COLLAPSE OF THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 88, 7 January 1918, Page 5

COLLAPSE OF THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS

EMBARRASSING SEQUEL IN GERMANY WAR LORDS ANXIOUS TO REOPEN THE CONFERENCE Copenhagen, January 4. Messages from Germany indicate that an internal crisis resulted from the rupture of the Brest Litovsk' negotiations. The Kaiser hastily summoned the Crown Council at Belleyuo Castlo on Wednesday. Von Hiii(leiiburg - end von Ludendorff look part in the discussion of >ho peace negotiations. Meanwhile there was a stormy meeting between Dr. von Kiihlmann (Foreign Minister) and the party leaders, which lasted for seven hours. The leaders criticised Kuhlmann's policy, and Herr Scheidemann, representing ills Socialists, and Herr Haase, representing the Independent Socialists, demanded that tho Reichstag should meet at the earliest possible moment to enable the people to control the peace negotiations. It is anticipated that to-day's meeting of the Main Committee of the Reichstag will lead to the summoning of tho Reichstag. Tho "Germania," expressing the official view, says it is convinced_ that a. compromise can bs made with the Bolsheviki, and suggests the retention of the present Legislatures in the occupied provinces, with an extension on a wider basis where necessary.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. GERMAN ATTITUDE DECIDED UPON BY WAR LORDS. London, January 3. The -Kaiser, Marshal von Hindenburg, and Count von Hertlinc (Imperial Chancellor) have agreed' upon immediate fresh instructions for negotiations at Brest Litovsk.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. Berne, January i. Tho "Frankfurter ZeitiingV Berlin correspondent says that tho Crown Council subjected tho results of the Brest Litovsk negotiations to severe criticisms, whereupon new lines for the German attitude on the negotiations were settled upon by the Kaiser, von Hindeuburg, and Baron von Hertling. —Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn. REICHSTAG' DISCUSSES THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS. (Roc. January 6, 5.5 p.m.) ' Amsterdam, January 4. In the Reichstag, the Imperial Chancellor (Count von Hertling) announced that Herr von Dembussche (IJ nder-Secretary for Foreign Affairs) would report upon the peace negotiations, and afterwards the Government r-nd the Reichstag would confidentially, discuss the renort and make weighty and fateful decisions. The speech gave no details, and only a briof renort of jit discussion was permitted, containing a declaration by a Centre deputy that tbe present constitutional bodies in Courland. Poland, and Lithuania were fully entitled to express the people's will as regards the destiny of those territories, and some mild Socialist criticism.—Reuter.

