RUSSIA.

Taihape Daily Times, 2 January 1918, Page 5

RUSSIA.

FRENCH SOCIALISTS AND RUSSIA PASSPORTS REFUSED, Receivetl lu.o. PARIS, Jan 1. M. Clemenceau, the French Premier received a delegation of Socialists, including M. Thomas, and refused their request to grant the Social-* ists passports for Petrograd with a view of preventing separate peace." M. Clemenceau added that he did not doubt the Socialists' patriotism and good intentions, but the situation in Russia was too troubled. If the passports were given many would assert \ that France was participating 'in the [ pourparlers with a view to peace, I which was by no means in the Allies' minds. In the absence of serious proposals''front the enemy, M. Clemenceau said'he had no reason to, believe .the Allies 'iia'd changed tfeir minds, since the Stockholm Conference.. .... ~ n '"l \ .'.. \'^ u Received 10.5. LONDON, Jan 1. The Daily Express's Petrograd correspondent says the Bolsheviks are now "inclined to, ..allow the Constituent Assembly to meet on Wednesday -—. \ ANOTHER AUSTRO-GERMAN MISSION.', ,-■•>• I PETROGRAD, Dec 31. ■ The second Austro-German mission has,arrived;''' it 1 comprises representatives of the foreign commerce and industry, 'and finance Ministers. COPENHAGEN, Dec 31. Fourteen Austrian merchantmen, aggregating forty thousand tons, have been released from Russian ports. BOLSHEVIKS' LEVELLING PROCESS. PETROGRAD, Dec 31. Several hundred thousand Bolshevik supporters, troops, sailors, workmen, and women held a procession in the streets. It was essentially a Bolshevik parade before the German guests' and a demonstration against the Constituent Assembly. The peasants in Siberia and Ukraine refuse to send corn to Petrograd. The Commissaries have abolished military Tanks, including non-coms. The decree removes all distinctive uniforms, closes officers' clubs, and levels pensions to those of soldiers. COPENHAGEN, Dec 31. Advices from Haparanda state that the Ukranian Cossacks heavily defeated the Bolsheviks on the south-west-ern front, prisonering 400 and capturing eight heavy guns and 328 machine guns. The Bolsheviks retreated in disorder.