THE RUSSIAN SITUATION.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16157, 11 March 1918, Page 7

THE RUSSIAN SITUATION.

! PETROGRAD'S FATE. OCCUPATION CONSIDERED LIKELY. (By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.) (.Australian and ??.<&. Cable Association.) PETROGRAD, March 8. The Council of Commissaries has decided to rotnove the Government to Moscow. Tiie evacuation of tho capital is proceeding rapidly. German occupation of Pctrogrnd is considered likely |on the pretext of restoring order. The Leninites are favouring tho ratification of the peace terms, and this is gaining "round. THE PEACE TREATY. NEW YORK, March 8. Tlie Petrograd correspondent of the ".New York World" expects that tho peace treaty will be ratified at Moscow by the Congress of the Soviets and Bolsheviks. The newspaper "Prcvda" says: The worst enemies of the revolution are Czcrnin and Hoffman. As a.result of this "robber peace" the workmen and peasants will suffer a terrible punish' ment. GERMANY AND TffE UKRAINE. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) Admiralty per Wireless Preea. LONDON, March 8. A German oi&cial message states:— The Aiutro-German supreme command lias ennt a message to Ensign Ivrylenka (Bolshevik Commandor-in-Qhief) as follows:—In lending aid in tho Ukraine the Austro-Hungan'an troops only engaged in lighting in places -where the enemy resistance had to bo broken.

j TISEATY WITH FINLAND. (Australian anil N.Z. Cable Association.! AMSTERDAM. March 8. A Gern-iano-Finnish. Treaty has been signed, whereby Germany promises to HLcurt' all the Powers' recognition of Finnish independence. Finland undertakes not to < tdf territory to a foreign Power, and not to allow foreigners to use har territory • xcept by agreement. Germany abandonsher claims to war expenses, and removes her fortifications from tho Aalait"i Islands. She agrees to the permanent noil-fortification of the Aaland Ifilandj.

MUTINY OF POLES. AMSTERDAM,-March 8. •\ Polish brigade of SOOO men mutinied. Croatian infailtry obstructed the mutineers from reaching RoumanoBessaraoia territory. and took the Poles prisoner, after severe fighting ar.d heavy losses on both sides. GERMANY AND THE AALANDS. (Reuter's Xelegrams.) (Received March 10th, 5.5 p.m.)/' STOCKHOLM, March 4. The "Nya Dagligt Allehanda" publishes a telegram from the Aalands •stating that the disembarkation c f German troops started on Wednesday morning and is proceeding rapidly. Formidable forces have already landed. v RUSSIA'S PARLOUS,PLIGHT.

(Australian and N.Z. Cablo Association.) (Received March 10th, 5.5 p.m.'i LONDON, March 8. Tho "Daily News" Petrograd correspondent states: — •"Not a single newspaper or politician admits that this is a lasting peace ; all agree on the i mined in to need for organbed forces of resistance. •'Tho conditions of internal Russia are desperate. Rural lifo i3at a standstill owing to the lack of agricultural implements. The'railways have broken down. mass of crawling, demoralised soldiery, many of whom have no intention of returning home, have taken up a half-ronscious, nomadic existence. Every station is like an openel hive of bees and smells like a vast latrine —men swarming in cattlo-tnic-ks." Tho correspondent believes that it will be years I>efore demobilisation is complete. Thousands are leaving Petrograd on foot or on the /oofs or buffers of trains, hoping to find food. Japanese intervention, he considers, would make a national catastrophe, and would be irreparable. It would moan a fchortagc of meat as well as of corn. i

THE KAISER'S VIEWS. (Australian and Cable Association.) (Received 3larch 10th, 5.5 p.m.) AMSTERDAM, March 9. The Kaiser, in a telegram to the President of the Prussian Lower House, says that the victory in the East is one of the greatest successes in history. It secures the lJaltic provinces to* the German nationality for all time, as far as human wisdom can foresee. Vienna papers state that the Central Powers have ordered the Ukraine to deliver befora April loth 30,000 waggons of corn, 2QOO of frozen moat, and •1000 of dried fruits, receiving in exchange agricultural machinery and iron. , FUTURE OF FINLAND. (Received March fOth, 5.5 p.m.) . STOCKHOLM, March 9. Diplomatic circles state that the FinConservatives, including many White Guards, have. asked the Kaiser to appoint Prince Oscar King of Finland, believing that the creation of a kingdom with a strong military 6pirit is the only means of checking the revolutionary tendencies. -{SOCIALISTS AT VARIANCE. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Beuter's Telegrams.) j Admiralty per "Wireless Press. (Received March 10t£, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, March 9. A Russian official report states: — Lenin and Trotzky have ordered the Rolshevik plenipotentiary in Sweden to havo no relations with the German Socialist Imperialists. - They declare that they are partisans of Herr Scheidenmnn and are strike breakers and traitors, wo iking in the interests of the classes.

PROTEST FROM GERMANY. (Received March 10th, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, March 9. A. German, official report states: — Hen- von Dembusscne has communicated with, the Smolny Institute (the Bolshevik Headquarters) in Petrograd, stating that 450 inhabitants of Dorpat and ltejal, and 130 from other Livoni'an towns, have been aeported in cattle trucks. This is in contravention of the peace treaty. Germany' therefore protests against further deportations, and demands the return of those already deported. A RUSSIAN SUCCESS. (Renter's Telegiams.) (Received March 10th, 5.5 p.m.) LONXfUiN, March 8. The Russians have recaptured Jamburfi. • /IROTZEY RESIGNS COMMIS- / SIONEK&BIP. and 2J.Z. Cable Association.) (neuter's Telegrams.) (Received March 11th, 12.50 a.m.) PETROGRAD, March 10. Trotzky has resigned the Conxmiseionership of Foreign Aifairs. ROUMANIA. FOOD AND OIL FOR GERMANY. (Kcuter'a Telegrams.) COPENHAGEN, March 8. The Hamburg "Fremdenblatt" states that Germany has secured the use of the Roumanian oil industries and large quantities of grain, and fodder. The journtll also, states that the Ukraine is endeavouring by April 15th

to deliver large quantities of grain, sugar, frozen meat,, and dried fruits. THE CENTRAL POWERS' (Australian and 2s.Z. Cab!© Association.) (Received March 10th, o.j p.m.) PARIS, March 9. The "Petit Parisien's" Jassy correspondent interviewed General Avcrescu (Premier of Roumania), who stated that when the interview between King 1" erdinand and Oonnt Czernin failed to achieve any result, Austria and Germany threatened to divide Roumania between Bulgaria and Hungary. This threat was confirmed by an ultimatum on March 2nd. A request to aelny the reply was curtly refused.

GERMANY'S INTENTIONS OUTLINED. (Received .March 10th. 5.5 p.m.) AMSTERDAM. March 9. Although not demanding an indemnity, Germany intends to levy various forms of. blackmail on Roumania, including payment for requisitions during the Central Powers' occupation, amounting to £50,000,000 sterling. Berlin newspapers admit that Germany's interests in Roumania are purely economic. They demand a monopoly of the oil industry, ana claim all surplus corn. THE AUSTRIAN ULTIMATUM. ("'The Tim«a.") i'Received March ]oth, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, March 0. Tlx? Jassy correspondent of "The Times'' states that the Roumanian Cabinet expressed its willingness to accept tho Central Powers' first ultimatum and' start peace discussions. This reply arrived two hours late, whereupon the Austrians renounced the armistice and sent another ultimatum, saying that as the reply had not art'rived in time they could not keep to tho original conditions, and imposed much greater ones.