The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-01-13
BRITAIN READY
TO TREAT WITH
LENINE REGIME
Informal Relations to Be
Established With Radi-
cal Ambassador.
BOLSHEVIkT BACK DOWN
Russian Radicals Consent to
Continue Peace Parleys
at Brest-LitOvSk.
BACK DOWN

LONDON, jan 1.-THE first step to-
Trotz!y Government in Petrograd was
taken here to-day, when II was decided
by the British Government. the Daily
Ndl reports. to establish informal re-
lations with Maxim Litvinofr long
time resident in England who was APP
pointed some time ago the Bolehevik
Russian Ambassador at London. 1t Is
explained that this action Is to be taken
for the purpose OF enabling the British
Government to obtain useful informa-
tion regarding conditions in Russia.
The position Is. the Mail says. that 40
long As Lenine and Trotzky retain the
dc facto power in great Russia 1t would
be unwise to adopt an attitude designed
to shut of Great Britain from receiving
communications Of possible value and
from supplying information. II. for ex-
ample. Lenine and Trotxky should eventu-
ally be inclined to give heed to the coun-
sci rendered them by the allied Govern
mentS through the recent speeches of
Mr.. Lloyd George and President Wilson.
An Austrian propaganda OF wide
spread proportions is in progress. AM
'terdam learns. in favor of annexatiOns.
Many meetings have been held in vari-
Gus parts of Austria and resolutions
have been sent TO Count Czernin. the
Austrian Foreign Minister now at Brest-
litovsh. protesting against the proposed
renunciation of anneXations and de-
nanding the military and commercial
union OF Poland. l.ithusnia and Cour-
land. with the Central Powers domna-
ton OF the Danube route and the East
ern shores Of the Adriatic and the reg
u,at!oE of the strategicai frontier to-
ward Italy.
Radicals Give In.
As was generally expected here. the
Russians at Prest-Litovsk have backed
down in their demand for the removal
Of the negotiations to Stockholm or some
other reutral city At the meeting of the
conference yesterday Leon TrotZsiiy,
head of the Bolshevik delegation. pro-
posed that the present armistice between
Russia and Germany be prolonged for
another month. The Central Powers ac-
cepted the proposal Regarding the re-
fusal of the Central Powers to transfer
the discussions to Stockholm he said:
TO remove from the Quadruple AlH-
ance preteXt for breaking of the peace
negotiations on technical grounds. the
Russian delegation accepts the demand
to remain I'm Brest-Litovsk in order not
. to leave unutilized any possibility In the
hgh. for peace. In renouncing it's pro-
posal regarding the transfer of negotia-
tions to neutral soil the Russian delesa-
tion proposes continuation Of the nego-
t!ations.
He added that the Bolshevik Govern
ment had been consistently independent
In Its peace policy. and thar there was
no reason to assume Entente d:plomacy y
would be able to oppose the conclusion
OF peace more successfully on neutral
soil than in Petrograd. The Eolshevik
| policy was conducted without the secret
methods; the old diplomacy. like many
other things, had been abolished by the
| Russians in their victorious revolution.
weakness Not Permanent.
! Moreover. NJ. Trotzky continued. the
Russian delegation could not pass ovel
another point. which had been men
| toned by the German Chancellor. Count
Won IIertling.
II refer" he said. ";o the portion .,
Count Won Herling's statement (befors
the Reichstag Main Committee), ii
which he referred, in addition to Ger
many's just intentions. to Germany'i
powerful position tmachtstellung). The
I Russian delegation does not ueny tnd'
its country. owing to the policy OF thu
classes until recently In power. has beer
weakened. But the world position Of ,
country ia not determined by its tech
nical apparatus alone, but also by 1t.
inherent possibilities-as. indeed. Ger
many's economic strength should not b.
Judged by her present conditions ant
means OF supply.
1.-The Russian Government. however
wrote the word peace at the head Of 1t!