RUSSIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 March 1918, Page 5

RUSSIA.

MOSCOW AND THE CAUSASUS. WILL FIGHT IT OUTReceived March 13, 10.35 p.m. ' Petrograd, March IS. The Moscow section of tlie' Revoiutionary Socialists are withdrawing from the Government, declaring tliey will not lay down their arms. They intend to organise an independent armed resistance. The Caucasian delegates to the conference reported that the Caucasian Government was ignoring the peace treaty and organising resistance should lurkey attempt to occupy the ceded district? of Ka-r*, Batcuini, and Ardahan. Hie sailors of the Black Sea fleet have oilered assistance .in defending Batoum-

RATIFICATION OF PEACE. LE.XIN'S TWO HOURS' VAPORINGS. ' Received March 18, 9.30 p.m. . Petrograd, March 17. Peace was ratified late last night. Lenin, in a two hours' speech, pointed out that his opponents were suffering from despondency and desired to throw off the Soviets' power. He defended the peace policy as the best until an international proletariat was able to assert its power.

Oppositionists strongly opposed the ratification. Kamkoff, leader of the So* cjalist Left, scathingly criticised Lenin's policy.

Lenin, at the- second sitting, said the Bolsheviks were not traitors to the revolution. They were bound to conclude a peace with German imperialists. Trotsky's absence is commented on.

MASSACRE AT ODESSA.

BOLSHEVIKS GET IN FIRST. •Jassy, March 17. The Bolsheviks at Odessa went to &<?bAbtopol before the German oeeupation. Before leaving, the Bolshevik general ordered the massacre of officers, capitalists and bourgeoisie and fined the' population twenty million roubles.

PARALYSIS OF INDUSTRY.

BOLSHEVIKS' POLICY CONDEMNED. Received March 18, 7.30 p.m. Petrograd, March 17. A conference representing 40,000 factory workers considered the paralysis of industry and passed a resolution against the Bolsheviks' policy and condemned the attempt at syndicalistic control of industries.

ENEMY IN SIBERIA,

forming four army corps. Received March 18, 11 50 p.m.

Tokio, Marcli 17. Telegrams from reliable quarters describe the German preparations in Irkutsk, as elsewhere in Siberia, for the formation of two army corps and two cavalry corps composed of GermanAustrian prisoners of war. One hundred and thirty German officers have arrived at Irkutsk. Others, disfigured, are pouring in. Field gui».- and armored cars &rc being transported from European Russia.

BEATING THE BOLSHEVIKS. Received March 18,11.50 p.m. Times Service. Tskio, March 17. A thousand volunteers, including a few Japanese, fought and defeated a raiding Bolshevik force at Blagovesensk. A sensational early report stated that 150 Japaneso had. been murdered. This is unrounded. The actual loss was one killed and eight missing.

AX AMBASSADOR FOR BERLIN. Received March 18,11.50 p.m. Petrograd, March 17. M. Wolf, who was president of the peace delegation has ibeen appointed Russian Ambassador at Berlin.

LITHUANIA'S "INDEPENDENCE."

Received March 18, 9.50 p.m.

London, March 17. Germany has agreed, to Lithuania's independence, conditional on her making a railway, customs, and financial convention with Germany.