•RUSSIANS PROPOSE TRANSFER, OF NEGOTIATIONS TO STOCKHOLM. (Rec. January 6, 5.5 p.m.) Pctrograd, January 4. The president of the Russian Peaoo Delegation has . telegraphed to tho Austrian, German. Turkish , , and Bulgarian delegations that the Russian Government considers it to be urgent that they immediately conduct peaco pourparlers in neutral territory, nnd proposes to transfer them to Stockholm. The delegation awaits a reply.—Renter, GERMANY OBJECTS TO TRANSFERENCE. (Rec. January 6, 5.5 p.m.) Amsterdam, January 5. In the Reichstag the Imperial Chancellor stated: "Germany has rejected the Russian proposal to transfer the negotiations to Stockholm. Regarding Russia's declaration that rl\o could not accept Germany's terms regarding the evacuation of territories and for the taking of a plebiscite on tho question, we can cheerfully rely upon our strong position." The Chancellor confirmed the intention to negotiate with the Ukraino plenipotentiaries.—Reuter. FURTHER CONCESSIONS EXPECTED FROM GERMANY. Petrograd, January 4. The chairman of the Russian peace delegation is optimistic regarding the future negotiations, and believes that Germany.will make further concessions. If the Allies do not participate in tho conferenco. Russia will conduct the negotiations on tho scale of a general peace—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. MOST-FAVOURED-NATION TREATMENT DESIRED BY GERMANY. : (Rec. January 6, 5.5 p.m.) Petrograd, January 5. Germany's peace terms include a clause providing for mutual most-favoured-nation treatment as regards trade and navigation for twenty years. Nevertheless, each party reserves to itself the right of making specially intimate commercial agreements, for instance, between Austria and Germany, or between Russia, and the neighbouring Asiatic countries, or independent States formed out of Russia.—Reuter. MOTIVES OF THE SOVIET GOVERNMENT KAISERISM AND JUNKERDOM THE GREATEST OBSTACLES TO PEACE. London, January 4. The ''Daily Chronicle" interviewed Citizen Litvinoff, the Bolshevik Ambassador to London, who said:—"As Ambassador I shall dissipate misunderstanding and misinterpretation of the motives, character, and purpose of tha Soviet Government. It is untrue that the Bolsheviki 'grabbed' power. They only intervened in November to take the reins from Kerensky's trembling hands, in order to give them to tho Soviets. Unfortunately, the Moderate Socialists, representing the 'potite bourgeoisie' and the well-to-do peasantry, chose to desert the Soviets. The leaders "f the Moderates should have seen that the crushing of the Soviets meant tho downfall of tho Revolution. They were mero tools in the hands of the 'grand bourgeoisie,' the generals, and the reactionaries, who were frightened of the Soviets' social reforms. The crucial fact at present in. Ruseia is that class war is raging in a naked form in Great Russia, the Ukraine, Finland, and Siberia, and even among the Cossacks. The Bolsheviki have behind them the whole of the industrial working class and the great mass of the peasantry. "It is grossly mischievous to represent the Bolsheviki as pro-Gorman er anti-Ally, or as mere pacifists. The Bolsheviki realise clearly that Kniserism and Junkerdom are the greatest obstacles to peace and the progress of thn international proletariat towards self- emancipation, but they have discovered that Russia is not the only soil congenial to noxious plants. They are exposed to replacing Prussian militarism by Russian, and English militarism. lam sanguine enough to imagine that the Russian and German armies on the Eastern front may somo day march together against the common foes of the world's proletariat in Germany, ,md perhaps in other countries, too. The Bolshevik , ' look upon a separate peace with disfavour, but tho present conditions'make it inevitable. The democracies of the ■ Allied countries must ?eo that a calamity does not happen. They must act at onco, otherwise it will be too late." —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. GERMANY MANOEUVRING, TO RETAIN POLAND AND LITHUANIA UNDER THE PRETEXT OF "SELF-DEFINITION." London, January 4. Mr. Ransonie, Petrograd correspondent of the "Daily News," reports that on Wednesday he was present nt the Smolny Institute to hear M. Kameneff (chief Russian delegate tp the Brest I<itovsk conferenco). Thp great Whito Hall was crowded, and few people knew that tho peace negotiations hud already stopped. _ M. Kamonoff read roports showing that Germany had tried to bind Russia to herself by'the renewal of tho treaty of 1004. Thu Tsar's refusal 'o renew this treaty one of the causes of the war. Germany mado several altornntive proposals, with the object of securing for herself the position of a "most-favoured nation." Tho Russians replied that they favoured equality in trade, r>nd could not, while socialising industry and" nationalising banks, subscribe to principles contrary to Socialism. The Germans then seem to have "climbed _ down." Germany disclosed her intenlion under thu pretext of ''self-definition" to retain Poland nnd Lithuania, M. Kameneff said that if Germany moves troops against revolutionary Russia it would bo evident that her purpose waa the final enslavement of Poland and This would instantly cause on explosion which would destroy German Imperialism. The soldier delegates then described the appalling condition of the Army, butaffirmed that tho Army would continuo the war linclor tho desperate conditions unless tho Germans agreed to a democratic peace. A resolution was carried denouncing tho idea of forcing tho will of strangers upon the people of Poland, Lithuania, and Courland, ami appealing to tho peoplo of the Central Powers to uso pressure on their Governments to°ensura the policy of "no annexations and no indemnities."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. POLAND AND UKRAINE TO BE REPRESENTED AT BREST LITOVSK. Borne, January 4. The Central Powers have consentedto Poland and the Ukraine being represented at Brest Litovsk.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.