The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-06-06
RUSSIA WARNEDBR|T|SH SLACKERS| BY THE ALLIES TOIN U. s. NUMBER
 KEEP TIP ElCHT HALF A MILLION
Mikado's Envoys Work to
 Prevent Collapse Pend r. ing Roots Arrival

A4A6 &VSSS M @AA @ A WI Washington, June 6-The relations
 between Russia and the other mem
 bers of the Entente alliance have
 reached such a pass that diplomatic warning against withdrawal from the
 war has been conveyed to the authori- ties at .Petrograd. Japan, which is the only one of the Entente Powers in a position to
 bring effective. military pressure to
 bear upon Russia, has acted as the
 agent of the Allies in this diplomatic exchange.
 Japan has informed the provisi onal government at Petrograd that Rus
 sia's' failure to remain an active en-
 emy of the Central Powers will icre- ate new situation, in which Japan in consultation with England will con sider what measures to take. It was indicated also in a high dip
 lomatic quarter yesterday that Japan will exchange views with the United States in regard to the situation. Japanese and British diplomats in Petrograd have sought to convince the provisional government that Rus sia has nothing to gain but every thing to lose in benef1ting Germany by withdrawing from the war. Abandonment of the cause of the
 Entente nations, the provisional gov ernment has been informed, would be almost equivalent to Russia aligning herself with Germany.
 Japan and England are acting in conjunction in Petrograd in trying to dissuade the pro-peace party and in- fuencing the provisional authori- ties. They are employing every dip1o-
 matic means to hold the situation in check until the arrival of the Root Commission, upon which the main hope of the allies is now based. MT.
 Root and his party, it was stated, al- though they are speeding overland
 under the most favorable conditions. can hardly arrive in Petrograd before June Il. In the meantime the great danger is that the anarchistic and socialistic elements will take control away from the present coalition government and when MT. Root arrives it may be too late for Ameriian gold and influence to save the situation.
 So far as the provisional govern ment is concerned, it was stated yes terday, there is little to be feared. It has been definitely won over to the allies viewpoint.
 r Administration officials have adopt ed a policy of unusual frankness with | regard to Russian affairs. Whatever the purpose of this course may be, it will have the useful effect of prepar- ing the public mind for any unpleas- ant events that the future may have in store.
 It was admitted yesterday in high military quarters that even under the
 most favorable development of cir
 curnstances Russia. is virtually elim- mated as military factor in the present year.
 N. It is not a question of whether Rus
 sia will or will not get out of the war; she is already out of it so far as effective opposition to the Germans is concerned. Germany and Austria are so con- vinced of the fact that they are in no danger from the Russian armies that
 they have withdrawn the bulk of their forces from the Galician front and are concentrating them on the west.
 Authentic news of this wholesale shifting of troops has been received | in Washington.
 The new reserves which Germany l has thus been able to bring to bear against the French and English have | enabled her to take the offensive. Up l to the present this has been the first
 spring in which Germany has not un- | dertaken big drive against some allied front, and from this fact it has
 been argued that the Central Powers
 had reached the limit of their
 strength.
 But the belief now prevails among | the allies that Germany, thanks to the
 Russian collapse, is concentrating for
 drive on the western front that will
 exceed in ferocity anything that the
 war has yet seen.
 The allies have not yet exhausted their diplomatic resources in their eff | forts to restrain Russia, but so far | have not resorted to any means ex-
 cept. those afforded by diplomacy. Diplomacy itself, however, has been
 made to imply a warning which amounts to a threat.
 | While no definite course of action has been decided upon in the event that Russia makes no peace, the pro- visio nal government has been led to believe that Russia would be outlaw
 ed, restricted and possibly punished for her infidelity.
 President Wilson's message to Rus sia was still withheld from publica- i tion yesterday. A Petrograd dispatch intimating that the Presidents note
 was in response to a note from the
 Russian government was declared to be inaccurate.
 It was stated authoritatively that the American communication was not in reply, to any request from Russia for a statement of the peace terms of the United States.