RUSSIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 January 1918, Page 5

RUSSIA.

PEACE EFFORTS FAIL. GERMAN TERMS UNACCEPTABLE. ' Copenhagen, .Tan. 3. The Bolshevik Telegraph Agency at Petrograd confirms the stalement that the peace negotiation-. have been broken ° IT - I New \ork, .Tail. H. ZVIr. Dozeli I'lenvol, the Now York World's Petrograd correspondent, says Hint persistent reports thai the Germans were making (roops opposite i)vin-k angered the Bolsheviks, one of whom caused the interruptions in the negotiations. RUSSIA RENT ASUNDER. ' PITIe'UL 1)1 SPLAT OF MASS Sl/TCTDE. GERMAN AIMS UNMASKED. London, Jan. The PetrogTad correspondent of the i>ai!y Chronicle says that Russia is now torn by an infinity of warring factions. Sunday's demonstration whj ostensibly for peace, but in reality was for civil war. The educated classes were absent, and it was a pitiful display of mass suicide.

M. Pavlovitch says that the .tactics of the Austro-Gcrninn peace delegates were remarkably flexible until the arrival of flip Ukrainian delegation. After (hat tlte (Hermann declared that they would not. evacuate the occupied territory until general peace was made, because the non KoWievik portions of the Russian army, assisted by England and France, might continue the fighting and seize ihost Litovsk and other important strategical points. The Germans were prepared to evacuate Belgium and France on condition that Mesopotamia and .Arabia were evacuated: otherwise Germany's prestige in the Mohammedan world would receive a death-blow.

Palovitoh atMs -that flip fic-nnan tonus, particularly for were not acceptable.

A LENINITE FARCE. SCORNED BY PRISONERS. TIME FOR DEEDS, yOT WORDS. Petrogra.l, Jan, ,1. Leninites organised a meeting of war prisoners in order to foster revolutionary propaganda, with comic results. Eight hundred prisoners assembled in an evil-smelling circus, and vto addressed in eight languages, h:it the Germans maintained a stolid silence until the chairman asked some German prisoners to address the meeting. An individual rose and said, "It is time for deeds, not words." and sat down. Others then complained of ill-treatment, one saying that they had to apply for special leave if they wished to stay ;nt for an evening. The chairman promptly closed the meeting. GERMAN DOMINATION. PEACE AGENTS AT WORK, ATTITUDE OF GERMAN PRISONERS. London, .Jan. 3. The Morning Post's Petrograd correspondent sends a remarkable article describing the German ascendancy in Russia. , Apart from two hundred peace delegates in Petrograd, there are hundreds of peace agents from Germany. Thousands of prisoners of war are enjoying complete freedom of movement, and the German accent is heard everywhere and 'ensures respect from the Russian proletariat. The Germans are preparing betimes for an overwhelming industrial and commercial invasion of helpless Russia.

, The majority of the German and Austrian prisoners of war will not return to the fighting front without compulsion, and will not even return to Germany. Aftsr the war officers and non-commis-sioned officers will return 'home, kit privates see the possibility of living;, much more profitably in Russia than in tiermany. The Germans are not confined in internment camps, but are living amongst the people. They have easily proved their superiority to tlhe Russians in all departments of life, whether agriculture, industry or commerce, and it is a question whether the British Empire will feel secure against Russia in the -hands of enterprising, industrious Germans, backed by a inaji-power of 150,000,000 Russians. ANGLO-FRENCH SHIPS. WITHDRAWN FROM ARCHANGEL. Petrograd, Jan. 3. News of the withdrawal of all British ships from Archangel and the breaking up of 'the British and Fronek depots has caused a sensation in ftussia, Paris, Jan. 3. A French Cabinet Council discussed the murder of three Frenchmen at Irkutsk, including the consul. Allied action in Siberia is possible with the assistance of Japan, which will be facilitated through the co-operation of America. Japan and the Allies are likoly to forestall German interference in Siberi*

GERMANY'S HYPOCRISY. J SCALES KAT.I, FUOM TROTSKY'S KVES AT J>AS'l'. dkki-:n"I)in('; ::usslvx uevom'tiox. Iveiiter S.Tvice. Received Dec. I. B.4ft p.m. London. .lan. M. Trotsky, sfWri-sMnp: 1 !«• Centrnl Committee of the Movie!, tiyiiiit.-keii wliat. lie d»seribed as the hypocritical pence proposals of Germany. ami dednriw iha.l Ilia Government ami the workers woul-:. never consent to smili conditions, an.! if Hie Central Powers wiuld not consent loyally to tin' free disposal of the (li 1 - tinios of the Polish and Lettish nations, it would lie urgently necessary to courageously defend the Russian revolution. Austro-Germany refused to guarantee t' 1 c immediate and irrevocable removal of their troops from Poland, Lithuania, t'o'iirland. and. parts of Livonia and Lstlionia. A free affirmation of the will of t.!w populations of the occupied owntrios was impossible until the popnla tions return. The German delegates' allegation that the will of the peoples of t'aese countries had already bel t manifested was foimdationless, because the. peoples in the occupied territories could not express their will under martial law and military censorship. '•We will," he added, "defend the rijjilt of Poland. Lithuania, and Conrland to dispose of th?ir own destiny really and freely. 'Ye say to the peoples of Austria. Germany, Jlnlgarin, find Turkey, member that the conclusion of an immediate democratic peace depends on you: ail the peoples of Europe look to you; you will not permit Aiistro-Germaii Imperialists to make war on revolutionary Russia for the subjection of Poland. Lithuania, Conrland, and Armenia.

