RUSSIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 January 1918, Page 5

RUSSIA.

PEACE NEGOTIATIONS. UNLIKELY TO HAVE ANY RESULT. Received Jan. 30, 8.30 p.m. Amsterdam. Jan. 29. Count Czernin and Dr. von Kiihlinann have arrived at Brest Litovsk. M. Trotsky, addressing the Soviet at Petvograd, doubted whether the negotiations would have any result, as the Central Powers' delegates represented only capitalistic interests. The Russian dolegates decided to stick to their point. ADVANCE INTO BESSARABIA. BY THE ROUMANIANS. Received Jan. 30. 5.30 p.m. London, Jan. 29. The Daily Ch.'onicleV Pctrograd correspondent has reported that the Roumanian? advanced into Bessarabia, captured Ugeni, and besieged Kishinev. The Moldavian Regional Council declared Bessarabia autonomous. The Council announced a rupture with Roumania. on the 27th, stating that the Roumanian legation and all Roumanian agents would be sent abroad. A GENERAL BANNED. FOR HIS HUMANITARIANISM. Received Jan. 30, 8.30 p.m. Petrograd, Jan. 29. The Bolsheviks have declared the Russian General Tscherbatcheff, who is commanding in Bessarabia, to be the peoples' enemy, and have deprived him of the laws of protection. Tscherbat"ben" promised to assure the Roumanian army of food supplies. THREE DAYS* BATTLE. UKRAINIANS DEFEAT BOLSHEVIKS. Received Jan. 30, 9.40 p.m. London, Jan. 29. It is reported from Kieff that the Ukrainian troops have occupied Luzk, ejecting the Bolshevik army after three days' severe fighting and heavy losses. CIVIL WAR IN FINLAND. A GREAT FIGHT PROCEEDING. Received Jan. 30, 5.30 p.m. London, Tan. 29. The Daily Chronicle's Stockholm correspondent states that civil war is in progress in Finland. The Red Guards organised a revolution to overthrow the existing government bv the Diet and to establish a proletariat dictator with the assistance of the Bolshevik Government. A great fight is proceeding at Viborg, there being much bloodshed. The Red Guards occupied the railway station at Holsingfors and cut the' telegraphic cables. ROUMANIA AND CENTRAL POWERS. NEGOTIATIONS FOR SEPARATE PEACE.

Received Jan. 30, 5.45 p.m. London, Jan. 29. Haparanda messages state that negotiations are proceeding between Roumania and the Central Powers for a separate peace, on condition that Roumania gives Bulgaria Dobrudja and gets Bessarabia instead.

ROUMANIAN. GOLD. SEIZED BY BOLSHEVIKS. Times Service. Received January 30. 5.5 p.m. ' London, Jan. 29. The Bolsheviks have seized the Roumanian gold reserve at Moscow and expelled the Roumanian Ambassador and staff from Russia. They promised to hand over the gold to the Roumanian people. MALNUTRITION. EPIDEMICS. FOOD FRIGHTFULLY ADULTERATED. Pctrograd, Jan. 29. Epidemics, as the result of malnutrition ,are decimating the population, and spotted typhus, more dangerous than plague, iB As the Bolsheviks have abolished the Public Health Bureaux there has been no registration of diseases and few doctors remain. Ignorant doorkeepers and cooks are commanding the hospitals. Food ia frightfully adulterated. There is an excessive quantity of straw and chaff in the bread, of which only a quarter of a pound pel day is irregularly distributed. In Finland bread is made of moss and sawdust mixed with small quantities of flour. DIPLOMATIC BREAK WITH ROUMANIA. Petrograd, Jan. 29. The Bolsheviks announce that diplo matio relations with Rioumania have been broken off. GERMANY BREAKS ARMISTICE PLEDGES. Washington, Jan. 29. The United States General Staff announces that Germany is breaking her armistice pledges t« Russia by transporting troops from the east to the west. This is owing it' the Germans' fear of the effect of Russian propaganda amone the troops.

CIVIL WAR. GENERAL THROUGHOUT RUSSIA. OVERTHROW OF BOURGF.OISE AIMED AT. > United Service. Received Jan. 30, 5.30 p.m. London. Jan. 29. Civil war is now general in Russia. The Bolsheviks have inaugurated strong military campaigns in' Finland. Mess™ arabia, and Ukraine, troops and guns being moved southward from the front. The Bolsheviks apparently aim at the overthrow of all bourgcoise governments in old Russia and Rouniania. ( There is a possibility of the Red ri'.iii|fd army making foreign campaigns. Russian warships dominated flelshigfors during its capture by the Red Guards. It is reported that several Swedes were murdered. The whole of eastern Finland is in the Red Guards' possession. Reinforcements arc arriving with orders to support the proletariat against the upper classes. The Roumanian Legation at Peirograd received twelve- hours' notice to quit Russia. The Bolsheviks assert that the Ukrainian Government has resigned, and that the Bolsheviks, with the' left section of the Socialists, have formed an administration. They recalled the Rada's representatives from Brest Litovsk, replacing them with Bolsheviks. A TERRORIST COMMITTEE. DEATH SENTENCE PASSED. ON TROTSKY, LENIN, AND OTHERS. Received Jan. 31', 12.50 a.m. Berne, Jan. 30. The Russian Terrorist Committee, consisting exclusively of women, - lms sentenced to death Lenin, Trotskv, and twenty other leaders of -the Bolsheviks. ECONOMIC CRISIS. THE POSITION IX RUSSIA. LOVAT FRASER'S REVIEW. In connection with the latest Russian development, Mr. Lovat Eraser's review of the Russian positidn is most interesting. This well-known English authority on Continental affairs writes:— The Western allies are slowly realising that at the best Russia can furnish no really effective military help, but they don't yet realise the possible consequence of Russia's breakdown. Europe cannot be reconstructed on a safe and sane basis if Russia falls to pieces. Germany will have a chance beyond her wildest dreams. It is famine which will, I fear, accentuate and prolong the present crisis. Micliaelis evidently knew what he, was talking about when he mentioned Russia in his speech to the Reichstag Committee on Friday. He said nothing about the army or Riga. He seems to have merely observed in his concise and stolid way: "In Russia a grave economic crisis reigns. Transport especially is totally inadequate." He was quite right, and it was not necessary to say more. The financial situation in Russia is full of menace, and is like a lunatic's dream. The authorities have for a long time been printing rouble notes to the extent of about five million pounds a day, though the actual value of the notes does not equal the face value. They have printed such masses of these notes that they have run short of paper, and to economise paper they are said to be now printing no notes having a lower face value than about £25. This means a terrific crash in the end. Meanwhile the Soviet or Worknun's and Soldiers' Council in Petrograd is said to be drawing .-£70,000 a month for the payment of the members of the committee, very few of whom are soldiers, while hardly any are workmen. They hold no official position, and are plundering the puMic funds; although pacifist newspapers in England tell us that the •Soviet are the saviours of the country. Many English taxpayers would like to know whether they are still 'being taxed to send more money to Russia.

Tho menpco of the military situation in Russia is tlint the .army has almost ceased to have any fighting value, for courage and ca'durance the individual Russian soldier -will ibear cjomparifrm with any troops now. in the field, but discipline is the cement of armies, and without it they become useless mobs. The desertions in Russia have been normous. Swarms of soldiers have hurried back tc their villages to share in the division of the land which they were told was now theirs for the talcing. Those who remain under arms have been taught not to obey their officers, and think they can do as they like. The Cominissionaries and Committees have ruined tho remnants of the Russian army. We live in an age of little men, and so far Russia has produced no big man capable of constructive statesmanship.