RUSSIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 December 1917, Page 5

RUSSIA.

RUSSIAN OFFICIAL REPORT ; ON ARMISTICE CONFERENCE. ENEMY DELEGATES EVASIVE ■ REPLIES. London, Dee. 6. A wireless Russian official report fays: —The armistice conference opened on December 5 in the presence of military representatives of Germany. Austria. Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria. Our delegates made a declaration of peace aims. The enemy delegates represented that that was a question for politicians. They as soldiers were empowered only to negotiate for an armistice and could add nothing to the declaration 01 Count Czernin and Herr'Kuhlmann.

Our delegates, taking note of this evasive declaration, proposed immediately addressing to all belligerents and states unrepresented at the conference a further proposal for a general armistice. The enemy delegates replied evasively that they possessed no such powers.

We proposed that they should ask their Governments for authority. This was accepted, but the reply so far has not been communicated. We proposed an armistice on all fronts and a retirement of the Germans from Moon Islands.

The enemy delegation proposed an armistice from the Baltic to the Black Sea, and our military experts are now examining this. Negotiations were adjourned till to-morrow. The enemy in rejecting our armistice said that such demands could only be addressed to a conquered country. PROLONGATION OF ARMISTICE. Our delegates replied that they were aiming at a general democratic peace on the basis established by the PanRussian Congress of Soviets. The enemy again evasively replied that they were authorised only to negotiate with Russia in view of the absence of the latter'* allies. We replied that we wished to draw all the belligerents together to negotiate for a general pence The Germans agreed to a prolongation of the armintiee for twenty-eight days, beginning on December 10.

We requested that the next meeting be held in Russian territory with an 'interval of seven days in negotiating to enable our delegates to return to Petrograd. We insisted at the outset on the full publication of the proceedings. which are being conducted in the Russian and German languages. London, Dec. ft

A wireless Austrian official message says that the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian and Roumanian troops between the Dneister and the Black Sea has initiated negotiations for an armistice.

The Press Bureau states that there is no truth' whatever in the shameful Austrian official statement that the Roumanian troops made overtures to the Austrian commander-in-chief for an armistice. BALTIC FLEET VOTING. BOLSHEVIKS SECURE MAJORITY. Received Dec. 7, 5.5 p.m. Petrograd, Dec. 6. The elections in the Baltic Fleet resulted: Bolsheviks 20,660; Revolutionaries and Internationalists 10,561; Socialist Revolutionaries and Centre party 1245; non-Socialists 1254. REVIVAL OF NIHILISM. AGAINST THE MAXIMALISTS. Received Dec. 7, 8.30 p.m. Rome, Dee. 6. A telegram from Petrograd mentions a revival of nihilism in Russia against the Maximalists. THE CAUCASIANS LOYAL. . WILL CONTINUE THE FIGHT. Received Dec. 7, 10 p.m. 4 """ 1 ' Copenhagen, Dec. 6. The Russian Legation at Teheran telegraphs that the Caucasian Administration ,and army command are opposed to the Bolsheviks. A Russian deputation is negotiating with the British Legation at Teheran for a continuation of the war against the Turks, but the Caucasians need financial help. A LOYAL TRUCE. AS DEFINED BY TROTSKY Stockholm, Dec. 6. M. Trotsky, in a speech'in the >Petrogiad Circus, said: "If we must make a truce by ourselves we will tell the Germans we regard it as inadvisable to transfer troops from the Russian to other fronts, because we propose a loyal truce. We do not wish the French and British to be crushed. The Lettish and Courland territories shall themselves decide about their connection with another country. The Germans ought to respect their choice." A Haparanda message states that German civilian prisoners released by the Russians have arrived at Helsingfors. FIGHTING OVER SPOILS GREAT AGRARIAN DESTRUCTION. KORNILOFFS DRAMATIC ESCAPE. London, Dec. 6. The Daily Chronicle's Petrograd correspondent says that General Parsky, commanding the 12th Army, refused to take part in peace negotiations. Lenin's agrarian decrees provoked, with the help of local agitators, a new outbreak in Central Russia, in which there occurred wholesale destruction of manors, barns, farms, and live stock, valued at many millions sterling. Peasants and soldiers often fought over the spoils. ' The Tartars of the Crimea are

displaying extraordinary energy, and have summoned a Tartar Constituent Assembly. General Korniloff, heading a Turkomau cavalcade, galloped og towards Urkaine with Generals Denineen and MarkofF. It was a romantic escape. The, stjiff officers presented the commandunt, Bykhoff, with a judge's order commanding Korniloff's immediate release. The commandant doubted the validity of the order, but the Turkomans heard of the debate, placed Korniloff at their head and galloped into the night, travelling COO miles across the steppes to the river Don. PREVENTING FRATERNISATION. London, Dec. G. A Roumanian official report states:— Our artillery prevented enemy attempts at fraternisation in the region of Tisaleasiret.