Mexico Missouri message., 1918-02-07

~~-~-~~~~~~~~~~N~~~~~~
days of fighting the bolsheviki forces
had seized Irkutsk, eastern Siberia;
disarming the Cossacks and military
cadets. They also have occupied Oren-
burg.
Among the interesting reports that
came out of Russia was one to the
effect that the former czar and his
family had made their escape from
Tobolsk. Another story said the for
mer czarina has become hopelessly in
sane.
"a
The abandonment of the Roumanian
front by the Russian troops led to a
nasty little row. Roumanians arrested
and disarmed several Russian regi-
ments, and the Russian government at
once put under arrest the Roumanian
diplomats in Petrograd and threatened
war on Roumania If the Russian sol
diers were not at once freed. A strong
joint protest by representatives of all
the allied and neutral powers brought
about the release of the Roumanian
diplomats.
Then came an astonishing order
from the bolshevih government for
the arrest of King Ferdinand of Rou-
mania and his incarceration in the
fortress of st. Peter and st. Paul. This
was attributed to the action of the
Roumanians in arresting some Aus
trian officers who had attempted to
| pass through the ROumanian' lines to
fraternize with the Russians.
"a
The British labor party came to the
front. on Tuesday with a message to
the Russian people announcing that
the British people accepted the prln-
ciple of self-determination of peoples
and no annexations for the British en-
pire, especially in the middle East, At
rica and India. The manifesto con.
cluded with an appeal to the peoples
of central Europe to help end the wal
by the defeat of militarism on both
sides, and not to drive the British peo.
pie, as they are driving the Russians
into the terrible choice between con
tinuing the conflict and abandoning the
only principles that can save the world
-@-
There is not much to be written Of
the weeks fighting. The German pa
pers were talking openly Of the com
ing great offensive on the west from
and asserted that million more troops
had been sent into France, but VoI
Hindenburg still delayed the blow. Th'
activity Of the aviators was notable
and the allied flying men made severa
successful bombing raids on German
cities, Karlsruhe especially being hare
hit.
In Italy the main event of the weel
was surprise attack by the Italians
supported by the French, by which Ger
tain important dominating positions ol
Monte Asolone were wrested from tn
Austrians and their observation post
destroyed.
On Wednesday the Austrians mad
a desperate attempt to recapture tn
lost positions. For four hours they al
tackled fiercely and were stubbornl
fought off, finally retiring, leaving tn
field covered with their dead.
ID
The German submarines have no
been very active of late, the weekly re
port of the British admiralty showin
only six large British vessels and fou
smaller ones sunk. One of the sub
mersibles, however, emerged off YaI
mouth and shelled that pretty Englisl
city violently. Three persons wer
killed.
, Further evidence that the submarin
service is most distasteful to the Gel
man sailors is contained in the repor
from Geneva of another mutiny anon
the submarine crews at Kiel, the Gel
, man naval base. Thirty-eight officer
are said to have been killed. The nun
J ber of U-boats returning to Germa
J ports is decreasing every month, az
cording to the Geneva correspondent.
-m-
: France is in the throes of new Cal
! laux scandal, the former premier bein
, now under arrest on a charge OF tres
t son. The affair was brought to crisI
by information supplied, by Secretar
5 Lansing, for 1t appears that Caillau
: engaged in intrigues with Count vo
i. Luxburg in Argentina in 1915 and wa
in communication with the foreign o.
b fee at Berlin with the object of COZ
a Guiding peace. His plotting in Ital
also has been exposed and document
+ seized there show he planned to max
himself dictator of France and to witt
q draw that country from the wa