The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE FRIDAY, JANUARY 4, 1917. RUSSO-GERMAN PEACE GYMNASTICS.

Taihape Daily Times, 4 January 1918, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

FRIDAY, JANUARY 4, 1917. RUSSO-GERMAN PEACE GYMNASTICS.

With which is incorporated The Tw hape I'ost and Waimarino Hews).

Events in Russia are moving rapidly, crushing in one upon the other wu.a bewildering swiftness. Advices .ecoived yesteruay were of a somewhat sensational nature, but until lurcher details come to hand too much reliance cannot be placed upon what they seem to indicate. Russia is in the toils of German and pro-German influence, and, from experience we know Germans may be jeered at today and belauded to-morrow. If it were possible to believe that Russian action for some time past has not been moulded by German gold, then the Maximalist leaders have shown their utter unfitness by the amazing confidence they have placed in the precepts and promises of German diplomats. They have invited German commissioners to Petrograd to reorganise trade with Germany, which means, of course, that Russian food is beingsold to feed the Huns, while admittedly thpee millions of Russians are starving in Petrograd; they have allowed Germany to take possession of large stores of munitions and of guns supplied to Russia by her allies; they have released German and Austrian prisoners; they have returned ro Germany interned ships, merchantmen and otherwise; they have recalled troops from the front, allowing Germany to transport huge forces to other fronts, Russia thus aiding Germany against her own allies; they have given Germany the freedom of the Baltic Sea, and what is it all for: Germany has fed with gold an army of reptile spies to spread dissension and revolution in Russia with the one aim of disintegrating that Empire and leaving it an easy prey to Hun lust. This is the quality of the quid pro quo that Russia has received for all the privileges allowed, the advantages given, and the confiding trust she has placed in German delegates to peace commissions. It seems obvious that there are two very distinct parties in the Bolshevik ranks. There are those who would be loyal to Russia, the men who treated Kuh:maun and his fellow delegates with what they richly deserved at the conference, naturally honest and in deadly earnest to secure universal peace on a basis of settlement that s'eems just to them, and there are the Lcnins and Trotskys with the gang sent by special train from Switzerland by Germany to work mischief and to destroy Russia and finally place people under German rule. Here is a misguided socialism, a socialism gone crazy; i n their incapable direction of the cult of socialism they have been leading it into the net, and under the dominance of the most barbaric, autocratic despot in the universe. But that is not to be wondered at, it is only the parallel 0 f what Socialists In our own New Zealand are doing; they are acknowledging leaders of the Lenin and Trotsky order, and labour and

socialism will continue to be dragged in the dirt. The question now is, have the Russian delegates at the Peace Conference really acted at the i promptings of and conscience or are they indulging in a bit of diplomatic fireworks? It is reasonable to presume that with a new regime in diplomacy things will happen that the diplomatic world will marvel at. If full dependence could be placed on what yesterday’s cables conveyed, there should be no hesitation about giving the Russian delegates full credit for their actions, which seemed to be prompted by the very deepest conviction. The Central Powers’ conditions provided for control of Poland, Lithuania and other territories; the right to maintain garrisons at Riga and Libau, holding Petrograd in their clutch; the Russian army was to be demobilised, and every consideration that Would tend to render Russia entirely and absolutely helpless against the meanest foe was to be provided for. Even Russian Socialists resented such an invitation to the linn parlour; they took up an unmistakable and uncompromising attitude. They told the Germans their definition of terms was the impossible until the last German had left Russia; they jeered at the German representatives, asking them whether they would not take Petrograd and feed the .hree millions of starving people there in addition to taking Riga and Libau; whether they would disarm a Russia where every man carried a rifle? This was a clever parry and was intended to strike home to the Germans the fact that all Russians were now soldiers and would use their rifles against an enemy when occasion arose. German delegates were finally asked what they would tell the German democracy, which was opposed to annexations. Germany’s lust i;or power has blinded them to all sense proportion; if their outrageous de-

sands were scouted by Russia; they hoped to get ever the difficulty by asking fer adjournment to. enable (hem to consider. It seems that Rus-

sia is beginning to realise the national ' danger arising out of peace dallyings and draftings, and her delegates point-blank refused, and not only left the conference room, but quitted Brest Litovsk altogether. Red Guards have been despatched to renforcc the front and other defensive preparations are said to be in progress. The details certainly favour the assumption that Russia lids now ended the calamitous peace farce with Germany. It now appears as though the Hun mist has cleared away, leaving fully visible ulterior motives and intentions; making it unmistakably plain that Russians have been treated like children; that they have been subjected to a campaign of lying and deception, creating a rupture and severance which no time for consideration can bridge over, and the national conscience has been so shocked and soared that it will respond to no Hun palliative. This is what messages to hand indicate if they are a true reflex of what took place, for definite proof of which future details will very soon make plain, If Russia, even in the plight she now finds her affairs, has pre-considered German demands and has made only modest pre-ordln-ations for reiustituting war against the Central Powers in such events as have materialised, her forces will have ample opportunity of making German military lords regret another very serious blunder. All Allies, enemies and neutrals are very anxiously awaiting further developments. In any case from now on to the end of war Russia will furnish many sensations.