The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1924-09-26
NEWS REVIEW OF
CURRENT EVENTS
Caucasus Revolt Against
Soviets Is Spreading to
Southern Russia.
BY EDWARD W. PlcKARD

H 4. a.
BY EDWARD w. PicKARD IL
CTARTING with small uprising in
~ the. interior of Georgia, revolt
against soviet rule has spread through
out all the states of the Caucasus and
from there into southern Russia. The
Moscow government evidently recog-
nizes the seriousness Of the movement,
for 1t sent Trotzky to the Caucasus
and the cheka is taking most drastic
steps to suppress the rebellion. Great
numbers Of soviet troops are being
sent to Georgia and Azerbaijan and no
efforts will be spared to retain those
provinces, which are rich in natural
resources. especially oil. Dispatches
indicate that the Russians are victor
ious in Georgia, pushing the revolution
lists back from Batum toward the In
terror, burning all the villages and
executing thousands of suspects. At
last reports the Georgians. under Gen
eral Danielenko, had cut the Batum-
Tiflis railway in many places and the
capital. Tifiis. was said to be isolated.
Turkish officers and Turkish NUM-
lions are aiding the rebels Of Azerbai-
Jan and most of the workers in the
Baku oil fields have joined them be-
cause Of the low wages paid them by
the government. The peasants also
are in revolt on account OF the low
government price of wheat. The Red
army is reported to be shut up in Baku
and many of the oil wells Of the region
are being dynamited.
In southern Russia, including Odes-
ga, Sebastopol and the Crimea, the re-
volt is due mainly to the prospect Of
famine coupled with the fact that the
government has been exporting vast
quantities Of wheat Not only in that
region but also In Moscow and Lenin-
grad, the cheka is throwing thousands
Of persons into prison.
The revolt in the Caucasus is traced
directly to the plan of Enver Pasha
and Djemal Pasha, both of whom have
been killed by the Russians, to free
the Caucasus, Turkestan and Persia
from bolshevik rule and set up Tur-
koman empire. This scheme is sup
ported by many Turks, but the Turk
ish government has decided to observe
strict neutrality and has closed the
frontier Presumably It believes the
present movement is not strong enough
to warrant its support. Correspon-
dents in the Near East predict that
the rebellion will be suppressed before
long.
The Moscow government made q
considerable gain last week by the
signing Of a treaty with Hungary in
which Hungary recognizes the bolshevik
regime and agrees TO resume diplo-
matte relations. Thus the soviets are
aligned against both Rumania and the
little entente, It is believed the treaty
was fostered by Germany in order to
strengthen the group Of states that are
outside the League of Nations.
Communists and government troops
IN many places in Bulgaria have been
fighting, and a number of communist
and peasant leaders haye been assas-
ginated.
THIEF interest in the civil war in
~ China has definitely shifted to the
north, where the great armies Of Gen.
WI Pei Fu,. the Chilli chieftain, and
Gen. Chang Tso-Lin, the war lord Of
Manchuria. are drawing together for
what promises to be mighty and pos
sibly decisive battle. Already there
have been two or three engagements
north of Picking. toward which city
Chang is said to be steadily moving
both along the Mukden railway and by
way Of JehoL Chang has intimated to
President Tsao Kun that he intends to
bomb Picking. Wu's troops, including
those commanded by Feng Yuh Slang,
the Christian general. are moving to-
ward the eastern end of the great wall
at Shanhaikwan.
Fighting in the region Of Shanghai
has become less intense, both sides
having dug in to await the results of
the conflict in the north. Early in the
week. however. there were desperate
and bloody engagements about the