevik penetra- tion Hf Trans-Caspia- Not only was it admitted the menace from a Rus sian Bolshevik invasion of the Near East was very real, but it was polnt- ed out that internal conditions ln Persia, Turkey and Afghanistan were threatening. In Mesopotan1a, too, the British are forced to contend with difficulties arising from racial dis sension, It was said that a soviet advance that captures Crimea would make the Black Sea virtually a Rus sian Bolshevik lake, and it was further indicated that Great Britain could hope for little help from the new republic of Georgia, Daghestan and Azerbaijan, which are directly in the path of the soviet advance.
 While there is a possibility the BoIsheviki may launch an over whelming attack against Poland, the statement issued yesterday showed the greatest preoccupation Of official dominion was over the debacle Of Denikine's armies and the rapid ad- vance of the soviet forces toward the Persian and Afghan frontiers. The situation which now confronts Great Britain and, more or less Japan and China, is not of sudden growth, how ever For the last 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- Heved to be formidable.
 Admiral Kolchak's army in Si- beria. seems to have been completely defeated, if not dispersed. The Reds are today far east of Krasnoyarsk and are moving nearer Irlxutsk. While reports from Siberia have dealt al- most entirely with operations along the Siberian railroad, occasional ad- vices have indicated the Bolshevilli have moved far south of that line and have established themselves near the Mongo1ian frontier southwest of Irk- tusk.
 From this line it would appear they might be able to essay incursions to- ward China, to the southeast, or Af- ghanistan and India, to the south. Persia lies south of the Caspian Sea and Bolshevik> agents are said to be active there. Odessa is virtually hemmed in by the Reds, who have nove4 southward until they have dra their lines across the base of to Melitipol.
 Thin yelled threats to resort to methods of terrorism should the Bol- sheviki be opposed by the entente, are contained in a wireless message re- ceiyed hero from Moscow. It is said capital punishment will be inflicted upon enemies of the Soviet govern 1nent only when sentences are ap- proved by the all-Russian eXtraordi- nary commission, but a return to wholesale executions was hinted should the entente nations take steps to combat Bolshevism.