GERMANY'S PRICE

Hokitika Guardian, 6 March 1918, Page 2

GERMANY'S PRICE

FOR. PEACE W ITH ftUiSSIA). AMSTERDAM, March 4. Berlin has officially .issued a text of the peace treaty signed by Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and Turk-' cy on tile one hand, and Russia on the other. Article .1 stipulates that the contracting parties will live henceforth iir peace and friendship. Article 2: That the contracting* parties will refrain from all agitation and provocation against, the existence of -no Government or State, and spare the populations ol the occupied regions. Article 3: The regions lying west of the line to be agreed upon by the contracting partied (an? 'formerly belonging to R ussia) shall no longer be under {Russian territory. This line -in the west to be fixed by. a mixed RussoGerman Commission. The regions itt question will have no obligation whatever towards Russia arising from i (inner relations. Russia retrains from all interference in. the internal affairs of these, territories and allows Austro. Germany to determine their future fate in agreement with their populations. Article 4: Austro-Gdrinany undertakes, when peace is concluded, and Russian demobilisation is fully carried out, to evacuate the regions cast of the line in article six; but does not. stipulate otherwise. Bussia will completely evacuate the Anatolian provinces as soo ns possible, and return these to Turkey; the districts of .Erashan, Batoum, and Kars will likewise be - evacuated by Rusdia without delay. Russia will not interfere in the reorganisation of constitutional or international .conditions in these districts but leaves these to the populations thereof, in agreement with the neighbouring states, particularly Turkey. Article 5: Russia is not to delay' demobilisation complete]}-, including the newly-formed forces, and to; transfer j warships to Russian harbours, leaving ' them there until the genera] peace, or j to immediately disarm, them. "War- I ships' hostile to the Quadruplice will | be treated as Russian insofar as they i are within Russian control. Removal j of mines in the Baltic, and insofar as J the Russian power extends, the B]ack Sea, will begin immediately. Commeroial shipping 'in these waters is free, and will be immediately resumed. Mixed commissions will fix further regulations, especially in regard to merchant shins and the routes which must he kept permanently free of floating mines. .< Article 6: Russia undertakes to immediately conclude peace with the Ukraine and recognise the peace treaty between the Ukraine and the Quadruplice ; to evacuate the Ukraine im- | mediately and cease agitation or propaganda against the Government, and public institutions. The Ukraine is to evacuate, without delay, Esthonia and Livonia. The eastern frontier of Esthonia will follow the line of the Marva river. The eastern frontier of Esthonia runs through Lake Pripas and Lake Psltoff, thence over Lake Luban in the direction of Levensof on the Dvina. Esthonia and Livonia will lie occupied by a German police force until security is guaranteed and order restored. Russia guarantees to release all tbe arrested Esthonians and Livonians.

RUSSIAN DEBACLE. Received. tK's dav at 8.45 a.m. \ 3 ’ LONDON, March 5. The “ Daily Chronicle’s” Petrograd correspondent states the majority of the Social, Revolutionnrists of the Left and a section of the Bolsheviks still ta. vour a revolutionary war. hut serious defence is impossible. The regular Army, with few exceptions, are flocking to the interior as far as possible from the invaders. The bulk of the Petrograd regiments have sold their regimental property, divided the proceeds and gone to their'homes. The new Bed Army is enthusiastic, but is raw, and cannot seriously resist the invaders. The capital is uncannily quiet. The peace terms seem to have struck a blow at the national /feeling. The Cadet Party have issued a manifesto, declaring the calamities and anarchy arc deplorable, hut they cannot be compared to the horror of the enslavement to the foreign yoke. It appeals to the country to rally for the defence of the country, in association with Russia’s Allies