The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1918. THE RUSSIAN PEACE.

Taihape Daily Times, 15 February 1918, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1918. THE RUSSIAN PEACE.

/With which is incorporated The Tai hapo Post and Wahnarino News).

The German agents in Russia, Lo.uin and Trotsky, have apparently been made to dance to their employers' music., and while ,prGtenuing to bo Russian patriots, saving their country from autocracy and class government, they have accepted the "thirtypieces of silver" and arc now fully entitled to go down in history as the compeers of Judas Iscariot. At least, that is what the brief news coming to hand, most of it being collateral, seems to indicate. Russia is no longer at' war, and demobilisation of all her forces on all fronts, has been ordered and is now in execution. In these columns a few days ago we anticipated exactly what has happened; we stated that Germany intended to get unopposed traffic in Russia, rely upon Slav wdieat stores for rescuing the German people from famine, and to obtain all other material of any use in the prosecution of the war. Russia's demobilisation denotes that her need for guns munitions, horses, and all the most important accessories to war will be reduced to a negligible level. For something inconsiderable, cannons, machine guns and munitions will be for sale. Russia is without honour, conscienceless, and has no care whatever as to which way the war goes, or who wins it. Russia is sold to a destroyer that will have no mercy, one that will exploit with as much ruthlessness commercially as ever that country was exploited in war. We asked a few days ago, "how is this going to affect the Allies?" It will depend very much upon the readiness of the Allies to fire the first shot in the final clinch. Germany will be guided in timing her boasted offensive by whether time is more in her favour, than in favour of the Allies; whether twice the strength can* be got from Russian dishonour than the Allies can get from America and other sources. There is no news from Russia and very little from Britain regarding the strength of the Allies beyond that which tells of unbounded confidence in being able to successfully withstand the coming clash, however severe it may be. If the Allies are as ready as cables seem to indicate, thousands of guns will very soon be Toaring on the West front. The Allies cannot afford to wait while Germany reaps all the advantages from the peace with Russia, and the demobilisation of Russian armies and, probably, of the Russian navy. The present appearances are that German success with Russia has come too late to very materially help her in the final struggle.