The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-10-10
CONFIDENTIAL,

CONFIDENTIAL.
CNo. III, Affair of Peace Deleg, To report !,
Urgent Unitials.)
Brest- Litovsk
Comr. Shitkevitch; Take copies and send to
the commss for Foreign Affairs, personally
to CoInr. Zalknd.
To the Council Of National commissaries:
Comrade L. D. Trotsky has charged me to bring
TO the knowledge of the Council of National
Commissaries the motives for his teegraphic
proposals to arrest the Roumanian diplomatic
representatives in Petersburg.
Gen. Hoffman, referring to the conference
which had taken place in Brest- Ltovsk between
the members of the German and Austro- Hun
garian delegations on December 20, presented to
the Russian delegation in the name of the Ger
man and Austrian chief command "a deciphered
radtoteegram was exhibited in this connection)
a confidential demand concerning the immediate
Indictment of the Roumanian army to recognize
the necessity of armistce and adopting the
terms of democratic peace pointed ont by the
Russian delegates. The applicability of the
staff and the whole commanding force Of the
Rounanian army, with regard to which the
chief command of the German army has received
the most exact agency information, spols the
excellent impression produced in Germany and
on all the fronts by the Russian peace propo-
sitons, which has made it. possible to again
stimulate the popular feeling against England,
France, and America and bring about an
undesirable and dangerous aggravation Of the
peace question up to the German army going
over to the attack on our front and an open
annexation Of the territories occupied in Rus
STA.
The general expressed his opinion that against
peace might be the Cossacks, Ukranian
regiments, and the Caucasian army in which
case they will also doubtless be Joined by the
Roumanian armies which according to the in
formation in possession of the German staff
enters into the calculations Of Kaledin and Alex
Jeff. 1t is greatly in the interests of the Ger
man and Austrian delegations that complete
front as regards the conclusion Of armistice
and adopting the terms of a separate peace be-
tween Russia and Germany, seeing that in this
event the German and Austrian chief command
Will propose to Roun1ana their terms of peace
and will be in a position to take up their oper-
alive actions on the western front on a very.
large scale; at the time Gen. Hoffman,
In the course of conversation with Comr.
Irotzky twice limited at the necessity Of imme
diately beginning these operations.
When Comr. Trotsky declared that at the dis
posal of the councils power there are no means
of influencing the Roumanian staff, Gen. Hoff-
man pointed out the necessity Of sending trust
worthy agents to the Roumanian Army and the
possibility of arresting the Roumanian mission
in Petersburg and repressive measures against
the Roumanian king and the Roumanian COM
manding forces.
After this interview Comr L. D. TrotsRy by
cable proposed to arrest the Roumanian mission
in Petersburg with all it's members. This re-
port Is being sent by special courier-Comrade
J. G. Brossiff, who has to personally transmit TO
Commissary Podvoisky information of
secret character regarding the sending to the
Roumanlan army Of those persons whose names
Conn. Brossoff will give (Note-Underscore
marked ITO Sander.O All these persons will
be paid out Of the cash Of the German Naph-
ha-Industral Bank" which has brought near
Boreslavl the business of the joint-stock
pany Of Fanto & Co. The chief direction of
those agents has been intrusted, according to
Gen. Hoffmans indication, to a certain Wolf
Vonigel. (Note-von IgeD, who is keeping
watch over the military agents of the countries
allied with US. AS regards the English and Am
erican diplomatic representatives, Gen. Hoff-
man has expressed the agreement OF the German
staff to the measures adopted by Comr Trotsky
and Comr Lazimiroff with regard to watching
over their activity.-Member of the delegation,
A. Yoffe,
Reported January 4, regarding the arrest of
Diamandi and others-M Shitkevich. January
3, 1918. To the chancery: Send urgent tele-
gram to Trotsky about the arrest of the Rou-
manian minister.-Saveeff.
Note Gas cabled to the Secretary of State,
Feb. 9).-The date is January IL, western time,
the eve Of the Russian New Year. The Rou-'
manian minister was arrested that night in Pet
rograd. and only released on the united demand
of all embassies and legations in Petrograd.
Since then he has been sent out of Russia. The
letter shows that Trotsky took Gen. Hoffman's
personal demand as an order for action. Most
important of all, however, it strips the mask
from the Lenin and Trotsky public protestations
that they have sought to prevent the peace ne
military advantage of Germany against the
United States, England and France. The aim
here disclosed is instead to aid Germany in slim
ulating feeling against England, France and the
for an offensive on the western front. Ger
man bank is named as paymaster for Bolshevik
agitators among the Roumanian soldiers Is
Wolf Vonige the field director the Wolf Won
Igel Of American notoriety? The similarity in
name is striking. Finally, Gen. Hoffman and
the German staff is satisfied with Trots5v's
watch over the American and English diplomats
Yoffe, who signs the letter Is a member of the
Russian Peace Commission. Since this letter
was written Zalkind has gone to Switzerland
on a special mission. ......ag
July g. 191S.-E S.
he did not reach there, being made to pass
through England and in April was in Chris
tiana.
CTo be continued)