RUSSIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 January 1918, Page 5

RUSSIA.

THE PEACE CONFERENCE. AUSTRIAN AND GERMAN DIVERGENCIES. GERMANY'S MADNESS THE TRUTH WILL OUT. Received Jan. 10, 5.15 p.m. Rome, Jan. 8. The Stuttgart Tageblatt states there were grave divergences between the Austrian and German delegates at Brest Litovsk. The Vienna Arheiter Zeitung says that if the whole world were fighting us all the nations would hate us. The fault lies with Germany, who to-day wants to dictate a conqueror's peace. It is downright madness to pretend that a victorious peace is possible. Madness is typified in the statement that if we hold out for a few months more the whole world will submit.

SOCIALISTS OPPOSE SEPARATE PEACE. BOLSHEVIKS BLAMED. SOLDIERS CONDEMN EXTREMISTS' POLICY. Received Jan. 10, 8.1 si p.m. Paris, Jan. 9. L' Echo de Paris' Zurich correspondent states Hint the Soviet and all the Socialist groups at Petrograd have issued a proclamation against the Bolsheviks' separate peace, declaring that a general peace might .save Russia from a political nnd economic catastrophe and civil war. The Bolsheviks began the peace negotiations without waiting for the Constituent Assembly or consulting the people. Several divisions of infantry and eavairy passed resolutions condemning Lenin's and Trotsky's policy.

TROTSKY INTERVIEWED. MISTAKEN IMPRESSION OF ALLIES' POLICY. Received Jan. 10, 8.15 p.m. London, Jan. f). Mr. Ransome, at Petrograd, interviewed M. Trotsky or the point of his departure for Brest Litovsk, with the mistaken impression that the Allies wanted Germany to succeed ill making an advantageous separate peace with Rn9sia, so that Germany, guarding herself on the East front, might be more willing to surrender what the Allies want on the West front, 11. Trotsky had thus interpreted Mr. Lloyd George's speech, and lie considered that the Allies would then blame the Bolsheviks for the lost freedom of Poland, Lithuania and Courland. Mr. Ransome assured M. Trotsky that he was mistaken, The latter replied: "That is the Allied policy." Further questioned, M. Trotsky said that, an international labor, conference would do no harm. The attitude of the Bolsheviks would not be influenced by the Allied (governments, but only by the Allied peoples. ! "It is difficult," said M. Trotsky, "to say what are the hopes of a general peace, but (hey must need it. They have abandoned their attempts to move large masses of the East front units Westward, and now take men singly, as | they jump out of the trains and escape. Deserters tell me that tire soldiers will not go to ihe Western front. There are 25,000 Germans at this moment mutinying behind the German front in the Kovno district. The High Command, failing | to get their comrades to attack the mutineers, surrounded them, hoping to starve them into submission." " M. Trotsky refused to be drawn regarding the actual terms he hopes to obtain, adding (laughing); "Logically, we ought to declare war on England now jfor the sake,of India, Egypt and Ireland."

PEACE OR WAR? CLEAR ISSUE TO BE FORCED. Washington, Jan. 9. M. Fleurot says that M. Trotsky's purpose in going to Brest Litovsk is unswervingly to oppose German military control of the occupied districts. He will enforce the clear issue, peace or war, when the Constituent Assembly meets on January 18. RERENSKY'S REPORT. Received-Jan. 10, 8.10 p.m. Stockholm, Jan. 9. Keren sky is drafting a report for the Constituent Assembly, explaining why he refrained from taking part in the peace negotiations, the reasons why he had sent the Czar to Tobolsk, and circumstances causing the fall of his own Government. RUSSIANS IN PERSIA Received Jan. 10, 11.30 pan. London, Jan. 10. Russian wireless: Trotsky has initiated negotiations with the Persian Government, relative to the withdrawal of the Russian forces from Persia, conditional on similar arrangements being made by the Turks, in accordance with the Brest Utovsk treaty>of- December 15,