Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-02-14

HOW RADA BROKE WITH TROTsKY.
The Ukrainian Rada, whose representa-
tives are reported to have signed q peace
with the central powers at Brest-Litovsk,
Is the bourgeois legislature established by
the Ukrainians or Ruthenians a few weeks
before they declared their independence
Of the Russian republic and six months
before the Bolshevist coup d'etat Of No
vember Z.
The Bolsheviki at once set to work to
overthrow the Rada administration and
to establish their own form, and within
the last few weeks have used force to do
so. At the beginning Of the peace negotia-
tions the Bolshevist delegates allowed
Ukrainians at the conferences. They later
repudiated the Ukrainians on the ground
that the latter were acting independently.
But 1t is this Independent action which
has now apparently won, contrary to all
Bolshevist injunctions. at Brest-Litovsk,
for. although after the reputation the
Bolshevist faction in the Ukraine sent dele
gates. these. on the other hand, were not
recognized by the Teuton delegates. who
continued to treat with the Rada's repre-
sentatives.
The Ukrainian movement In Russia il
partly national and partly . land ques-
ton. The Bolsheviki. who believe in a re-
distribution of land. emphasize the latter:
the Rada group stand alone on their
separate and proclaimed nationality.
IMPORTANT TO AUSTRIA.
Both questions, however, are OF as
great Importance to Austria Hungary
as they are to Russia. for the Ukraine
include not only the southeastern prov
inces Of Russia, but a large portion Of
territory in East Galicia. in. northeast
ern Hungary and in Bukowina, and in
the latter territories the national char
acter Of the movement Is most pro-
nounced. This 10 In the main due to
the policy Of the Austrian government
before the war. which favored the Uk.
rainians OF East Galtcia in proportion
- the old Russian government psrse-
cuted them.
The result was that Lemberg became
the intellectual center Of the Ukrain-
ians. where refugees from Kiev found
a ready welcome. Possibly the most
distinguished leader Of the nationalist
movement Is Michael Hrushovski, q ma
tive of the Russian Ukraine. but now a
professor of history At tho University
Of Lemberg and president of the Rada.
With the peasant Of the Russian
Ukraine. however. the vital question 10
not one of nationality, but Of land
| tenure-he wants to keep the little
land he has, and he wants to add to It
from the property Of the landowners
around him. whether Ukrainian or
Russian. These peasants were the
first to grasp the socialist program of
the Russian provisional government.
Thus, with them the phase Of the uni
form land system of the Bolshevist
program later found logical support.
and also logical conflict with the ma
tionalist movement. which, however.
like the Kerensky government at Pet
rograd, for a long time covered the
anarchy that was developing beneath
the surface.
Just month after the March revo-
luton in Petrograd, the Ukrainian Ma
tional Congress was opened at Kiev.
It confined itself to a proclamation of
national territorial and political entity
and provided for the election Of the
Rada. The election was held imme-
diately. and the Rada, from a national
council. later transferred itself into q
Legislature under the presidency OF
Professor Hrushevski. On June % II
| issued a national appeal. which began
as follows
without separating from Russia, and
without breaking away from the Russian
State. let the Ukrainian people on its own
| territory have the right to dispose of its
life. and let proper government be es-
tablished In the Ukraine by the election of
a Ukrainian national assembly on the
basis Of universal, equal. secret and direct
after the latters promise that only private