Mexico Missouri message., 1918-03-07
which the German parties are power
Iaoo

W.
According to an American correspon-
dent in France, the peace program of
Ludendorff and the crown
prince, forced on Won Kuehlmann and
the emperor, includes the extending of
the East Prusslan frontier, making an
autonomous protectorate of the Baltic
provinces, dlsmembering Belgium and
annexing or otherwise controlling the
Briey-Longwy industrial region of
northern France. The question of
Poland apparently is left to Austria.
Ia
Meanwhile Trotzky and his bolshe-
vik comrades have handed Germany
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
was ordered, although it was reported
that this order was Immediately cOun-
termanded 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
sia, but what ultimate good will that
do themf
The bolsheviki always have main
tained that they are operating, not for
the benefit of Russia or any other na-
ton, but for the workers and peasants
of all nations, and they are persistently
continuing the spreading Of their prop
aganda 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 a complication that may
be more serious for the allied cause
than the quitting of the bolsheviki. 1t
has signed 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
sia 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
Poles to bitter opposition.
-@-
Germany during the week attempted
to put the screws on Roumania, de
manding that 1t accept peace terms
within "a hours or suffer the conse
quences. But the Roumanians defet
the kaiser, declaring they still had un
shaken confidence in their allies ant
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 thi
determined stand by prospects of al
allied offensive in the Balkans whicl
they might aid by attacking the Bull
gnrians and Austrisns from the north
There are increasing evidences tina
such drive, to cut Off Turkey and re
duce Bulgaria, is contemplated. A ney
Roumanian cabinet is headed by Gen
eral Avarescu.
-m-
In southern Finland, where the Re
guards are still holding out against tn
government, horrible conditions pre-
vail Murders and all other crimes ar
committed openly and the bolshevik
are running amuck. Sweden still fear
to violate neutrality and send help t
the government. Recent reports fro1
Stockholm said certain Red guard leat
ers had asked General Mannerheim t
consider peace negotiations.
- M-
There is little to say Of the Italia
front except that the fighting there wa
mainly by the artillery and aviator
and that neither side had any marke
: advantage.
m
Seemingly the stage is set for Ge
many's supreme military effort on tn
west front, and Field Marshal vo
Woyrsch, the invader of Poland |