The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-02-11
The dispatch follows:


The dispatch follows:
"The president of the russian dele
cation at today's (sunday's) sitting
stated that while Russia was desist
ing from signing formal peace treaty
it declared the state Of war to be
ended with Germany, Austria. Hun.
gary, Turkey and Bulgaria, .inuIta.
neously giving orders for complete
dennobiIixation Of Russian forces on
all fronts"
Russia steps formally out of the
war by act Of the bolshevik govern
ment, which seized the reins of power
in Petrograd last November and al
most Immediately opened peace nego-
tiations with the central empires. The
authority of this government seems
virtually unquestioned at present in
northern Russia, and the Teutonic
powers have already assured the ces-
sation of even nominal hostilities
along virtually all the remainder of
the original long line in the east by
signing a peace with the Ukrainians
and isolating Rumania.
Soon Rallied Forces.
Although cutting little figure in the
war for nearly a year past, Russia's
great, indeed vital, part in the conflict
comes forcibly to mind as the cir
cumstances leading up to her exit are
reviewed. Becoming a belligerent on
Aug. /, 1914, through Germany's dec
laration of war upon her: her troops
were soon sweeping through East
Prussia, creating diversion which
hampered the Germans in their first
dash through Belgium and upon Paris.
Though disastrously defeated by Hin
denburg at Tannenberg. she rallied
quickly and by winter was hammer
ing again at the German borders and
her great armies, overrunning Aus
trian territory in Galicia, were at the
crests of the Carpathians and threat
ening an invasion of Hungary. 1t
took the bulk of the Austrian armies
and large proportion of Germany's
an entire years campaigning
IN 1915 to break Russia's hold on Ga
licia. drive her out of Poland and the
lower Baltic territory and force her
arms under Grand Duke Nicholas to
The line at Bfcst- Iitovsk, thG scene Of !
the recent peace negotiations. Beaten
back. but not yet disorganized, she
fought through 1916, creating havoc
'mong the Austrian armies in Vol
nynia and Galicia and in Asia Minor |
irving the Turks out of virtually all |
Turkish Armenia
Crash Came in 1917.
The opening of last year found Rus
'ia. under the old bureaucratic regime,
at the end of her tether. Her
oppressed. war-worn people were ripe
or the revolution. and in March, 1917,
anne the crash, the deposition of
emperor Nicholas and the formation
# the first provisional government.
Inder Kerensky as minister of war.
Ter armies in July, 1917, began an
'ffensive in Volhynia and Galicia
which was in the full tide of success
Inder Gen. Korniloff when disaffec-
ion among her troops broke out and
topped the effort dead.
Since August last. Russia has fig
red In the great world conflict as a
Military factor only by reason that
he still held numbers Of German and
ustrian troops on her frontiers,
waiting the forces of disorganiza-
on within to bring about her final 1
This process, struggled |
sainst in vain by Kerensky, was |
accelerated by virtue of
lie divided authority set up at Petro- {
rad. The council of soldiers and =,
orkmen. representing the proletariat,
nd claiming virtually sppreme power, 6
nally. in November. last, formally |
OK over the power it had long in |
Rest Is Recent History. I
The rest is comparatively recent t
story Under Lenine and Trotzky, t
| armistice was brought about on all T
ussian fronts on Dec. 4, and peace e
'gotiations with the central powers t
ere opened at Brest-Litovsk on Dec. II
= The central empires agreed to
there to the general principles of r
lnexations. no indemnities and self t
termination Of peoples and there T
as held open to the entente powers t
e opportunity of Joining in the me- p
tiations and have them lead I'D to a
genera peace. No favor was found
r this proposition among the allied p
tions. however, the good faith of H
2 Germans in particular in making p
Is offer being doubted. Ii
Russia Fast Splitting Up.
This doubt was later found by the Rus ia
ms themselves to be we'll founded. p
this, however, the p,
gotiations were continued Mean ST
lille Russia was fast splitting up. ei
strict after district declared it's in nj
pendence. Finland and Ukraine be- p'
the notable examples. The Ukraine 81
ened separate negotiations with the Vi
ntral powers and these eliminated Oh
It Saturday in the signing of a peace p'
reement. tu
Whether the elimination of the
irainian negotiations in a peace
atty was the determining factor in en-
lucing the bolsheviki to declare the sc
tie Of war at an end is not at all iN ne
ar as yet. 10
Ignoring the 6oIsheviki.
t has been made fairly clear. how
sr. that Germany had no idea of
lding to the bolsheviki on the ques-
n of evacuation of Russian occupied
ritory, which had been I, stickingl
mt in the negotiations. and that she
s preparing virtually to ignore the