The Daily News. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1917. THE BREST-LITVOSK FARCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 December 1917, Page 4

The Daily News. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1917. THE BREST-LITVOSK FARCE.

The proceedings at the conference between representatives of the Central •Powers and the Kussian extremists relative to terms of peace, have all the elements of comedy overshadowed by those of tragedy: It suits Germany's purpose to make this parade of endeavoring to arrange a peace with Russia, but it is manifest that she fully realises it is -only a manoeuvre which she hopes may lead to an advantage. Germany is quite aware that the Russian delegates cannot speak or act for the nation. At present there Is no Government, but several factions fighting for supremacy or disintegration. It is Russia's weak- | ness and not strength that is playing i into the hands of the enemy, but her strength will have to be reckoned with. The only point which the Germans and' XOftremists'fcave in common is a desperate desire for peace, but even the latter appear to recognise the possibility of not being able to accept Germany's terms and having to resume hostilities. At any moment the Bolsheviks and Maximalists may be overthrown, and the iproapeets of a sew revolution do not appear to be remote. That Germany •has a definite purpose in entering on such farcical negotiations is perfectly plain, and the statement that the great -war lord hinyjelf may go to Brest litovsk,,lends color to the theory. Russia has vt been able to obtain from ■the delegates of the Central Powers any statement as to what terms they are prepared to offer, but has been forced tto open the game with a display of her hand—and a most remarkable selection of cardg has resulted. In the six point# submitted by the Russians there , is not one that actually affects the Russian , situation, but several that affect the Allies very, materially: Could any farce : be,greater than the spectacle of Russia : enunciating teras- of peace on the lines . indicated in the cables? For instance, take the demand that there shall be no j 'forcible acquisition of territory. This iis practically the enunciation of the ■ status quo ante principle and meaas that : Germany and. her allies must give up all' ; ;gainsand that 'the Entente Powers must - >do the same, including, of course, the »Gennaneolowes. Neither Germany nor [ |the British Empire would assent to this. Then, again, the proposal' to compensate private persons for war-bosses out of a fund to be contributed byjall the belligerent proportionately. Sueh a monstrous absurdity is beyond comment, and thb other grotesquely worded points; ore in the same category. The delegate®' who made these proposals represent the party that has instituted a policy of confiscation of land and wealth, so it is obvious that if Russia is left in th»4ands of these spoliators there would be no compensation to pay on a proportional basis, while France, Belgium, Servia and rßoumaata would be mad» to pay for' canned by the enemy—a process that may be called adding insult' <to injury. The conference is said to have made up its mind on the jeply to be given and its publication will be '•mated with interest. Meanwhile it 5s worthy of note that thirty one mil-! Son Ukrainians are opposing Lenin'sseparate peace scheme, and are linking ■up with General Kaledin, thuß creating a ''menace that has compelled Germany to< move troops to meet it. Despite Gerlaany's desperate peace-efforts, the»Teuitonjc press continues its pan-German (shrieks, the latest of which is that.Germany must not surrender her islandpossessions, and tde reasons given by the Fremdenblatt are exceptionally honest. Germany must have coaling stations and naval bases —not for j peaee-' Jul reasons, but for military. Australia and New Zealand must be-«defied,« dapan checked, America threatened, and taw materials obtained. This is the; explanation-of .the-demand for freedom of the sew, not for peaceful for creating a constant world-wide-.menace—the menace wliicli the Allies j

are fighting to obliterate in their war against war. The Italian Premier stated the case concisely when he said that the only safe way was to mist. The Kaiser proclaims that everyone wants peace. True, but not the peace lie has in view, and not any peace that can be evolved in such a farce as the .Brest Litovsk conference. The attitude of the Allies remains unaltered. They are determined on a fight til! victory is obtained, and Britain is considering proposals for raising a large additional force under the new man power scheme. It ia part of Germany's policy to create diversions at every available war theatre and on every occasion possible. To seriously entertain peace proposals now is unthinkable. Once more the rumor of Germany's intention to restore the Russian monarchy is circulated. Such a move is extremely probable, as if would materially strengthen Prussian militarism, though it would put an end to Russia's freedom. The peace delegates and extremists may well take heed in time and turn their attention to 'saving the country from a fate that wiii be worse than bondage. Russia's difficulties are Germany's opportunity. To re-establish the Russian Empire on German lines and with a German nominee as monarch would be on incalculable gain to Germany, for it would give her command not only of the material resources •of the country but ot a considerable proportion of Russia's population, who would tie ordered to fight Germany's battles. It is already hinted that in the event of the reestablishing of the Empire an immediate alliance between Germany and Russia would be entered into. It is a possibility not unremote, and one which the Allies have to take into consideration. There is one gratifying feature of the situation, however, arid that is the extreme hostility to the Bolsheviks «nd their German taskmasters of the southern and eastern Russians, who between 1 and with the help of the Japanese, couß keep the Germans and their Russ ; an dupes very busy whilst the Allies yere finishing on the Tueton forces in tho West.