The Washington herald., 1918-01-15

Many Conferences.
SUIT in the eleventh hour. it is repor-
Il the wires that connect Brest-
.--tovsk direct with Wilhelmstrasse,
.,cgan to buzz with mysterious hints
t what Count Won HertlinS may tell
se Reichstag main committee tomor-
row.
This was a welcome straw to the
central powers delegates; they were
prompt to take their cue. Immediate
Il dispatches regarding the Brest-
Litoysk parleys took on a calmer tone.
At last accounts the Russian dele
cates were returning to Petrograd, but
he negotiations it was said are to
g.. resumed shortly at Warsaw.
Hugo Haase. leader of the Indepen-
at Social Democrats, has made
I.Clt attack in the Reichstag on
repression of all opposition ex-
--scd by the KaiEer's government.
even in Austria. where the cabinet
three years after the beginning
tEe present war ruled in a truly
ecCratic fashion with assembling the
sici1srath, and where even in time
~ peace a censorship OF the press
l. established. the people are allowed
H:Ore freedom than in Prussianized
Germany. Haase said.
AT Vienna" he continued, mons
,1f mass meetings vera. held to in
Gorsc the Russian aTmIS.ice and peace
ui-ers. These meetings were followed
Jy great demonstrations in the public
reefs.
The Vienna Arbeiter Zeitung was
lIOwed to print reports on these af-
airs. filling pages. But in Germany
IL is forbidden even to mention these
vents. Within the last days the CEN
sOTs went so far as TO cnjoin the
press not to discuss the question
whether the offer of an armistice is
TO be regarded a political or military
affair. Even purely theoretical, aca-
demic discussions Of this kind are pre-
vented
In Berlin. momentous politico-mili-
taTy conferences lasted far into the
night The Kaiser, HIndenburg, Lu-
dendorff. the crown prince. the chan
cellor and representatives OF the vari-
Gus German states were reported to
be celebrating.
Throughout Europe the expectation
prevails that Hertling's speech will be
an answer to President Wilson and
Lloyd George.
There Is a distinct feeling in diplo-
matte quarters that defiance will be
Its keynote. for the militarists are re-
ported more firmly in the saddle than
ever before-so firmly that some eX-
pect the chancellor to make an out
and-out annexationist speech. or at
least a threat that unless her terms
are accepted now by all, the central
powers will be compelled to claim
spoils in the West as well as in the
East.
In Petrograd and Russia at large
the name Of President Wilson is once
more on all lips. True there is still
criticism. opposition and invecti7e, but
the heart of Russia as a whole IS
cheered by the American Executives
speech. which is only now beginning
20 be understood in its full portent.
New Year Message.
1t was in this frame of mind, no
longer fanatically vindictive, but con-
ciliatorily open, that the Russian
people today digested a New Year
message from United states Am
bassador Francis, which said in part:
The Russian people cannot be too
often reminded and too deeply i'm
pressed by the fact that their ha.d-
earned freedom is jeopardized by
negotiations for a separate peace, nor
that II Germany dominates Russia
their liberty and the fruits of revolu-
tion will be sacrificed"
Meanwhile at Brest-Litovsk the
Wilson speech, transmitted in full
over the wire from Petrograd at
Premier Lenine's order proved a
strong factor in stiffening the back
bone of the Russian delegation