Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-16

&
lands true war spirit may be once and
FOR all proven, thereby nulling the
pacinsts campaign, Is q possibility.
though the present government has not
ofhctally stated or even intimated It's
possible course,
The next week, possibly two, VIII
decide forever the sincerity of the
present bolshe-
Russ Radicals wiki leaders In
- Petrograd. The
Germans have been resumed at Brest
Litovsk. after having been terminated
for week, while Russian and German
|negotiators made reports to their re-
spective chieftains,
The next few days will decide def
|nitely whether the Russians are to win
indemnities and other democratic
principles; whether the Germans have
an idea of permitting Russia TO re-
claim territories now occupied by Teu,
tonic troops: whether the Teutons VIII
agree to the withdrawal of troops
from islands in the Gulf of Riga
whether Germany will promise to stop
moving troops from the eastern front
to other arenas of war and Whether
Teutonic leaders will consent to the
broad socialistic policies as outlined
by the bolsheviki on the acceptance
of which the bolsheviki base their
tenure of power on Petrograd. Az
least, they are the policies upon which
the bolsheviki obtained power In Petro-
grad.
AS has been repeatedly stated In
these reviews. the Russians soon WIN
be disillusioned. Germany is expected
nj
pied territories. the right of free i'm
ports into Russia, while. il is declared.
she will demand the control of the
Russian grain harvests for period OIL
fifteen years. Unquestionabiy Germany
will go even farther. She may attempt
to beguile the bolsheviki into the idea
she has accepted the principle of sepa-
rate national identity for all peoples,
but. undoubtedly, with the idea OF later
placing firm control over those rus
sian provinces now held or l1apie 10
be gained in future months: 1t is gem
orally considered that a definite agree
ment has been entered INTO between
the central powers whereby austria
will obtain Poland in fact' IL no.
openly.
Trotzky declares again that unless
the Germans yield to the Russia view
point Russia will fight But German
advices indicate that the bolsheyikl mas
ordered rehabilitation of Russian
forces on the eastern front and order
ed the beginning of actual peace nego-
tiations. This action. II it's authenti-
Gated by later events, undoubtedly is
a reply to the allies silence to the
Trotzky appeal to the entente powers
to state their aims and attitude to-
ward the armistice negotiations. The
only statement coming from aiIied
sources, outside the recent message of
President Wilson, Is that of Sir George
Buchanan, British ambassador to Pc
trograd, who warned the bolsheviki that
tneysare not treating with the Ger
man proletariat, but with German au-
tocracy, which will exact the fullest
amount OF loot from Russia's present
internal dilemma and that Russia can
expect no mercy.
Undoubtedly the masses of bolshe-
wiki, which undoubtedly are sincere.
but misled by Lee
Leaders Sure to nine. Trotzky and
Be Discredited. stripe, soon are to
learn the utter inability of their lead
ers to carry out the promises which
placed them In power. The hands of
the elements opposing the boIsheviki
regime will be strengthened by the ne
gotiations for an armistice or separate
peace.
The antf-bolsheviki movement in
creases in strength each day, according
to reliable advices emanating from Pc
trograd. Gems. Kaledines. Korniloff and
Dutoff have Joined hands In the Cossack
country of southern Russia and are
rapidly welding military force of 400,-
600, which. it Is believed, sooner or
later will wrest Russia from the grip Of
the radicals. So serious has become the
government in Petrograd has declared
war on the Observation-Disclosures and
dispatched troops against them. En-
gagements already have been fought at
Tamanovka station, Mohilev and Bel
gorod, while there has been fighting in
Moscow. According to the bolsheviki.
Kaiedines is threatening Ekaterinoslas,
Kharkov and Moscow. Dutoff has over
thrown the bolsheviki in Orenburg.
while Tscheiiabinsk is besiesed by the
loft is attacking Tchechenrev and In
gusher, in the Caucasus. Tashkent. cap
ital of Turkestan, soon will be the
scene of severe fighting the large force
having been organized to overthrow the
bolsheviki grip. Kalecines is operating
In the Donetz region. The boisheviki
claim to have wounded kornilon and
beaten his forces at Bielegorod, but
later adyices indicate the former COM
mander of all Russian armies. who re-
Gently escaped from the ia
reality may have been victor in the bat
tie and that the bolsheviki may have
suffered decided defeat.
1t is unquestioned that Russia has en-
tered upon a period of civil war where
force alone will decide the issue. One
correspondent in Petrograd who has
closely studied the situation confirms
this view. Undoubtedly tens of thousands
of lives will be offered up in the con-
fiict which will continue to rage between
the better and saner elements of the ma
ton who are arrayed against the radicals.
Gen Alexieff, former commander of the
Russian armies, and former President of
the Duma Rodzianko are said to be at
Novo Tcherkask cooperating with all
those elements which are swiftly perfect
ing their anti-bolsheviki campaign. ST.
berian peasants have stopped food stores
bound for European Russia and declared
the bolsheviki are not entitled to enter
into negotiations for a separate peace
and will contest such move as against
the best interests of the nation. The
Siberian peasants desire general peace,
but it must not be separate one and
until a general peace can be concluded
they favor Russia's continued co-opera-
ton on the side of the entente.
The bolsheviki claim to represent the
masses of people In Russia, but it is an
enlightenng fact that the bolsheviki have
indefinitely adjourned the continent as
sembly, body selected by the votes of
the people all over the nation. because
complications leading to their overthrow.
The constitutional democrats and social
revolutionaries. both of which parties
are opposed to the policies of Lenine
and the bolsheyiki leaders. could by union
control the constituent assembly, as least