RUSSIA.

Taihape Daily Times, 5 January 1918, Page 5

RUSSIA.

REALISATION of her folly.

TROTSKY DENOUNCES GERMANY

LONDON. Jan 3

Trotsky, addressing the central com- ( ruittee of the tooviets, unmasked what he described as the “hypocritcal peace proposals of Germany, and declared that his Government and the workers would never consent to the conditions. If the Central Powers would not coit|ent to allow the free 1 uisposal of the destinies of thcTPolish and Lettish nations, it would be urgently necessary to courageously defend the Revolution. Austro-Germany refused to guarantee the immediate and irrevocable removal of their troops from Poland, Litauania, Courland, and parts of Livonia and Esthonia. A free affirmation of the will oT the populations of the occupied territories was impossible until populations returned The German delegates’ allegation that the will of the peoples of these countries had been already manifested was without foundation, because the peoples of the occupied territories could not express their will under martial law and military censorship. Continuing, Trotsky said. “We will defend the right of Poland, Lithuania and Courland to dispose of their own destiny really and freely. We say to the peoples of Austria, Germany, Bulgaria and Turkey: Remember that the conclusion of an immediate democratic peace depends on you. All the peoples of Europe look to you. You will not permit the Aus-tro-German Imperialists to make war on revolutionary Russia for the subjection of Poland, Lithuania, Courland I and Armenia/’ ,

After the speech, the Soviets passed a resolution declaring that the refusal of the representatives of Germany to the free right of- oppressed nations and colonies seized before the war to dispose of their own destiny, signified that the German authorities were adopting the old annexationist policy. Subsequently representatives on all fronts were summoned by telegraph to Petrograd. It is admitted that the situation oh' the fronts is distressing. The armies will defend the Russian Revolution, but demand bread and boots.