The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-12-06
Russian Delegates Present
Report on Conference at
Brest-Litovsk
CONDITIONS WERE
NOT ACCEPTABLE
Germans Said They Had
No Power to Consider
General Peace Plan
GERMANY SUBMITS
COUNTER PROPOSAL
This Is Now Being Consid-
cred by Russian Mill
tary Leaders
tBy Associated Prsss.)

Petrograd, Dec. s. via London,
Dec. 6.-(British admiralty per Wire
less Press Representative Of Ger
many. Austria Hungary, Turkey and
Bulgaria met the Russian emissaries
at Brest- -Litoysk to discuss terms Of
an armistice. The delegates Of the
central powers informed the Rus
SLAMS that they had power to nego-
tiate only the conditions of an ar
mistice, which a Russian official
communication calls an "evasive
declaration"
The request of the Russian dele
gates that all the belligerents De
asked to take part in reaching an
armistice on all fronts was met by
the enemy that it did not possess
such powers. The Russians then pre-
sented a project for an armistice on
all fronts, the principal points OF Whlch
were the promise that the Austro-
Germans would not send forces from
the eastern front to the other fronts
and that the Germans should retire
from the islands around Moon sound.
The Russians were handed a pro-
posaI for an armistice on the eastern
front which is now being examines
bv the Russians. The Official com
munieation then says:
saThe enemy delegation declared
that our conditions for an armistlce
were unacceptable and expressed the
opinion that such demands could be
addressed only to a conquered coun-
try. On the categorical statement by
our plenipotentiaries that they were
treating for an armistice on all
Vg8 an
of 4. general democratic peace onNthe
basis established by the all Russian
congress of councils, the enemy dele
gates again replied evasively that
they could not consider the question
in such a manner because they were
authorized at present only to nego-
tiate with the Russian delegation in
view of the absence of Russia's al
lies from the conference.
Aim Was General Peace.
"our delegates again replied that
their task consisted in drawing all
belligerent countries intO negotia-
tions for the purpose of securing a
general peace. Having regard for the
evasive replies of the enemy our
delegates, as already stated, submit
ted the enemy conditions for an ar
mistice to our military experts for
their criticism from a purely mill
tary point of view and in order that
they may indicate in what respect
notifications are necessary in the
interest of our army and navy from
the Black sea to the Baltic.
"The first point regarding the pro-
posed enemy armistice was the dur
alton of the armistice, which was
first indicated as a fortnight to be-
gin Dec. 8. After discussion, the Ger
man delegates expressed their readi-
ness to agree to a prolongation to
twenty-eight days. This term may
automatically be prolonged provided
there is no refusal which must be
made within seven days before the
expiration OF the armistice which is
to begin Dec. 10 lie our delegation
leaves Brest- -Litovsk tomorrow. but
if 1t leaves later the armistice will
begin later.
Before the commencement OF the
official armistice It must be defin-
itely established that hostilities shall
cease.
From the beginning our delegates
Insisted on a true record of all me-
gotiations and their determination to
publish them in their entirety. The
minutes and language OF the sessions
are in Russian on our side and in
German for the German side. A spe-
ciaI commission was created to COM
pare the minutes after every session.
We have requested that the next
meeting OF the plenipotentiaries be
held On Russian territory and that
there be an interval Of seven days In
the negotiations in order that our
delegation may return to Petrograd.~