RUSSIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 January 1918, Page 5

RUSSIA.

GERMAN ANNEXATION POLICY. EXPOSED AT CONFERENCE. BOLSHEVIKS ORGANISING RESISTANCE!, | A MIEAM OF PKTROfiRAD'S GREATNESS, IRRITATION OVER UKRAINE. Received .Tan/'23, 11.43 p.m. ' Ijondon, Jan. 28. Mr. Williams, telegraphing from Petro* grad, states that Bolshevik newspapers admit that the Brest Litovsk negotiations exposed the German Government's intention to annex the western provinces of Russia. Tliev claim that knowledge of the fact was due to Bolshevik efforts, and explain that if Herr Hoffmann ear- , ries out his threat to seize Reval he will really expose German aims to the Herman armv and people. whicK will lead to the overthrow of the existing Berlin regime. Meanwhile the Bolsheviks are dallying with the scheme, and resisting a Herman advance by creating a highly paid volunteer army to engage in a holy war against all Imperialisms, l'hey are also waiting to see the red flag raised in Austria. They believe Petrograd is destined to become th<l capital of a federation of Soviet republics. Trotsky, however, lolls his co-revolu-tionaries that the bourgeoises in the west are inite'h better organised than the Russian, and that the progress of the revolution must toe slow.

! The attempt to make peace with Ukraine separately has irritated the Bolsheviks exceedingly, despite their proclamation as to the right of each nationality to determine its own destiny, hence delegations consisting of workmen and non-coms from Reval and Kharkov, who were sent to Brest Litovsk and the Soviets' conference at Petrograd, adopted ail the points of the Lenin-Trotsky programme, including,-"the disarmament of the bourgeoisie. Lenin received a, great ovation when addressing the conference. He said: "We shall continue civil war until we gain complete victory. We, shall make mistakes, as we have a great task without a cop.vhcad." Thus far the conference has not discussed the peace terms, to the dismay of the majority of the delegates.

j REVOLTS IN FINLAND. . GENERAL STRIKE ORDERS. Copenhagen, Jan. 2". A semi-official message from a Finnish agency states that grave 'avolts have occurred durjng the past few days, chiefly at Viborg, wlicfe Russian soldiers participated. A general strike has been proclaimed. The authorities are stopping the railways in order to prevent the movement of Russian troops. TROUBLE WITH POLES. RUSSIAN GARRISONS DISARMED. UKRAINIAN INDEPENDENCE PROCLAIMED. Alls, aiid N.Z. Cfcble Assoc. and Reuter. Received. Jati. 28, 8.35 o.m. Petrograd, Jan. 27. Owing to the Maximalists arresting the leaders of the Polish military organisation, Polish Legionaires occupied several railway stations in the Maghileff I district and disarmed the Russian garrisons. The Ukrainian Rsda has proclaimed tiic- complete independence of the Ukrainian republic, and has declared that it desires friendship with Roumania, Turkey, and other neighboring Powers, and will support a no-War policy. FIGHTING AGAINST THE ROUMANIANS. RUSSIANS PAIL TO BREAK THROUGH. Reuter Service. Received Jan. 88,■ 12.30 a.m. | Petrograd, Jail. 27. Serious fighting is reported from Brest | Litovsk, between the Russians and the j Roumanians. The former attempted to [ break through, in order to regain Russian territory, whence they were cut off by the Roumanians' heavy artillery. Monitors on the Danube were engaged. The attempts so far have failed, and the fighting continues. CHINESE EXPORTS CUT OFF. New York, Jan. 27. i Harbin telegrams state that the Chinese have cut off all export goods to the Russians, who have filed a protest and threaten to Suspend the operations of [the Chinese railway.