The Washington times., 1922-04-02

VRS u AVA4 SQUSA 1W V1lWS
commanders who have received
special training 10 per cent, Off
GERS promoted during the war %
per cent. military officials per
cent. officers Of the cadre per
cent. The red army has been a
huge melting-pot for this varying
human material and has nodded
out Of II tho figures 1t needs. We
have had to form our commanding
personnel from all sources, includ-
Ing the former officers Of the cadre.
These officers have performed
great services for us. We needed
them. They gave W training, hut
ut the same time they themselves
learned much.
SUPERVISING BANDITS.
Al to social origin. the army 10
composed Of the following groups:
More than 81 per cent are peas
ants. IL per cent are workmen. and
the rest are from other classes. Re-
member this figure particularly.
you peasant comrades; remember
that more than 81 per cent OF our
active troops have come from your
midst. and tell it in your villages.
Before tho last inspection Of tbs
Communist party. 20 per cent OF
the commanding personnel consist.
cd Of Communists. whereas In tho
rank and file the Communists con-
stituted 10 psr cent.
During the current year the red
army has been occupied mainly In
supprsssing bandits. The first half
of the year was marked by q mon
strous growth Of bandit outrases.
They occurred in Kronstadt, In
Tambov. in Siberia, in the Cauca-
sus, and in tho Ukraine. This form
Of lawlessness has been practically
stamped out.
But the second half Of the year
presents different picture.
There II 4 fundamental change in
the situation. Not only have sep
arats bands been destroyed. but
the evil has been eradicated. This
ID due to tho efforts OF tho Red
army, coupled with our new eco
nomic policy. A. far as the peas
antry 10 concerned. the motives for
these outrages have ceased.
A classical example of this 10
the Makhno movement. Petlura's
department Of foreign relations
there 10 really such departmentD
recently informed the Petlura rep
resentatives abroad that when
Makhno himself arrived in Ru-
mania, he was asked about con-
ditions in Russia. His reply was:
"Makhno's detachments, after
Wrangel's defeat. had to seek other
allies in Russian territory. They
tried the Don region. but found
insufficient anti-Bolshevist forces
there. Then they turned east to
Antony. but found no help there.
They tried Kursk. but encountered
only scant sympathy. SO they
found themselves constrained to
move their forces" abroad"
NEED FOR BIG ARMY.
At first Makhno's detachtne tt
thought OF going into Poland. Then
they decided to 90 to Rumania.
But does that make any differ
ence7 As far as Soviet Russia
10 concerned, Poland and Rumania
are merely two rooms Of the Same
house.
Why Is II that we cannot re-
duce our army further? Here are
some Of the reasons:
In the district Of the Black Sea
We find a newly-formed BLACK
Sea committee for the salvation Of
Russia" British capital interest
ed in oil and italian capital In
terested in manganese are organic
ing the peasants Of the Black Sea
region to fight the Soviet govern
ment. The interests Of the Baku
workmen are 30 close to the hearts
of this committee. that 1t organizes
. special committee for the de-
Tense Of the Baku oil fields from
tho workmen Of Azerbaijan.
In the Far East. japan has Just
taken Khabarovsk from W.
Poland openly violates the Riga
treaty. For example, on October 8
the Soviet government received
through its representative in Po-