New-York tribune., 1918-03-19
Supreuae Council Con-
demns Kaiser's Crimes
in East
Pledges War Will
Go On to Victory
Seizure Of Russian Lands
Called Annexation in
Thin Veil

LONDON, March 1S.-The Supreme
War Council of the Allies issued a
statement tonight condemning German
political crimes against the Russian
and Rumanian peoples and refusing to
acknowledge Germany's peace treaties
with them, and also declaring:
1--WE are fighting and mean to con-
tinue fighting. in order to finish once
for all with this policy of plunder
and establish in its place the peace
full reign of organized Justice"
The councils statement, which is
issued through the Foreign Office, says:
''The Prime Ministers and Foreign
Ministers of the Entente assembled
in London feel it to be their bounden
duty to take note of the political
crimes, which, under the name of
German peace, have been committed
against the Russian people. Russia
was unarmed. Forgetting that for
four years Germany had been fight
ing against the independence of ma
tions and the rights of mankind, the
Russian government, in a mood of
singular credulity, expected to obtain
by persuasion that democratic peace
which it had failed to obtain by war.
"The results were that the inter
mediate armistice had not expired be-
fore the German command, though
pledged not to alter the disposition
OF its troops, transferred them en-
masse to the Western front, and SO
weak did Russia find herself that she
dared to raise no protest against this
fragrant violation OF Germany's
plighted word.
Annexation in Disguise
"What followed was of like char
acser, when the German peace was
translated into action. It was found
to involve the invasion Of Russian
territory, the destruction or capt1re
OF all Russia's means of defence and
the organization of Russian lands for
Germany's profit, Il proceeding
which did not differ from sannexa-
ton, because the word itself was
carefully avoided"
The Foreign Office tonight issued a
statement enhodying a protest Of the
Entente Premiers and Foreign Min
isters, assembled in London, against
Germany's action, in the name of the
German peace. toward the Russian peo-
pie The protest concludes:
Peace IS loudly advertised, but
under he Disguise of verbal profess
slons lurl, the brutal realities of war
and the untcmpered rule of lawless
force
"Peace treaties such as these we
do not and cannot acknowledge Our
own ends are very different. We are
hghting, and mean to continue fight
ing, IN order to finish once for ali
with this policy of piunder and to
establish in its place the peaceful
reign OF organized justice
AS incidents of this long war un-
foii themselves before orr eyes more
and more clearly 90 we perceive that
'ne battles for freedom are every
where interdependent; that TO sepa-
rate enumeration Of them is needed,
and that in every case the single, but
al,su,.icient, appeal is to justice and
right
Are justice and right going 20
sn! In so far as the issue depends
On battles yet to come, the nations
whose fate is in the balance may
surely put their trust in the armies.
which, even under conditions NOR.
oilHeu!t than tho present, hava-shown
themselves more than equal 20 the
great cause intrusted to their valor."