§ Whereupon Mr. SPEAKER, pursuant to the Order of the House of the 22nd October, proposed the Question. "That this House do now adjourn."
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYI have given very short notice to the Government, but would be glad to hear whether they have any information as to the very serious news contained in this evening's papers to the effect that Omsk, the seat of the Government of Admiral Koltchak, has been evacuated by him, and has been captured by the Soviet forces? I should like to know if 1808 the news is true or if it is only one of these reports which we hear from time to time?
§ Lord EDMUND TALBOT (Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury)My hon. and gallant Friend has given me very short notice, but I am sorry to say that I have received no official information on the matter to which he has referred.
The Secretary of State for War (Mr. Church ill) haring entered the Chamber,
§ Sir D. MACLEANMay I put to the Secretary of State for War the question already put by my hon. and gallant Friend, who has exhausted his right to speak. He asked whether the Government could give the House any information as to the report circulated in the newspapers concerning the surrender of Omsk. Is there any information as to whether that is correct or incorrect?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI apologise to the hon. Gentleman for not having heard his question, but I was not aware he was going to raise it. I think I have the latest information, at any rate the latest official information, on this subject. According to the newspapers which I studied this morning, the Bolshevist troops were not within 100 miles of Omsk. The armies of Admiral Koltchak began an offensive on 28th August, which carried them forward about 100 miles on a front of 300 miles, and it was very remarkable that they should have succeeded in making a movement like that, coming as it did at the end of a retreat about as great as that of Napoleon from Moscow. But the Bolshevists concentrated some extra divisions and pressed a counter-attack, and there has been 1809 a certain retirement since. On the whole, about two-thirds of the ground gained has been given up. Omsk is still a long way back, and after Omsk there are 3,554 miles before the sea is reached at Vladivostock. The strategic and political situation involved in the position of the Siberian armies amounts to this: How many of the enemy can they hold on their front. That really is the only factor which counts now. Can they keep together as a Government and can they keep an army on the front, because the actual surrenders of ground when such enormous areas and distances remain to be covered does not in any way affect the general military situation; and there is every reason to 1810 believe, and I might almost say to hope, that the Siberian armies will maintain a steady front and will continue to hold a very large number of the enemy on their front during the time that more important developments are taking place very much nearer the centre of the Bolshevist power. I have no new information on the subject beyond what I have said, nor do I expect that any information from that theatre will arrive which will sensibly modify the general balance of forces between the Bolshevists and anti-Bolshevists so far as the next few weeks are concerned.
Question put, and agreed to.
Adjourned accordingly at Twenty-eight minutes after Ten o'clock.