Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1918-01-19


the Kovno district had deserted be
cause they were about TO be moved to
the west front.
NJ. Radek, one of the Russian dele
gates, asserted Monday that the Rus
slams were strengthening the front and
would send home every soldier who
was not willing TO fight. He asserted
they wanted no help from the allies or
America because their strength lay in
their weakness; that the country for
many miles was destitute, and that
while the Germans could drive them
back II would do them no good and
they would not want TO have millions
of starving people on their hands.
Conditions in Petrograd are hecon-
ing more desperate daily. The city is
full of crime. disorder and dirt, and
the people have little food and coal.
Very severe winter weather is adding
to the distress there.
Breakup of Russia Continues.
The bolsheviki seem content, for the
present, to permit the breaking up of
Russia into separate nationalities. A
kind of a truce has been patched up
with the Ukrainians, and the many
other new governments" apparently
are not molested. Lithuania is the
latest 10 declare itself Independent.
Finland is we'll on the way to indepen-
dence, having been recognized by GeH
many Sweden and France. and its rep
/ resentatives being well received by
! other governments.
The Cossacks of the south were hav-
ing a harder time; official dispatches
from Petrograd reporting that they
had been defeated and put to flight by
| the bolsheviki forces.
The Bulgarian parliament was in
! formed by Premier Radoslavoff that a
/ peace compact had been formed be-
/ tween Bulgaria and Russia, with the
! consent of the other central powers.
On the other hand, the holshevki gov
eminent rejected the separate peace
/ proposals made by Turkey, asking the
I latter TO participate in the general con
/ ference
Col. William r. Thompson, who com
manded the American Red Cross mis-
4 sion 10 Russia, has just returned to
This country and has much good to say
Of the boIshevik government He is
( convinced it's leaders are ho... II and
( sincere and not il the pay of the Ger
Z Ia. .
/ they have set on foot may result in a
/ world peace.
Fighting of the Week
| A number of attacks in force and
/ continuous activity of the artillery
marked the week along the west front.
( but there was no great battle and no
/ serious attempt to break through the
/ lines by either side. The sector Sc
iected by the German high command
/ for the expected big offensive was not
/ revealed, but the belief grows that it
will be in Belgium and that the main
( objective of the kaiser will be the cap
/ ture of Calais. Possession of this port
/ of course would be of ineStimable
value to Germany. both in the subma-
/ Tlne campaign and IN threatening Eng
/ land with direct attack, as well as In
terrupting the short route between
! England and France.
In Italy the weather and possibly
/ shortage of ammunition brought al
most 10 standstill the attempts OF
the Austr0-Germans to break through
into the Venetian plains Heavy SHOWS
fell in the Alps and threatened to shut
/ off communication between the Tren
tino and the fighting line, and the
weather was stormy all the way from
/ the mountains to the Adriatlc.
Vice Admiral Sims reported the tor
pedoing Of the American steamship
+ Harry Luckenbach, nine members OF
the crew being missing The British
admiralty announced that the hospital
ship Rewa was torpedoed and SINK in
tho Bristol channel She was full ot
wounded soldiers. but all Of them were
+ safely landed, though three Lascars OF
the crew we're lost. This new brutal
crime Of the Germans afforded the
London Times opportunity for mild
/ criticism Of President Wilson's high
+ idealism. the paper asking: rs any
peace thinkable with the authors ant
/ supporters Of system by which sucf
crimes are colby sanctioned as legiti
mate acts Of war;
The Rewa was displaying an the
lights and markings required by The
/ Hague convention and was not within
the so-called barred zone. but sucl
facts no longer mean anything 10 the
Germans if indeed they ever did.
Baker Defends Himself.
/ The investiga ton of war prepara-
tons by the senate committee Reached
4. the stage on Thursday where the pres.
) ence Of Secretary Baker was required