Omaha daily bee., 1920-03-07
SOVIET RUSSIA
Wins PLACE IN
WORLD AFFAIRS
Bolshevists Gain Military
Control Of Country
With Exception Of
New States.
BY COL. HENRY ]. REILLY.

By COL. HENRY J. REILLY.
Examination of the situation as
II exists today shows:
l. That the bolsheviki have COM
plete military control of all of old
Russia with the exception of the
new states created along its western
border.
2. That the bolsheviki possesses
fairly large, constantly growing,
fairly well equipped, well trained,
and we'll led army which is now
available for use either in the west
against Europe or IN central Asia
against Great Britain's dependen-
cies.
8. That the belt OF small states
between the Baltic and the Black
sea have not sufficient strength in
dfvidually or collectively to resist
the threatened blow.
4. Great Britain, In spite OF tre-
mendously increased military re-
sponsibilities on land and in spite Of
a rapidly diminishing army, pro-
poses to rely upon voluntary enlist
ment to raise a new army and that
she therefore is not and will not be
in condition to face an immediate
military crisis.
S. That France Is we'll prepared
and proposes to continue to be well
No Stopping the Bolsheviki. :
1t is therefore doubtful if the
armed force necessary to defeat the
bolsheviki army, should it attack, is
in existence.
If it is not in existence, can it
be- produced in the present state of
public opinion in the different coun-
tries?
Each Of the small states stretch
ing from the Baltic to the Black
sea has a socialist party more or
less strong and opposed to fighting
the bolsheviki. In addition, some
OF them have watched with alarm
the success of the monarchist party
in the recent Hungarian elections, as
they fear that crowned head in
Hungary will only be the first step
to one in Austria and then one in
Berlin. Some of these states have
already started making peace with
the bolshviki.
Policy of French Republic.
The French policy is directed
against the bolsheviki because they
do not desire the spread of their
doctrine.
4 They also fear ultimate German
commercial, financial and political
control of Russia, resulting in an
enlarged and strengthened Ger
many whom they could not resist.
For these reasons they are OPP
posed to treating with the bolsheviki
and equally opposed to any policy
which would purchase German help
against the bolshevik menace by
the revision OF the terms of the
treaty of Versailles. These terms
are desiqred to so weaken Germany
4, and tcT keep her SO weakc- ed that
She never can again be menace to
France.
Opinion In Great Britain.
In Great Britain at the present
schools of thought. The first of
time there are apparently three
these agrees with the French point
Of view. ;. 1t advocates facing the
problem squarely and fairly by
making sufficient military prepara-
tions to meet any attempt at in
vasion by the bolsheviki with suffi-
cient force to defeat them. 1t calls
the attention of the public to a
marked similarity between the con-
ditions existing today and those
which existed in 1914 and the years
just prior to the beginning OF the
war.
The same desire to reduce arma-
ments to get rid of war ami the
same tendency of political leaders
to avoid frank statements as to for
eign policies were prevalent then
as now. During those years the
party opposed to making war OH
the continent was so strong that
such military preparations as were
made for the recent war had to be
disguised.
Must Fight for Empire.
Today the labor party by its
bitter oppositions to a military
policy based on facts prevents the
steps being taken which the defense
of the existing empire demands.
1t is pointed out that if the Brit
ish overseas empire is to be main
tanned it will have to be fought for
in the future and probably in the
near future, as in the past
There is one essential difference,
however; the days of small armies
and small eapeditionary forces are
, past War today between nations
means whole peoples in arms.
There is second school which,
like the first, regards bolshevism
as dangerous enemy, but which,
unwilling to make the military prep
arations necessary to meet square,
ly the issue, proposes to get the
needed additional strength by a
policy Of close cooperation with
Germany. Mr.. Churchill is COM
monty accepted as one of the lead
srs of this school.
Would Make Peace with Reds.
There is a third school which
advocates making peace with the
boishcviki. thinking thereby to re-
move that danger. BY building up
trade relations they hope to profit
Dy buying raw material eheaply in
stead of at high prices in America,
to sell their own goods, and also
20 prevent German exploitation of
Russia.
Mr.. Lloyd George is commonly
considered to be the leader of this
school. He also is reported to have
encouraged, and still to be encourag-
ing, the making of peac. with the
toisheviki BY the small states along
the Russian border from the Baltic