THE PEACE CONFERENCE

Hokitika Guardian, 29 December 1917, Page 3

THE PEACE CONFERENCE

THE ENEMY’S MOVE. (Received This Day at 1.20 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 2S. The “Daily Chronicle’s” Petrograd correspondent says that M. Czernin at the Peace Conference, professed no great anxiety for a separate pea'ce with Russia. The trend of the conversation show that Germany only looks on the negotiations as the means of opening intercourse with flic Allies, with the object of securing a general peace, hence the Gorman delegates insist' that they must have the colonies hack and do not admit the idea of a referendum among natives. The Germans now insist that Russians must act as inteiYincdiar.es, w-ith the object of compelling the Allies to join in the negotiations. If the Allies refuse, they will occupy strategic points in the Russian theatre, as a guarantee.

RUSSIAN REPLY. TO GERMAN PEACE TERM'S. Received, this day at 8.45 a.m. AMSTERDAM December 23.' Russian delegates- replied to the German peace terms expressing gladness at the Centrals acceptance of no annexation and a democratic peace, lmt not the Central’s reserve regarding the liberation of subject races. Russia proposes tlie creation of special commission to study the question of the colonies deciding their own status. Russia asks for the suspenion of negotiations until January 4th. to enable other belligerents to consider the proposals with a view to joining in the pourparlers, which will then be resumed, whether other countries participate or not.