The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-07-27

uuWu along Inc lines from Ine BuIes Ol
the Carpathians to the Baltic. Stories
were heard of determination of German
and Russian troops, but assurances came
from Petrograd that Russia would stand
true to her allies.
Fall Offensive in Italy.
The German and Austrian high com
mands had no illusions as to further Rus
sian belligerency. There came to the al
lies reports that the central empires were
taking the pick of their force from the
Russian front and concentrating them
for drive against some part of the line
in the western theatre. Then came in
timations that the blow was aimed
against Italy.
The storm broke at Caporetto on Oct
20 and almost Immediately the whole
Italian line was thrown into disorder.
Pouring through the passes, where in
some instances disatfected Italian troops
held positions, the Germans and Aus
TRANS made progress which from the
first was alarming, By wise generalship,
the Italian line was withdrawn from the
Isonzo. 1t paused at the Tagliamento
and then retired further until it rested
on the Pave, almost within sight of the
domes of Venice Here the Italian army
reformed its columns, consolidated its
positions by withdrawing from the Rhae-
tian mountains to the Asiago plateau
and, assisted by the French reinforce
ments brought to that battlefront, stood
at bay.
Russian Collapse.
Events in the meanwhile had been
moving swiftly in Russia, On Nov /,
while the offensive against Italy was UNI
der way, Alexander F, Kerensky, then
the Russian premier, announced that
Russia was worn out by the war and
that the allies must shoulder the burden
thenceforward.
Seven days later Kerensky was de-
posed by the bolsheviki. The fall and
flight of Kerensky was the signal for
Germany and Austria to enter into peace
negotiations with Russia. On Nov. 80
the bolsheviki announced that Russia
was out of the war and proposed that all
the allies join in negotiations for an
armistice.
Russian and German representatives
met at Brest -Litovsk on Dec, %, and
terms OF peace were exchanged. No
progress was made with the negotiations
and the conference was broken up on
Jan. IL. In the meantime, new repub
lie had sprung from the side Of Russia.
1t was Ukraine, territory extending
along the Rumanian and Galician from
tier from the Black sea northward to
Cholm, In ancient Poland. With this re-
public, the central empires made peace
late in January.
The failure OF the bolsheyik author
tiles to reach any agreement with the
Germans resulted in the renewal Of hos
Utilities on Feb is, and the German
armies moved forward once more,
Brest-LitOvsk Treaty.
This brought about renewal of the
peace negotiations, and at Brest- Litovsk
the bolsheviki were given to understand
that Germany would recognize the king
dom of Poland, the republic of Ukraine,
the independence of Finland, and the
separate governmental status of Lith.
uania, Esthonia and LivOnia. Turkey,
as an ally of the central powers, was
given a great area to the east of the
Black sea, including the regions of Ba-
tum, Kars and Erivan.
With the announcement of the final
signing of the treaty between the boil
sheyiki and Germany, the allies gave up
hope that Russia would remain in the
conflict, and at once they began to
strengthen their lines against the com
ing of the great German offensive by
which Berlin and Vienna hoped to force
the entente nations to make peace.
Rumania Capitulates.
With the greater part of her territory
occupied by the Germans, Austrians and
Buigarians, with her government driven
from Bucharest to Jsssy and with the
Russian bolsheviki openly hostile toward
her, Rumania found herself in critical
situation. Rumanian troops during Feb
ruary and March advanced into Bessa-
rabia, part Of the new republic Of
Ukraine, but they were hemmed in by
the enemy forces and obliged to with
draw At last, on May Q, Rumania
signed treaty Of peace with the central
Ipowers.
BY this treaty Rumania lost the prov
ince of Dobrudia, on the south side Of
the Danube, which she had received after
| the Balkan war, and agreed TO rectif-
cation of her western frontier. Econom.
ic concessions also were made under pres
sure from the Teutonic alliance.
Peace Tentatives.
The period between Dec l, 1917, and
March /, 1918, may be called the period
of peace tentatives. IL is true that be-
fore the end of the summer Pope Bene-
diet made an appeal to the warning ma
tions to enter into peace negotiations,
the basis for pourparlers being the res
toration of Belgium and Serbia and the
return to Germany of her lost colonies.
| This appeal, made on Aug. ID, was an
swered by President Wilson on Aug 20,
when the president announced that the
German government as constituted could
not be believed and that the United
States was ready TO enter into negotia-
tions when the German people showed
they desired peace and when they spoke
through any authority which would be
representative of them.
The German answer to the pope's APP
peal reached the Vatican on Sept. 2l II
expressed hope that further warfare
could be averted through the good offices
| Of, the pope, but declined TO enter into
any engagement to meet what the allies
had declared to be their minimum war
aims.
German Peace Offer.
German efforts to secure peace which
would leave to Germany all the fruits of
her victory gained through Russias col
lapse, and with Belgium and large por-
/ lions of France to be used as pawns at
the council table, began with the address
of Count Czernin, then Austrian foreign
n.aat 7 "A n. ~