The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1917-12-24
BEGIN RUSSIAN
PEACE PARLEY
Won kuehImann Made Chairman
of Meeting-KaiSer's Rules
Adopted.
TERMS PRESENTED BY SLAVS
Teuton Foreign Minister Makes Open
ing Address-kaiser Plans to At
tend Meeting Later if Delegates
Reach Agreement.

Amsterdam, Dec PA dispatch re-
ceived here from Brest-Litovsk, Rus
sia Occupied by Teutons), dated Sat
urday, says:
To-day at four o'clock in the after
noon the peace negotiations were be-
gun at a solemn sitting. The meeting
was attended by the following dele
gates:
"Germany-Dr. Richard Won Kuehl-
mann, foreign minister; Herr Won
Rosenberg, Baron Won Hook, General
Hoffman, and Major Brinckmann.
"Austria-Hungary Count Czernin,
foreign minister; Herr Won Mercy,
Freiherr Won Wiser, Count Collerda,
Count Osaky, Field Marshal Won Chi
sieres, Lieutenant Parry and Major
Won GluiSe.
Bulgaria: Minister PopOff, former
Secretary Coseff, Postmaster General
Stoyanovich, Colonel Gantjiff and Doc
tor Anastasoff
Turkey: Former Minister of For
eign Affairs Nessimy Bey, Ambassa-
dor Haiku, Under-Foreign Secretary
Russia. Joffe Kamineff, Bisenko
Pokrosky, Karaghan Lubinski, Welt
man Pawlowich, Admiral Alvater,
General Tumorri, Colonel Rokki, Colo
mel Zeplett and Captain Lipsky,
kuehImann Presides.
prince Leopold of Bavaria, as COM
mander in chief of the German forces
in the east, welcomed the delegates
and invited Haiku Pasha as the SEN
ior delegate, to open the conference.
Haiku Pasha, after an expression of
desire for a satisfactory result, de-
clared the negotiations formally open
and proposed DR.. Won Kuehlmann as
the presiding officer. The German for
eign minister was unanimously elect
ed chairman.
''The most important speech before
the delegates was made by DR.. Won
Kuehlmann. He said:
"'The purpose of this memorable
meeting is to terminate the war be-
tween the central powers and Russia
and re-establish a state of peace and
friendship. In view of the situation
it will be impossible in the course of
these deliberations to prepare an in
strument of peace elaborated in it's
smallest details.
"'What l have in mind is to fix the
most important principles and cOndi-
tions upon which peaceful and neigh
borly intercourse, especially in the cul-
tural and economic sense can be speed
lily resumed, and also to decide upon
the best means of healing the wounds
caused by the war.
1.-THE German foreign minister pro-
posed the following rules, which were
adopted:
"Questions of precedence will be de-
cided according to the alphabetical list
of the represented powers.
'Plenary sittings will be presided
over by the chief representative of each
of the five powers in rotation.
Here Are the Terms.
"The Russian terms include:
"First-No compulsory annexation
of territory taken during the war and
speedy evacuation of such territory.
''Second-That political independ
ence shall be restored to all nations
deprived of independence by the for
tunes of war.
''Third-That national groups not in
dependent before the war shall decide
by referendum whether they shall be-
come Independent or give their allie
glance TO some power.
'Fourth-Where mixed natiOnalities
occupy any territory the rights of the
minority shall be defended by a sep
arate law assuring educational freedom
and administrative autonomy, if pos
sible.
"Fifth-No belligerent country shall
be required to pay contributions and
private persons shall be compensated
for losses incurred through the war
from a special fund contributed by all
the belligerents on a proportional ba-
sis. The same principles shall be ap-
plicable to colonies as to the parent
countries
1.-THE final clause of the terms pro-
hibits the boycotting of one country
z by another and provides for separate
customs agreements and for naval
blockades not pursuing direct military
objects.
'The delegates of the central pow
ers declared their readiness to begin
the examination of the Russian pro-
gram. The result of their labors will
be discussed at the next sitting
Kaiser to Attend Peace Meet.
London, Dec. PA dispatch to the
Exchange Telegraph from Copenhagen
says:
"The Berliner Zeitung says Emperor
William has informed his govern
ment that he CONCENTRATES going to