10 JANUARY 1920, Page 2

General Denikin's retreat in Southern Russia has become a disaster.

The large Bolshevik armies concentrated against him have pushed his centre to the coast at Taganrog, on the Sea of Azoff, which was his headquarters, and have thus cut his armies In two. At the end of last week he lost Tsaritsyn on the Volga, the chief bulwark of his right flank, and his troops had to retire hurriedly south-westwards, leaving the road to the Caucasus open. On his left flank General Denikin is falling back towards Odessa. Admiral Koltehak's Siberian Government seem to be collapsing through internal quarrels, and insurrections have broken out at Irkutsk and at Vladivostok. The Poles and Letta have begun an offensive against the Bolsheviks, and on Sunday last expelled the enemy from Dvinak. The Poles further south have entered the Ukraine, in the. direction of Kieff. These successes are unlikely to help General Denikin, but may give the Baltic States a better defensive front against the Bolsheviks.