The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-12
CENTRAL POWERS CONTINUE ID ACT D|CTATOR|ALLY AT PEACE CONF FERENCE Entire Basis of Negotia- tions Changed When Dele gates Meet Second Time
 at Brest-Litovsk
TERMS ALREADY MADE WITHDRAWN
 BY VON KUELHMANN
Russians Are Threatened if They Do Not Make Separate Agreement
 at Once

Amsterdam, January II. The central powers have with drawn their peace terms, made public at the Brest-Litovsk conference on December 25, it was announced by Dr. Von Kuehlmann, the German foreign secretary, in his speech at the Brest-Litovsk conference with the Russians yesterday.
 Owing to the non-acceptance by all the enemy powers of those terms, pr. Von Kuehlmann stated that doc ument "had becomeh null and void"
 Dr. Won Kuehlmann sad the first task of the conference was to resume iisHo- ttations at the poiaE where thjsg @e4a broken of at the time ef aho 1hristsnaa adjournment. ReferriAg to tAe fixed tle4 termination of the central poavars not t<a accede the Russian suggestion of trans2. ference of the negotiations to neutral territory. he said Germany and her allies were not in 8 position to conduct else- where the paroled discussions begun at Brest-LItovsk, although they Nere will Ing to have final formal negotiations car ried on. and the sisnatures to the prelim- mary agreement arrived at some fIacs. to be agreed upon after the debate. He continued:
 PLACE IS IMPoRTANT1
 'As for the conduct of th6knegotiations.A the atmosphere in which theyA tak6 pilice % is extremely important. It mustkbe ni&nr toned that since the conclusion of xh4 exchange of views before the temporary interruption of the negotiations. much mas happened which appeared calculated to create doubt as to the sincere inten- tion of the Russian government to arrive at speedy peace with the powers of tho quadruple alliance. l may refer to the tone of certain semi-official declarations of the Russian government against the central powers. especially the declara- tion of the Petrograd Telegraph Agency, which is regarded abroad as the semi official Russian agency.
 OBJECTS TO PROPAGANDA
 Tt reproduced in detail the reply M Joffe Ca member Of the Russian delega- tion) is alleged to have made at the sit. ting on December 2S. which, as the pro- tocol shows. originated solely in the lm- agInation of it's author. This entirely unfcunded report has had good deal to do in confusing judgment in regard ta the course of the negotiations. and in en- daneering their results"
 In explaining why the central powers refused categorically to transfer the ne-
 gotiations to neutral territory Count Czernin said both parties had direct tele- graphic communication with their respec- tive governments, which neither could forego without interminably prolonging the negotiations and rendering them dif- ficult. He eontinued:
 SECOND MOTIVE 'The second motive Is more impor- tant You, gentlemen, invited us to take part in general peace negotiations. We accepted the invitation and came to an agreement about the basis of general peace. On this basis you presented a 10 days ultimatum to your allies. who have not answered, and today it is no longer question of negotiation of q general peace. but rather separate peace be- tween Russia and the quadruple alIi- ance.'
 The count asserted that the transfer of the negotiations to neutral territory would give the entente an opportunity to interfere and endeavor to prevent separate peace. He added:
 We refuse to give the western powers this opportunity. but we are ready to conduct the final negotiations and sign a peace treaty at a place to be fixed. THREAT IS MADE I "Regarding the questions on which an understanding has not been reached. we came to a binding agreement at the last l plenary session to submit them to | commission, to begin work immediately. | All the four members of the quadruple | alliance are entirely agreed to conduct | ing the negotiations to the end of the | basis explained by pr. Won Kuehlmann and myself. and agreed upon with the | Russians If the Russian delegation Is animated by the same intentions we shall attain a result satisfactory to all | If not, then matters will take neces- sary course, but Responsibility for war will fall exclusively on the Russian dele gation.
 The Turkish and Bulgarian representa-