Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-21
|ROTSKY'S TRUMP
CARD TIPPED OFF.
Ienine Exposed Col
leagues Hand in Game
for Hun Revolution
BOLD APPEAL CHECKED
Former Bolshevik Foreign
Minister Planned to Avert
Russia's Humiliation
Washington. March 2i.

The bold effort of Leon Trotsky, for
nner Bolshevil< Commissary for Foreign
Affairs, to launch in the Teuton nations
Z revolution which would save the Rus
+ sian democracy. has just been unfold
"a In all its dramatic details to. the
United States Government.
1t Is a story of Trotsky's trump card
N world diplomacy-which failed TO net
him the pot because Nikoiai Lenine, his
Z 'eo-Ieader. boldly clipped OF" his hand
Trotsky staked his all on a revolution
IN Germany He refused to yield to Len
ines counsel for a separate plunder pact
--abject surrender OF Russian rights
with the Teutons. He prolonged the
!. meetings at Brest-Litovslt as he laid the
\ Foundation for his last play. Leninc let
\ him work to the end he sought
But the German military. authorities
were informed of the program ON the
date set for the great cffort-January
25-Leninc did not accompany TrotskE
10 Brest- Litovsk. lie awaited results
In Petrograd.
Foiled by the Military.
IrOtSkY IduItlBu bIOdhNdSN nc 'il'N"'
70 the German people. 1t was checked
4 In its prime by the military authorities.
II never saw the light among the SOL
diers. 1t was suppressed everywhere.
But Il found its way into some parts or
: Germany and Austria Whether II was
the cause or not II is significant that
the riots and strikes in Germany ana
Austria followed shortly arterward'
But the military were in control
Trotsky saw his effort fail. There was
not the great response he expected lie
couldn't understand. ,.
Lenine, however. understood. hci
Trotslxy returned TO Petrograd' dulii.'-
ting failure, Lenine's hand was strength
eued. His counsel was needed. Russia
submitted to Germsny's terms ana
Trotsky. humiliated. resigned.
Trotsky's Fiery Appeal
But Trctsky's appeal to Germany VIII
10 down in history as one OF the most
striking documents of the war Inc
:. limited Press today is able to present
the official tetxt Of the appeal in connec-
ton with the circumstances surrounding
it's issue Here it is in part. launched
by wireless and through BoIsheNiIi
agents. after Count Won Hertling had
announced Germany's terms OF peace:
"Brest Litovsk
and only for this reason could feeble
old man, Count Hertling, appear before
the chief commission Of the German
Reichstag and declare himself able to
lead the German people through the
Red Sea to a general peace
"Hertling spoke about peace; but Inc
wanted to prove by reference to fe"
facts that Germany, with its 67,oOpoot
inhabitants, among whom are hardly any
illiterate, had developed wonderfully
nerfect technique in these three and :
half years of war and that in prohcienc!
and moral value it surpasses the othe
nations of Europe
"And during this time in which th'
costs of war-the logical result of mill
tarism carried to eXtremes--rest eXciu
sively on the shoulders of the people
while every household mourns at leas
one of its members; while the natior
with it's blood feeds multitude OF wal
profiteers who chatter away the tears o
the poor for strings of pearls FOR ther
wives, during this time Of misery, wh'
speaks in the name Of the people?
Hertiing Called Hypocrite
"a Jesuit, more than seventy years
old a professor of philosophy, conserva
4 five from tip to toe, friend Of tn
Junkers and of the priests. He Care
to doubt the love OF peace OF tHe lNuS
sian proletariat, and so doing he re
veals his whole hypocrisy. The Germai
chancellor knows well that the Govern
ment of the Russian labOrer loves ant
wants peace above all; he also know
4 that this Government can again lead tn
Russian people into war IN any DANCE
ahould threaten the Russian revolution.
( 'sWhen he pretends to be skeptical a
70 the love of peace of the Russian
] 5oyernment he does so only to diver
the attention of the German people from
( the fact that the German Governmen
offered unacceptable terms OF peace 4
the Russian revolution. Hertling did no
mention a single one of our protest
axainst the German conditions. BY n
single word did he speak of the indg
nation which these peace proposal
called forth in Russia.
"Just Peace" Myth
'"The Imperial Chancellor wanted {
4 make the same speech, since 1915, ever,
German Chancellor has made. The fun
I damental idea of these speeches is this
The German Empire, in the conscious
4 ness of its power, proposes Just peac
to its enemies. but the wicked enemie
refuse to conclude this peace and thi
/ proves that the enemies are solely re
sponsible for the prolongation of tn
war.
"when formerly the German Govern
I nent spoke OF the Just pesc
those who followed the German polio