Middletown transcript., 1918-02-23
which the German parties are power

which the German parties are power
less"
According to an American cOrrespOn-
dent in France, the peace program OF
Hindenburg, Ludendorf and the crown
prince, forced on Won Kuehlmann and
the emperor, includes the extending Of
the East Prussian frontier, making an
autonomous protectorate of the Baltic
provinces, Remembering Belgium and
annexing or otherwise controlling the
Briey-Longwy industrial region of
northern France. The question Of
Poland apparently is left to Austria.
"a
Meanwhile Trotzky and his bolshe-
vik comrades have handed Germany a
hard nut to crack. Flatly refusing to
sign a peace treaty. they declared the
war with the central powers, so far as
Russia is concerned, has ended. They
decline to fight longer against the
workers and peasants of Germany and
Austria. simultaneously, the complete
rehabilitation Of the Russian armies
was ordered, although it was reported
that this order was Immediately coun-
fernandez and that the reorganization
of the Red guard was begun. At first
the people Of Germany and Austria
hailed this great victory" with extrav-
agant joy, but in few hours they and
their governments began to wonder
what it would avail them. They cannot
obtain treaty recognition for their in
tended anneXationS on the east front
and they are far from sure that it will
be safe to move to the west all or near
ly all their troops. AS the bolshevik
leaders long ago admitted, the Teutons
can easily push a long way into Rus
STA, but what ultimate good will that
do them?
The bolsheviki always have main
tanned that they are operating, not for
the benefit of Russia or any other ma
ton, but for the workers and peasants
Of all nations. and they are persistently
continuing the spreading of their prop
uganda all over the world Whatever
may be the real motives Of Lenine,
Trotzky ct al, they appear to have the
Prussian autocrats up in the air just
now.
Ukraine, one of the independent gov
ernments into which Russia has split,
has presented complication that may
be more serious for the allied cause
than the quitting of the bOlsheviki. It
has signed a separate peace treaty with
the central powers which opens to them
the possibility of obtaining immense
stores Of food from that rich grain
country. However, as pointed out in
these columns some time ago, the trans
portation system Of that part of Rus
STA is SO utterly inadequate that sup
plies can be got out only extremely
slowly. and besides, the crops have
been sadly neglected ever since the war
began. The treaty gave Ukraine quite
slice of Poland, which aroused the
IOleS 10 Dltter opposition.
"a
Germany during the week attempted
to put the screws on Roumania, de-
handing that 1t accept peace terms
within "a hours or suffer the copse-
quences. But the Roumanians detied
the kaiser, declaring they still had I'M
shaken confidence in their allies and
would continue to fight to the finish.
Their armies now occupy all of Bessa-
rabia, where they have repeatedly de-
feated the bolsheviki troops. 1t is be-
lieved they were nerved to take this
determined stand by prospects Of an
allied offensive in the Balkans which
they might aid by attacking the Bull
garians and Austrians from the north.
There are increasing evidences, that
such n drive, to cut off Turkey and re-
duce Bulgaria, is contemplated. A new
Roumanian cabinet is headed by Cen
eral Avarescu.
In southern Finland, where the Red
guards are still holding out against the
government, horrible conditions pre-
vail. Murders and all other crimes are
committed openly and the bolsheviki
are running amuck. Sweden still fears
to violate neutrality and send help ~
the government. Recent reports from
Stockholm said certain Red guard lead
ers had asked General Mannerheim to
consider peace negotiations.
There is little to say of the italian
front except that the fighting there was
mainly by the artillery and aviatOrs
and that neither side had any marked
advantage.
Seemingly the stage is set for Ger
many's supreme military effort on the
west front, and Field Marshal Won
Woyrsch, the invader of Poland in