§ Mr. SWANasked the Secretary of State for War if he will make a statement as to the present position of the anti-Soviet forces under General Denikin; and what steps have been taken to facilitate the safe withdrawal of the British military mission still with General Denikin?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThe advance of the Soviet armies during the past four months has separated General Denikin's forces into three groups. The withdrawal of the left group is continuing slowly towards the Polish and Roumanian frontiers, the centre group is holding the approaches to the Crimea, to all appearance successfully, while the eastern group, after holding the Don and Manich Rivers successfully for a month, has now retired and is holding a line running roughly parallel to and just north of the railway from Rostov to Petrovsk. A disinclination to fight was recently shown by the Kuban Cossacks, but, on account of the atrocities committed by the Soviet armies on their families, they are now returning to the front, and Denikin's troops appear now to be fighting well along the whole front. The British Military Mission with General Denikin, which was independent under General Holman, has now been put under the command of General Sir George Milne, who has orders to bring the Mission away when he considers it necessary, and to take all requisite measures to secure its safety.