The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-05-12
THRUST
ON IN DRIVES
AGAINST REDS
Effort Made to Straighten Out
Line North of Kiev-Cap-
ture of Odessa Reported,
Not Automatically.
THE FIGHTING IS FIERCE
(By Associated Press)

WARSAW, May 12.-Polish and
Ukrainian forces have struck a
mighty blow at the Russian Bolshevik
front far north of Kiev and have
driven the enemy back along the
Beresina river.
Bctchitsa, an important Dnieper
river crossing has been captured and
serious losses have been inflicted on
the soviet army. Fighting is now
going on over a front of approx
mately APO miles.
Necessity of Strengthening the Pol
ish line after the capture of kiev is
said to have led to the new offensive,
which extends from almost directly
west of Vitebsk to below kiev, on the
Dnieper. Polish forces have crossed
the Beresina at several points and
have taken Wielatisch after heavy
fighting.
Northeast of Mozir, the Bolshevik
army has been forced across the Dnle-
per. Attempts were made by the en-
emy to destroy the railroad bridge
at Betchitsa, but Polish units pre-
vented this move and captured a large
number of prisoners. Announcement
is made that two soviet regiments
were annihilated in the fighting
around this town
From Kiev northward to the mouth
of the Pripet river, a distance of
about SO miles, the Bolshevik on the
west side of the Dnieper are slowly
falling back.
Latest advices indicate that the
Bolshevik have been driven back out
of the kiev bridgehead. Terror pre-
vailed among the people in the city
during the bombardment.
Odessa Is Taken.
Capture of Odessa, the most i'm
portant Russian port on the Black
sea, is reported. Official advices of
the taking of the city have not as
yet been received, the communica-
tions dealing with events of some
days ago, apparently, as they tell of
the capture of Tultschin and Bratz-
lau, on the Bug river, some distance
north of Odessa.
KIEv, May Shy Courier to War
saw, May 12D-Americans entering
Kiev today on the heels Of Polish
troops were struck with the neglected
and dilapidated appearance of the
city. There was scarcely building
inta ct in the city with the exception
of brick store.
In residential districts, where frame
houses formerly stood, there remain
only protruding foundations. Board
after board had been taken away for
firewood during the winters of the
last few years urDn nothing remains
of super-StructureS.
The streets were covered with dirt
and filth, and in many places neg
lected pavements were overgrown
with grass Even streets in the cen
ter of the city have been unrepaired
for several years and present gaping
holes every few feet.
LONDON, May 12-Russian Boil
shevik authorities have agreed to
spare the lives of soldiers captured
from General Denikine's army in
southern Russia and those of other
anti-soviet troops who may in the fu-
ture be taken prisoner
A note to this effect was today re-
ceived by British officials in answer
to appeals sent to Moscow by this
country during the past fortnight
Suggestion is made in the Bolshe-
Wiki note that the British government
negotiate with Bolshevik representa-
tives, preferably those now in Copen-
hagen, regarding final disposition of
men captured in the fighting against
General Denikine, and also relative to
resumption of trade relations between
the two countries.
Officials here hope full protection
can be guaranteed Denikine's men with
trade agreements or other concessions
to Moscow