THE RUSSIAN SITUATION.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16164, 19 March 1918, Page 7

THE RUSSIAN SITUATION.

THE PEACE TREATY. DETAILS OF ITS RATIFICATION. (Australian and X.Z. Cable Association.) (Received March ISth, 8.35 p.m.) PETROGRAI), March 17. Tho peace treaty was ratified lato at night. Lenin, in a two hours' speech, pointed out that the opponents of ratification wore suffering from despondency, and desired to throw off the Soviets' power. Ho defended the peace policy as the best until the international proletariat wore able to assert their power. i Members of the Opposition strongly opposed tho ratification. M. Kamkoif. Leader of tho Socialists' left, scathingly criticised Lenin's policy. Lenin, at the second sitting of the Conference, said that the Bolsheviks were not traitors to the revolution, but they were bound to conclude peace with the German Imperialists. Trotzky's absence was commenced on. Germany agreed to Lithuania's independence. conditional on her making a railway,. Customs, and financial convention with Germany. STILL SOME FIGHTERS LEFT. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Received March 18th, 10 p.m.) PETROGRAD, March 17Tho Mosoow scction of tho Revolutionary Socialists are withdrawing from tho Government, declaring that they will not lay down their arms. They intend to organise an independent armed resistance. The Caucasian delegates to the CV.:fcrcnco reported that tho Caucasian Government was ignoring the Peace Treaty, and was organising resistance. Should Turkey attempt to occupy tho ceded districts of Kars, Batoum, and Ardahan, tho sailors of the Black Saa Fleet had offered their assistance to defend Batoum. BOLSHEVIK POLICY ASSAILED. (United Service.) (Received March 18th, 7.30 p.ml) PETROGRAD, March 17. A coni'erencc representing 40,000 factor}- workers, considered tho paralysis of industry, and carried a resolution protesting against the Bolsheviks' policy. The conference condemned the attempted syndicalistic control of industry. ODESSA. JASSY, March 17. The Bolsheviks at Odessa went u» Sebastopol before the German occupation. Before leaving, the Bolshevik general ordered tho massacre of officers, capitalists, and bourgeoisie, and fined tiie population twenty million roubles. AMBASSADOR TO BERLIN. (JReuter's Telegrams.) (Received March 18th, 11.30 p^m.) PETROGRAD, March 17. M. Wolf, who was president of the Peace Delegation, has been appointed Russian Ambassador to Berlin. ROUMANIA. , KING FERDINAND DEPARTS. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) BERNE, March 17. The journal "Pesti-Naplo" (Budapest) declares that the' King of ltoumania has gone to Switzerland, rather than hinder the peace negotiations.