17 MAY 1919, Page 2

The Allied troops in Northern Russia are now receiving help

from the Finns in the lake region north of Petrograd. The Bolsheviks had threatened to invade Finland, and the Finnish advance seems to be a counterstroke. British ships are at Helsingfors to protect Finland from an attack by the Bolshevik fleet, which, however, cannot be an efficient fighting force. Mr. Boner Law said on Tuesday that, contrary to rumour, no definite proposal for an Allied and Finnish advance on Petro- grad was in contemplation. The task would be easy enough if a sufficient number of troops were available, but patriotic Russians would doubtless prefer that Admiral Koltchak, who is

steadilyincreasing in strength between thenals and the Volga,

should free Ruseia's two capitals from the brigands.