The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-12-26
RUSSDEF'ECTI0N
ASSISTSGERMAN
SCHEME IN EAST
Negotiations with BoIsheviki Aid
Long Conceived Plans OF
Prussia.
"MlTTEL EUROPA" EXTENSION
Control of Bagdad Railway and
Trade Expansion Toward
the Far East.
"MlTTEL EUROPA" EXTENSION

Boston, Dec. 26.-Secretary of War
Baker, is right in stating that the
German peace maneuvers should not
for a moment induce the United
States to slacken preparations for
war, in the opinion of H. Charles
Woods, fellow, of the Royal Gcograph-
ical society, and a recognized author
ity on military matters in Enslanh'
who now is in this city.
Mr.. Woods today pointed out thai
the exit of Russia from the war would
remove one of the great obstacles IN
the way of the realization of the de.
sire of Emperor William and his advls'
ers for dominion from Hamburg tC
the Persian gulf, an area in which
they could maintain their position
without sea power. III any PROOF
we're wanted" he continued, that the
Germans, in negotiating peace with
Russia, have in view their future sue
cess in the east, it would be in the
personalities of the German and Turk.
ish delegates. :
An Avowed "Eas:erner."
"VOn Kuchlmann, whom | EneW
when he was counselor OF the Ger
man embassy in London until the out
break of the war, is himself an avoW
ed 'easterner.' At that time. his one
aim and object was to BRING abdus
an agreement: between England, on
tho one side, and Germany and Iur.
key, on the other, favorable to the lat
ter two countries in regard to the Lag
dad railway. - "a
=, I'm this he nearly succeeded, for he
lost no. opportunity of making pr0pa'
ganda OF the most subtle kind with
politicians and journalists, British and
foreign. Indeed, it was nearly impos
sible to persuade him to speak upon
any other. subject
"Thus, if there be man in Ger
many who would be willing to make
sacrifices in the west or even upon
questions of general importance to
Russia, in order to secure the cooper
alton of, or free hand from, that
country in the Balkans and in Asia
Minor, it is Won kuehlmann, the Ger
man foreign minister Il
Follows German Orders.
"The personalities of the Austrian
and Hungarian delegates are, in my
opinion of no great importance for
the Representatives OF the dual mon
archy will have to follow the orders
Of Germany, and bulgaria has no d.
rectly outstanding questions with Rus.
STA. It is, however, interesting to
note that the Bulgarian delegates
are none of them men of outstanding
regulations at home or abroad.
This can be no accident. 1t is due
either to the fact OF Tsar Ferdinand's
considering he has no interests, 9th
er than the retention of Macedonia,
upon which he would accept no decis.
the field of battle, or to the fact that
the fox of the Balkans wishes, later
on, to be able to say that he never
treated this conference seriously, and,
therefore, to be free to accent any
policy which may then seem advis
able to him.
Coming to Turkey.
Coming to Turkey, the PERSONAL
ties Of the delegates is again most
significant, for Germany cannot ig-
more the present and future attitudes
of that country and at the same time
realize her "mittel Europa scheme.
Messing Pasha must be either Osman
Miami Pasha, formerly Ottoman am.
bassador in Berlin, and delegate at
the London peace conference after the
first Balkan Var, or Nezim Pasha,
who is prominent .diplomatist and a
member of the committee of union
and progress. In either case he is an
influential person. !.
but the Turkish delegate of out
standing importance is Haiku Pasha
He has been grand vizier and ambas
sadOr in various countries and is one
ct the most .pro-German of the
Turks.
The eagdad Railway.
Moreover, when Germany and Rus:
STA had come to an agreement as to
the Bagdad railway, as a result of
the meeting between the Kaiser and
the tsar at Potsdam in 1910, it was
Haiku Pasha who, after the conclu-
sion Of the Tripoli and Balkan wars,
was sent to London by Turkey, in
agreement with Germany, to try to
bring about agreements between the
Iritish foreign Office the German EN-
bassy, that is Won Kuehlmann, and the
Turkish embassy, in regard to the
Bagdad-Persian gulf section of the
railway and other important matters
connected with that region. Those