The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-02-18
GERMANS PREPARE
To ATTACK RUSS
ENJOYS of the Central Powers
Leave Petrograd-No Troops
Released.
ARMIST|CE WILL END TODAY
Lenine and Trotzky Reported Too Busy
to Meet kaiser's Representatives
-SIavs Threaten to XIII
Germans.

Berlin, Feb. 18.-The commission
ers representing the central powers left
Petrograd and have crossed the Ger
man lines, it is announced officially.
The Frankfurther Zeitung says the
German government considers the
armistice ends today and state OF
war between Russia and Germany will
be Immediately resumed.
The armistice between the Russian
and German forces which has been In
existence for several weeks on the Rus
sian front will expire at noon today,
according to the official statement is
sued by the German army headQuar-
ters staff. The text reads:
Eastern theater: On the great Rus
sian front the armistice expires at
noon tomorrow"
An official statement issued by the
German imperial government states
that the Petrograd government by its
conduct has denounced the armistice
which had been in existence on the
Russian front. This announcement Is
regarded as having occurred Febru-
ary 10.
I'm conformity Herewith" the off,
cial statement says, "the German gov
ernment must, after a lapse Of seven
days, give notice of the termination as
provided for under the treaty and re-
serve free hand in every direction"
Germans Prepare to Attack.
Amsterdam, Feb. 1S.-German forces
are already being concentrated In
Ukraine to attack the bolsheviki, ac-
cording to a Berlin dispatch to the
Tijd. Declarations looking to the ac-
tive prosecution of the war against the
bolsheviki in north Russia also will be
made at Berlin this week
A Russian wireless dispatch received
in Rome says Germany has counter
manded her transfer of troops from the
east to the west front.
Count Czernin, the AustrO-Hungarian
foreign minister, has notified Berlin
that Austrian troops must not be used
against Russia to support any policy
which Austria has not approved, but
only for purposes of self-defense
wagainst marauding bands.
The bolsheviki are making whole
sale arrests of Germans in Russia and
holding them as hostages, according to
a Riga dispatch received by way Of
Berlin. Three hundred Germans and
many prO-German Esthonians at Dor
pat have been arrested and transferred
to KrOnstadt.
ALI the food in the Dorpat district
has been confscated, and it is almost
impossible to feed the German women
and children.
The lives of those arrested, as well
as Germans and German supporters
who have not yet been arrested, are
hourly in great danger, adds the dis
patch, as the bolsheviki threaten
wholesale butchery. The bolsheviki
have officially declared the Baltic no
bility outlaws. Germany has already
served notice on the bolsheviki author
tiles that she will enforce reprisals If
the German prisoners are harmed.
Too Busy to Meet Germans.
Complaint is made in semi-offlcial
uOI6 TcCelfGu 1IOlu ludt Tile
German commission in Petrograd is
experiencing constantly increasing
difficulties. Conversation with the
Russian leaders is impossible, it Is said,
because the Russian authorities, es-
pecially Premier Lenine and Foreign
Minister Trotzky, declare they are pre-
occupied with other urgent business
and make numerous excuses to retard
the discussions.
"After the grave incidents of the last
few days." the note adds, "the Russian
government has abrogated the recent
decision regarding military and civilian
prisoners of war. The question serious
ly arises whether 1t Is wise In the pres
ent circumstances for the German COM
mission to remain In Petrograd."
News has been received in Berlin
confirming reports that Russia has not
begun the demobilization which her
representatives at Brest-Litovsk an
nounced had been ordered, according to