The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 1917. TRIUMPH OF BRITISH DIPLOMACY.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 20 March 1917, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 1917. TRIUMPH OF BRITISH DIPLOMACY.

(With which is incorporated The Taihape Post and Waimarino News).

The Czar of Russia’s participations in the intrigues with Germany for a separate peace, and for bringing about a Slav-Teuton alliance to place autocratic government in Europe on a jure, firm, and unbreakable basis, was of a more treacherous nature than wasat first believable. The last manifesto to his people indicates that he is as great an adept at subterfuge and lying as any of his German friends. From the earnestness of its tone, and owing to its construction being superior to any literary ability the Czar of all the Russias ever possessed, it may have been written by an emissary of Herr Zimmerman’s. The Czar is a willing traitor to the Entente cause; but for the Allies, who came to his assistance he would now have been subject to Germany and all the Russias would have been under the Kaiser’s rule. Nothing short of abdication w T as possible for the salvation of Russia, for had the war~been fought to a finish a Russo-German alliance at the close to secure continuance of bureaucratic government w r as regarded in all countries as a certainty. From his cunningly wmrded manifesto one would think the Czar abdicated willingly to save his country, but a trustworthy Petrograd message says there are many rumours regarding the story of the abdication, but only one thing is certain, that he did not abdicate absolutely and voluntarily in order to spare the country further trouble. He refused to negotiate with the Provisional Government even unit he realised that he "was a prisoner, bereft of all governing power. He was ■o steeped in pro-Germanism that he ■"ould listen to neither the Grand hikes cr Commander-in-Chief of the vrmy. When he saw that the muchaunted hackneyed German saying. The Army i 3 with the King,” was ■irtueless, he asked General Russky hat was wanted of him. Thrusting lie ready-prepared document forward ussky replied “Abdicate.” The sig-->r w-m given that made Russia a free people, free to prosecute the war d -'- A ■ Ycy, f.ce from m

autocratic alliance with their enemy that would have put the yoke of bureaucracy and militaristic absolutism more firmly on their necks for centuries to come. German intrigue and diplomacy has again signally failed. There was little secrecy ,of its existence and persistence, for Britain has been very cleverly represented, diplomatically, in Petrograd. Britain has kept in close communion with the heads of the Russian Army and Navy, and the elected representatives of the people in the Duma; Germany has had its friends at Court, where the Empress, a German, proved a ready tool

in persuading her husband. This diplomatic duel has been fought most keenly for many months, in fact over a year ago the fear of a separate ■ peace was being talked of. The real crisis commenced in November under the premiership of Boris Sturmer, a pro-German of the deepest dye. He 1 dismissed Sasanoff from the Cabinet | and took on the duties of Foreign Minister himself. Be it known that Stur(mer is in blood a German, and it was directly after he became Foreign Minister rumours of separate peace between Russia and Germany began to flood the world. It was, of course, well-known that a certain group in . The Russian Court strongly favoured such a peace. Then Protopopoff, a self-seeking, carpet-bagging politician, was appointed Minister of the Interior. He was a big landlord, • having considerable connection with banks. He was responsible for pro-German emissaries going among farmers advising them that it was their duty to hold on their wheat. No doubt the ultimate objective was the wheat should go to Germany to help in establishing militaristic absolutism in all Europe after a separate peace had been arranged. His downfall came quickly; he headed a Russian Parliamentary Delegation to Western Europe; he was caught in conference with the German Legation at Stockholm, which created a sensation among Russian Nationalists, who promptly put his name on their black list, in company with the names of others found guilty of relations with Germany. It was after the announcement of this blacklisting by the Nationalist press that this self-seeker , was made Minister of the Interior by the Czar. Protopopoff accepted Sturmer s programme and continued to parley for the Russian bureaucracy with Germany for a separate peace, v hich was on the point of being signed when revolution stepped in and ended it. The reason the world is not familiar with the whole facts is because a censorship so rigid and so thorough was established by Sturmer to prevent any leakage. In the Duma, Miliukov, leader of the constitutional democrats, indicted toe Government for seeking a separate peace with Germany. In fact volumes could be written to prove the treachery to the Allies that' was being cultivated around the Czar by th e Emprgss, Sturmer and other Germans in the Russian Court, and which has culminated in revolution of the Russian people. When it comes to be known what part British diplomacy •has played in this Russian revolution, it will be admitted that the greatest diplomatic feat ever performed has been accomplished by Britain’s representatives. Zimmerman, believing that, as in Greece, so in Russia, the army was with the King, exhausted his diplomatic efforts on the Russian Court as an absolute militarist naturally would do, while democratic Britain having more confidence in the people of Russia, trusted the people’s representatives in the Russian Parliament and they have triumphed again, and, we believe, finally over the made-in-Ger-many brand of diplomacy. Britain advanced millions as loans purely on the security of the Russian people’s representations, who are determined to leave nothing undone necessan’ to defeat the world’s greatest enemy and assure a peace that.will leave a Russia free to develop on her own lines; and a people free to elect their own Government with no fear of interference from German Militaristic Absolutism.