Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-06-01
MAXIM CORKY DEN0uNCEs
GERMAN PEACE EFFORT
Tells OF Attempt by D. Rizow to In
veigle Him Into Clandes-
tine Negotiations.
PUBLISHES SECRET DISPATCH
Proposal Delivered to Noted Russian
Author at Pctrograd in Duplicate
by Two Agents. Acting Individual
ly-Hc Calls II "Buse and Stupid"
IRv Associated prcss. I


PETROGRAD. May 81 tvia London.
sian author, publishes a sensational
account of an attempt by II. Rizow. the
Bulgarian minister at Berlin, to in
veigle him into clandestinc ncgotia-
tions for separate peace. The peace
proposal. C;orky declares. was delivered
to him at Petrograd in duplicate by
two German agents, acting individu
ally.
In the Novaia Zhizn, OF which Gorky
is the editor, he prints Rizow's secret
dispatch, occupying three columns.
with concrete peace proposals. and
although he himself is an almost
fanaticsl advocate of peace. denounces
Rizow. @
,Rizopy eEins; -by,&proclaiming that
already. in January he had approached
the Russian ministers at Stockholm
and kristiania with a proposal to con-
clude can honorable peace between
Russia and her foes. He received a
rebuff Immediately after the rerolu-
tion Rizow renewed his attempt with
the Russian minister at kristiania. WHO
was an old acquaintance. and obtained.
through the minister, a reply from
Professor Paul Milukof then the For
eign Minister in the temporary gov
ernment. that there could be no qucs-
tion of separate peace.
RIzOW NOT DISCOURAGED.
ny HIS TWO REFUSES
notwithstanding his two repulscs.
Rizow. representing himself as Rus
sia's real friend. now approaches his
acquaintance. Maxim Gorky. He at
tempts to refute successfully the argu-
ments customarily used by the Rus
slams and the allies against r separate
peace. He offers to guarantee that
Germany and Austria will not again
undertake an offensive against free
Russia, and adds that both powers are
willing to evacuate the occupied terri
tory without the expenditure OF an
other drop Of Russian blood.
He declares that Germany and Aus
tria in no wise menace Russias new
freedom. He accuses England OF be-
ing the real militariSt state. not Ger
many, and declares that Russia has
no moral obligation to keep her treaty
with the allies, because treaty y-break-
ing has been common in the present
war.
lie pFONlSlona! government, adds
Hizow. must be forced to answer the
question: who. after three years
massacre. gave you the right TO con-
tinue shedding Russian blood?"
Rizow thercupon makes the follow
ing concrete proposal:
Russia TO conclude An Immediate
armistice with her foes, both bellis-
erents retaining their present fronts,
and to summon Immediately a Russian
constituent assembly with the aim of
deciding cn peace or war"
ASKS GORkY TO NAME
CONFERENCE FONT
This, says RiZow. is the only means
to save the Russian revolution from
disaster. lie invites Gorky to NEE,
him in Stockholm. or some other
Swedish, town. or IL that is impossible,
TO send representative, who must be
Russian in authority. lie invites
Gorky TO acknowledge the dispatch and
appoint meeting place by telegraph
TO a certain GreccoH. residing in tho
Strandvig, in Stockholm, and requests
that he conceal his identity by signing
the telegram with his Christian name,
AleHei or by tho name Max.
In his newspaper Maxim Gorky char
acterizes Rizow's dispatch as base and
stupid and declares that his only re-
ply Will be its publication.