Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-01-03
WORLD SWEPT
BY CONFLICTS
DURING 1920
Hailed as Peace Year. De-
spite Many Bitter
Struggles.
U. S. HAS LARGE ARMY

hailed 1920 as peace year, Dut tne -
miIiar sound CT battle rolled increasingly
through many parts Of Europe ana ASIA
All Of the big powers with the notable
exception Of the United States and Rus
sia had signed treaties or Joined the
League Of Nations, but the whole year
WIS marked by wars, revolutions and at
tempted military coups. Fighting waa
continuous in Russia and Turkey. Civil
war broke out IL China. Germany had
j narrow escape from civil war then
snail clique of German milita-ists under
Von Kapo attempted to seize tae Berlin
Government on March 13 Violent str.rJ
has ragged and continues to rage in Ire
land The year ends with the virtual
collapse OF the Utopian movement for
universal disarmament. The United States
is maintaining nearly quarter Of mil
lion men under arms and is executing a
naval program that will make her the
first sea power IN the world unless Great
Britain enlargeS her program. And ia
pan has served notice upon the League
Of Nations that she will not disarm SO
long as the United States continues to
increase her land and sea forces.
The biggest war Of 1920 was fought
between Eiet Russia and Poland. En-
ragged G. the territorial encroaehments Ot
Z
tun4ty to push Bolshevism westward tie
sovicts massed great army against the
Poles. Fighting broke out in March ard
soon q terrific struggle was raging over
battlefront approximately 500 miles
long. The Poles we're successful in the
initial stage Of the fighting, but the Rus
SLAMS rallied, smashed the Polish trout
and were On the point OF taking Warsaw
when, with French and British help, the
Poles beat of the invaders. After six
months of violent fighting peace negoti-
ations were opened at Minsk, but were
later transferred to Riga, where they are
still in progress.
RUSSIAN REDS
WIN SUCCESS.
Except for the Polish war, 1920 was
a successful military year for Red Rus
STA. Three extensive campaigns were
conducted against the soviet with allied
assistance, but all collapsed. They were
led by Admiral Kolthcak, who was exc
cuted in Siberia, following his defeat By
General Denekin, who fled to England
after his army was defeated and scat
tered in South Russia, and by Gen. Baron
Nrangel, who fed to Turkey after his
army was crushed in Crimea.
During 1920 Red Russia entered into
an alliance with the Turkish Nationalists
under Mustapha Renal Pasha and to
gether they smothered Armenia into
submission. The present state of Ar
menia, about as big in extent as an
American county, lies in the Caucasus
Mountains, outside of the old Ottoman
Empire.
The military ambitions Of the soviet
were reaching into Persia, even while
Red armies were contending against the
Poles and General Wrangel, but the
British put an army into Persia and
compelled the Russians to withdraw. Red
troops were landed at Enzei. Persia,
from thirteen transports in May. and
threatened to march upon reheran and
convert Persia into 4 soviet republic.
The British army which drove out the
Russians is still maintained in Persia
as bulwark for the protection Of India
TURKISH EMPIRE
Is BATTLE GROUND.
The thunder Of battle has roared al
most without pause throughout the old
Turkish Empire, with four allied armies
arrayed against the Arabs and the Tur
ish Nation2lists. Although little news
has reached the outside world from Meso-
potamia, that obscure quarter of the
world has for months been the theater
of a violent struggle between a British
army OF nearly Aev-DyV nth anu oLLOur
forces Of Turks and Arabs. In the in
terror Of Anatolia the brunt Of the fight
ing on the allied side fell upon the Greek
army, which was sent to crush the Ma
tionalists. On the AIarmora littoraI the
British and Turks were at grips. but the
IRE from British warships compelled the
Turks to retire to the hinterland. In
Syria the French went TO war against the
Arebs because the Arabs refused to &C.
cept the French mandate. Only Il brief
campaign was necessary to queH Arab
resistance. But little fighting fell to
the lot of the Italian forces of oceupa-
ton in Turkey.
Only the lack Of transport and the
embroilments in western and southern
Russia prevented Siberia from becoming
a great battle field during 1920 The Jap
anese occupied vast stretches of Siberian
territory in defiance TO the soviet, mean
while giving assistance to the and-BOl-
shevist army Of General Semenoff. The
Reds crushed Semenof's army but were
not strong enough to go TO war against
the Japanese.
The only warfare in Continental Europe
occurred in western Germany where
Communists were engaged with the gov
eminent forces. After a brief campaign
the Communists were defeated and dis
armed.
The Balkans, formerly known rs 'the
cockpit Of Europe" failed TO run true to
form in 1920. 1t furnished only a little
fighting. This occurred in the mountains
Of Albania where MOntenegrin insurgents
and Albanians united against the Ser
bans
D'ANNUNZIO CONTINUES
wARLIKE SEIZURES.
Fiume was a sore spot all year and
was filed with the potentialities Of war
between Italy and Jugo Slsvia. In de-
fance to the Rome government Gabriel
dAnnunzio's legionRires occupied a num-
Der Of islands which were claimed by
Jugo Slavia. Finally the treaty Of Ra-
PABLO was negotiated, but d'Annunzio re-
fused to recognize It and continued his
warlike seizures. An Italian army and
feet were sent to Fiume to blockade the
port. D'Annunzio retaliated with a ode
elaration of war" This war declara ton,
however. was never put into effect. Fight
ing was confined to skirmishing between
d'Annunzio's troops and Jugo Slav Dor
der guards.
Rebellion and potential rebellion sim
meTed all year long in three-quarters of
the British Empire-Ireland, India and
Egypt. Virtual war has been raging in
ireland for several months. In Egypt
and India huge British armies have
maintained order except for sporadic out
breaks.
Terrific fighting marked China's civil
war in the extreme northeastern CORNER
OF the country. The milItarIst-monarch-
list forces attempted to gain control OF
the Pekin government, but the civil
strife died down as cuiekI1- aSf4t boo