THE RUSSIAN MIX UP.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 February 1918, Page 2

THE RUSSIAN MIX UP.

POSITION IN UKRAINE.

GERMANY TREATS WITH RADA-

LONDON February 4.

Ldght is thrown on the hitherto obscure situation in Ukraine by the speecih of the representative of the Rada’at Brest-Litovsk. He stated that 90 per cent of the Rada’s candidates were elected to the Constituent Assembly compared' with less that 10 per cent of the Bolshevik candidates in Ukraine The Ukrainian Congress of Soviets at Kieff on December 3rd overwhelmingly declared for the Rada, whereupon a small group of Bolsheviks went to Kharkoff and declared itself a new Government of the “Ukrainian People’s Republic.” Tim delegates hardly represented the town of* Kharkoff, much less the Ukranian Republic. Reuter's correspondent at Amsterdam? says that after hearing the statement of the Ukrainian Rada representative at the Blrest-Litovsk: Conference, at which he ferociously attacked Trotsky the Central Powers’ Delegation decided to recognise the representatives of the KJadia' as entitled t a speak for the Ukraine.

RUSSIAN HORRORS. \ ■ STOCKHOLM, Feb.. 14. Two thousand Russian soldiers established a reign of terror in the Aaland Islands, massacring the civilian population who were powerless owing to lack of weapons. Bolsheviks have drawn up regu’- • bills of prescription against enemies employing bloodhouds to track escapees.

AWFUL BUTCHERY.

COPENHAGEN, Feb 14

Owing to internal dissensions, the revolutionary movement in Finland is Merging on collapse. After the massacre at Kirvo the Red- Guards telegraphed to Helsingfors for surgeons. Five responded, and all were murdered on arrival by the Red Guards.

VALUE OF PRISONERS-

LONDON February 14’.

Locker Lampson, in an interviewstated that the value to v Germany of prisoners released from Russia is greatly exaggerated. They are really likely to prove dangerous, owing to their having imbibed revolutionary views of the majority of the Czechs Slavs and others against the Central* powers, especially against Austria.

A BOLSHEVIK MOVE

AMSTERDAM February 14. , The “Cologne Volks Zeitung’’ says that positive information exists of the Bolsheviks- concentrating for ah invation of the Ukraine; but Germany will not permit Trotsky to rob her of the fruits of the Ukrainian peace.

REPLY TO TROTSKY.

AMSTERDAM February 14

The “Frankfurter Zeitung” states at a conference of political leaders and military officers at ■ the Army Headquarters is preparing a reply to Trotsky. . The Bulgarian Minister in Berlin states that peace is practicable with Rouinania if the former will, accept Bessarabia- and cede the Dobrudja to Bulgaria The Centrals would consent to readjustments.

A GERMAN FEAR

AMSTERDAM February 14.

The sincerity of Trotsky is now strongly supported in Berlin, and it is feared that he is raising an army behind the lines. All German newspapers note that Trotsky cancelled the order for demobilisation' three hours after it was issued. The “Mitta Zeitung declares that demobilisation was a sham. The main front was breaking up, but the soldiers were reforming in the interior with a view of constituting an army o fa million probably to embarrass Germany during peace negotiations with the Allies. 1

BRUTALLY RUPTURED.

ZURICH February 14

The “Augsburger Zeitung” learns authoritatively that Sunday’s final conference at Brest Litovsk was stormy Gentian newspapers are misled in describing it as “an amicable discussion resulting in an understanding that there was to be no peace and no war.” but after warm speeches by von Kuhlmann, Czeroin, and Trotsky, the negotiations . were brutally ruptured leaving all the seeds of a future confiict. The German press is already accusing the Russians—not merely the Bolsheviks—of criminal designs. The “Stuttgart Tageblatt” declares that the Kaiser and the Alilitary Chiefs are conferring at Headquarters upon an eventuality of the entrance of military measures against Russians. <

LITHUANIA GRANT. >fc ' LONDON February 14. Amsterdam wireless—lt is reported that the Kaiser is issuing on Sunday a declaration granting autonomy to Lithuania, with the status of German protectorate. RUSSIA AND POLAND AT WAR. COPENHAGEN, February Warsaw advices state that war between Russia and Poland is now a fact. \ POLISH QUESTIONS. AMSTERDAM February 14. The Polish question is assuming a more acute form owing not only to the cession of the Polish territories to the Ukraine; hut the pan-German demands of the direct access of Germany to Russia through Poland, and the solid guarantees for maintenance of the new Ukraine state.