After the speech, the Soviets passed a resolution declaring the refusal of the representatives of Germany to admit the free right of the 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 the representatives 011 all fronts wore .summoned by telegraph to Petrograd. They admitted the situation on the fronts was'distressing, but the armies would defend the Russian revolution, Vut demanded bread and boots. "THE MASK HAS FALLEN" GERMAN PROFESSIONS' "UNCONSCIONABLE LIES." RUSSIA'S APPEAL TO GERMAN MASSES. . Received Jan. 4, S p.m. • London, Jan. IS. The. Soviet organ publishes a remarkable article, w.hich has been published in pamphlet form in. the German language by the governing authorities with a view to distribution among the German troops. It declares: "All AustroGerman promises of a, democratic peace are unconscionable lies." Alter describing the various exhibitions of the mailed fist in Poland and Lithuania, also the enslavement, shootings, and starvation, it snvs: '"lt is only the German barons and landowners who ask for annexation by Germany. There ore people in Austria and Germany who assume to speak for the entire population. This means nothing but the violation of the will of the mass of workers and peasants. On such a basis the Russian Government can never enter into negotiations. The mask has fallen, and the word is now with you, German soldiers and workmen. Rise, soldiers of Germany, for the revolutionary struggle against a prolonged war! Fire no further s ihot on the Russian front! Do not be executioners of the Russian revolution! , Let not a single regiment proceed to other fronts if you wish for a general peace to enable the people to come to their senses." FRESH NEGOTIATIONS. Received Jan. 5, 2.15 a.m. London, .Tan. 4. The Kai.se I', von Hindenburg and Baron I-lertling have agreed on immediate frteh instructions for negotiations at Prest, Litovsk. THE LONDON EMBASSY. 'DECLINES TO RECOGNISE BOLSHEVIKS. ■ Received Jan. 4, 5.40 p.m. London, Jan. 3 'fhe Russian Embassy refuses to recognise .M. Litvinofl', and declines to hand over money or documents in the Embassy's possession. MARTIAL LAW IN MOSCOW. BOLSHEVIKS SEIZE BANKS AND FACTORIES. Received Jan. 4, 0.5 p.m. Washington, Jan. 3. Advices have been received that martial law has been declared in Moscow. The Bolsheviks have seized the -banks and factories. BRITISH DIPLOMATS LEAVING. Received Jan. 5, 1.15 a.m. Petrograd, Jan. 4. Sir George Buchanan (Ambassador) and the members of the British War are returning to London.

GERMAN SLIMNESS. M'.'TlilXC THE f)(Y:f'PIKl> TEIfRIMr. liom-.-l iic r, i eh:; ra phi from IVtroyr.'d. i! is reported ihe Au-:tro-I. eriii.i 11 iii'iicc condil ion-. contain a provisn that the ].<>,. pies of Poland, l.ithuan:a, mkl i'.sihonia have already clearly express'-,! 1 ill■ ir de-dre to lie annexed to 'Vrmaiiv. Thern'orc, nrfing on the principle that 11;* people should exercise tin: l-ijfiil to say li o\v tliey would dispose nl' t.iiemscivcs, tlcrniany v.-ill remain in occupation or these rc:>ion?. J I OMI.-V 0!' THK imSACKiS. An important. pari in the eventual restoration of order in Russia will undoubtedly he plavod liy the Cossacks, v,-rites the Petropirad correspondent of the London Daily Telegraph. This ele-v ment, of the Russian population is not. as is commonly supposed, either purely ethnoofrapliieal or purely military. Tlie, Cossacks are merely the descendants of the former "moil of the marches,'' of those enterprising and frecdom-lovinc advcnlm-cir, who settled on the coni'mes of the empire, and there constituted both a link with and a barrier against Russia's turbulent neinhbois. These settlers were in a position to bargain with ' the Czars, ami in •return for their military service they acquired certain riy iit.K and l>nv-ik';»;M which their (k'smidauW roUin to this day.

!he Co,»,sack. L i :i]■(■ l>y no moaiiß a negligible ingredient of the I!ussian people. It is said dim. flicy >an put into the field half r mill ion armed men, nit of them ax much at home on horseback as on fool, and inspired by ;i chivalrous military ; j;i.tliLion. As the revolution has de\ eloped, the Cossacks have evidently evolved a policy of their own, and they are probably the firmest and most stable body of public opinion to be found in Russia to-day. I heir policy demands, amongst other things, the restoration of order and the maintenance of the unity of l.ussia. In this, as in other points, it coincides with the programme of the Cadet party, iind there has been " Cood deal of talk of alliance between sacks and Professor Milinfco"'* l '''«»*» ers for the purposes of politics. ' ;

But. though the Cossacks passed through the first, stngttK of Uio rcvolution without outrages on officers, without desertions, and without any of the other lamentable phenomena? which appeared in many units at the front, tliev have not entirely escaped the political diseases of the epoch. A few men of the I'irst Don Regiment, which was sent, to I'etrograil to help to quell the Leninite n S J , -. S V V . Prc lcft ' 011 K" anl tllc '"S J utilofif Ironworks, and there fell victims to the infection of "bolsheviam '* As soon, however, as it became known that they had .succumbed to this maltt'i t1 , 1 , 0 ,'r-,! vere !)ef °re a meeting of the Military Circle," as the Cossack' Convention is railed, at NovoehcrkatV. Here, in the midst of their comrades, they ldl on their knees, and publicly did penitence for their political error. The report in the Itnssiim press, which narrates the story, says that, the incident was a dramatic one. After the recantation the Circle' solemnly passed a resolution expressing "deep dissatisfaction with,die backsliders who had thus disgraced Cossackdom, and the hope that the clan would not allow in its midst l members who tarnished its good name. Jilt Bo.shevks were handed over : 0 court-martial, but were commended to '.iieuy ui view ot their penitence.