PEACE MOVEMENT.

Taihape Daily Times, 29 December 1917, Page 5

PEACE MOVEMENT.

PEACE CONGRESS.

CENTRAL POWERS' TERMS. * EXPLAINED BY CZERNIN. RIGHTS OF NATIONS. AMSTERDAM, Dec 27. Count Czernin, Austrian Foreign Minister, presiding at a plenary meeting of the Russo-German peace delegates, declared that firstly the Central Powers did. not intend to violently annex regions occupied during the war. The withdrawal of troops from those regions cofild he'arranged for; in the peace Areiaty in the event of failure to agree on certain points _b£-j fore the treaty was Signed.'* ' ' * -a. * Secondly, the Central Powers had no intention of depriving of political independence any nation which had independence.

Thirdly, the problem of deciding to which Power any State which did not possess political independence should belong would not be solved internationally, but must in some cases “be decided by the individual State.

Fourthly, safeguarding minorities must be the right of every nation to decide its own destiny.

Fifthly, the Central Powers repeatedly declared that no indemnities should be paid by either side, v each belligerent paying only the expenses of its respective war prisoners and compensation to civilian prisoners. A special fund for this purpose suggested by Russia should only be considered if others than belligerents participated in peace negotiations within a reasonable period^

NEGOTIATIONS-NOW PROCEEDING

RUSSIA ASKS FOR ADJOURN-

MENT. * Received 8.35. AMSTERDAM, Dec 28. Negotiations have begun for the restoration .-ol .traffic . between and j ,}atter ing that food suppligs. from Russia will|save the : situation..., Russians in Belgium' have replied ;to German! peace terms, . expresing gladness at the Central Powers’ acceptance of no annexations and "democratic- peace,but not at the Central Powers’ rev serve regarding the liberation of Subject ; races. Russia,' proposes the creation of a special commission to study the question of colonies deciding their own status, and Russia has asked £iv, the suspension 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". ..... PEACE NEGOTIATIONS . DOOMED. Received 8.35. NEW YORK, Dec 28. The Daily News’ Petrograa correspondent reports that peace negotiations at Brest Litovsk appear doomed to collapse. A separate peace between Russia and Germany is growing more and more improbable. JEWS AND PEACE.

NOTHING TO HOPE FOR FROM RUSSO-GERMAN NEGOTIATIONS. THE HAGUE, Dec 27. The Jewish Correspondence Bureau has issued a communication from Zurich stating that three million Jews in Poland and Galicia have nothing to hope for from the Russo-German peace negotiations. The fact that the Bolshevik leaders dislike the Jews is the greatest danger for Jewry, because the Bolsheviks believe they cannot prove their internationalism better than by combating Jewish nationality. The communication points out that Trotsky refused to protect Jews from pogroms which are proceeding, while Germany has not abolished special laws enacted against Jews in Poland. FRENCH PEACE INTERPELLATION CONFIDENCE IN THE GOVERNMENT. Received 10.20 PARIS, December 28. The Chamber unanimously voted confidence in the Government on M. Piehon's reply to Socialists’ interpellations, charging the Allies with Im- i perialistic aims, and with practising secret diplomacy at the expense of the | people. M. Pichon said, after their sol- ! diers’ heroism, the miseries suffered, j and the destruction of towns it was im- j possible to accept Germany’ s latest | hypocritical proposals for a lying peace j on the base of the status quo, including | the pre-war economic regime. Franco ! demanded reparation and indemnities, i and her AlSes were in complete ag'rce'-j ment with her regarding these aims, i Alsaee-Loraine /was for France, the i very symbol of right.

THE ALLIES ABUSED

| FOR DISREGARDING THE PEACE | -URGED BY RUSSO-GERMANS. ' | Received 10.20. I STOCKHOLM, Dec 28. , Mr Branting, in a remarkable article in the Social Democraten, says it is out the question that the Alims should reject the Austro-German peace offer outright. The Allies, in the past year, have given overmuch rein to Imperialistic influence; it is high time this was corrected. Allied statesmen si ahcgiected a revision of their war .aims which ought to have been their ,Self-Evident duty. It was demanded by the -whole of revolutionLf, vary Russia after unmasking their seif the Allies coldly reject the offer, peoples of the world will regard it as a critical and foolish act. Once discussions have begun the world’s opinion will demand they be followed up. GERMANY WANTS GENERAL PEACE. USING RUSSIA INTERMEDIARY LONDON, Dec 28. The Daily Chronicle’s Petograd correspondent says that Count Czernin (Austrian Premier) at the peace i conference professed no great anxiety for separate peace with Russia. The trend of the conversation shows that Germany only looks on the negotiations as a means of opening intercourse with the Allies with the object of securing general peace, hence the German delegates insist that Germany must have her colonies back. They do not admit the idea of a referendum amongst the Natives. The Germans now insist that the Russians must, act as intermediaries with the object of compelling the Allies to join the negotiations. If the Allies refuse, Germany will occupy strategic points in the Russian theatre as a guarantee.