New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-02-13
Red Officials
Admit Army Is
Near Collapse
Former Head of Russian
Navy Says Despite Mill
tary Successes BoIsheviki
Cannot Stop Dissolution
Crandiose War Plans Fail
Troszky Disguised With the
Spirit Shown by Soldiers
Forced Into eshe Service.


Cblonel Vladimir I. Lebedeff, former
Secretary of the Navy in4the Russian
Provisional Governments and member
Of Che All-Russian. Constituent. Assem-
hlys declares that the Red, army is in
process of disintegration and that
this is admitted by grotzsy, BoIshevik
Minister of War, and other high Boil
eheyik military offeials.
Colonel Lebedef. who is now in
Paris, terms the dissolution Of the Red
army IAN inevitable lprscess." and I'M q
lengthy analysis shows that despite
their military suceessss the Bolshsvikt
ares helpless to stonit, HsSsupperts
his argument vita quotations from the
highest Bolshevik sources. -. $
Colonel Lebedeff, who Is member Of
the party of Socialist Revomtionists,
visited this country some time ago. In
the, summer of 1918 he was ut the
head of the Russian troops who fought
fory months on the volga front. to-
gether with the Czecho-Slovaks, hold
ingi the line against the Bolsheviki.
II June, 1918, eight months after
the, downfall of the Provisional Gov
ernment, Colonel Lebedef entered
new ministry organized on the Volga
by sthe committee of the Constituent
Assembly. 1t was as member of this
ministry that he organized detach-
Army, which dealt the Bolsheviki many
severe blows and drove them from q
large part OF the Volga territory.
Purely Class Army, Plan, Abandoned
n his statement cabfcd here yesterl
day Colofeb Iebedef. says; /. >
THE Bolshevik government haVing
launched from the very beginning q
grandiose civil war: and seeking to,
carry this war beyond the bounds Of
Russia and. Implement the conflict With
series of foreign conflicts, was com
peDed to abandon its original idea Of
q purely class army. The Bolsheviki
soon realized that they required armies
OF millions. The military movements
in the Caucasus, Asia Minor, Chiva,
Bachara and on the borders of India.
ths concentration Of troops along the
PoEsh, Rumauian, Esthonian, LatVisn
and Georgian borders, the great con-
pacMcaten Of The Don. e. ban. North
ern Caucasus, the Ukraine, Siberia.
Turkestan, the Upper Volga, the Urals,
,cs, etc. compelled the Bolsheviki to
dept compulsory military service, the.
prR1 pile of which they had hitherto
opposed.
THE forcbIo mobilization of the
population for the realization Of their
ans for foreign and domestic wars in
he name OF the unconcealed dictator
Lip of single party contradicts in it's
ye5y fundamentals the idea of universal
military service.
universal military service, on the
der hand, is in. direct contradiction to
I'D idea of the Bolshevik dictatorship.
eThe Bolshevilsl realized this very
ell from the very beginning of their
domination.
9Fr,m this point flow the hopeless at
teapts of the Bolsheviki to create, in
th@Iface of this contradiction, an army
along purely class, communist, party
lines. ~
Army Like Radishes
fThe wars provoked by the Bolshe-
Wiki proved to be stronger .thsn2 theira
theories. The result has been, sonsinS
GUS mobilization of arsnies-huge, norys5
class armies and, in the words Of Trotz-
ky, "like radishes--red outside but
wltte inside" 1f'.n.
,"sThe Bolsheviki have recently been
compelled to introduce the SYSTEM of
fusl responsibility OF one soldiers FOR
AiptHer. In q Spec1af order. to al: pro-
vincial and regional army committees
ana to all political divisions of tn.
army the central committee Of the Com
IAGnist party sets before them the fol-
loving tasks:
Gin granting leave of absence to Red
army men you must do so only after
subjecting. themsjGesthe effects Of thor
o,ugh political pfoPaaanda by supplying!
them with the gteakssttpo ssible number
OF. leaflets, pamgSlRks, newspapers ana
gifts. You must sfatgowthe same policy
while the men are on route. surfsavingj
tne esche!ons With1S4he latestsne
papers and literatuTs and 'devotiask the
greatest attention YOU can to the needs,
OF the Red army men-s holding meet
ings, conferences and striumphal recep..
items, with the participation Of working
mfn's organizations. Do not cease this
work in the regions of destination with
out carrying it clear to the county
sehts and mobilizing for this purpose
the very best forces of the party.
GFoups of three should be immediately
organized for the conduct of this work,
to! be composed of one representative
f,np of .r.f1