The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-27
cOuNCu OF DEFENSE

place at the urgent appeals and repre- sentations of the populations for pro- lection against atrocities and devasta tion by red guards and other bands. They have, therefore, been undertaken in the name of humanity. They are measures oe assistance and have no other char acter. It is a question of creating peace and order in the interest of peaceable populations.
 "We do not intend to establish our selves, for example, in Esthonia or Lii vona. In Cotlri;lnd and Lithuania our chief object is to create organs of self determination ard sef-administration Our military action, however, has pro- duced success far exceeding the orig inal aim
 News was received yesterday that Petrograd had accepted our conditions aud sent it's representative to Brest- Litovsk for further negotiations. Accord ingly our delegates travelled thither last evening. It is possible that there will still be dispute about the details, but l the main thing has been achieved. The will to peace mas been expressly an- nounced fron the Russian side, while the conditions have been accepted and :! the conclusion of peace must ensue with l in very short time.A
 SAFEGUARD PEACE | l 0 SaleBudfu tue lIullS Ol OuI PCeSC with Ukraine our army command drew the sword. Peace with Russia will be the happy result. Peace negotiations | with Rumania began at Bucharest yes ! terday. It appeared necessary that Sec 1 reeary Won Kuehlmann should be pres 1 ent there during the first days when the i foundations were laid. Now, however, i he will presumably soon go to Brest- l Litovsk.
 i 2, ,1,a,ra q gotistion with Rumania that we are i not taking part in them alone and are ! under obligation to champion the inter- ! ests of our allies, Austria Hungary, Bull l garia and Turkey, and to see that d l compromise is arranged there regarding any divergent desires that will possibly give rise to difficulties, but these diffi- culties will be overcome.
 :, AS TO RUMANIA
 with regard to Rumania, too, the ] guiding principle will be that we must, and desire to, convert into friends the states with which on the basis of the success of our army we now conclude peace.
 1 Regarding Poland, that country, as l we know, was freed by Germany and
 Austria Hungary from oppressive depend ence, with the intention of calling an in- dependent state into existence The con- stitutional problem, in narrow sense is still in the stage of exhaustive dis cusson between the three countries con cerred. Peace with Ukraine at first pro- duced great unrest in Poland. l hope
 however, that with good will com
 promise on the conflicting claims will be reached In the settlement we arc
 demanding only what is indispensable from a military point of view.
 The entente are fighting for the ac-
 uuisition of portions of Austro-Hun
 garian territory and for the severance
 of Palestine, Syria and Arabia from
 the Turkish empire. England hopes by the creation of dependent protec-
 torate to annex new portions of ter
 ritory to the British empire and to in crease and round off the British pos
 sessions, especially in Africa.
 In the face Of this policy, entente
 statesmen dare to represent German,
 as the dsturber of peace, who. in th'
 interest of world peace, must be con fined within the narrowest bounds. By a system of lies and calumny they en deavar to instigate their own people ant
 neutral countries against the centra
 powers and to disturb neutral countries
 with the spectre of the violation of neu
 trality by Germany.
 PROMISE TO SWITZERLAND 7
 "Regarding the intrigues recently car ried on in Switzerland we never thought nor will we think, of assailing Swis neutrality. We are much indebted t
 Switzerland We express gratitude t
 her. Holland, the Scandinavian countries and Spain, who by her geographical DO stion is exposed to especial difficulties
 and no less to the extra European coun tries who have not entered the war
 for their manly attitude in that, despit , all temptations and expressions, the.
 preserve their neutrality.
 "The world is longing for peace, bu the governments of the enemy countrie
 are again inflaming the passion for Wal . There are. however, other voices to D , heard in England it is to be hoped tha , these voices will multiply.
 'The world now stands before tn | final decision. Either our enemies vii
 decide to conclude peace--they know Q what conditions we are ready to begi f a discussion-or they will continue tn
 insanity by their criminal war of con ! quest.
 , "Our people will hold out further bu
 the blood of the fallen, the agonies q
 the mutilated and the distress and sui | ferings of the peoples will fall on tn f heads of those who insistently refuse : ltisten to the voice of reason and hu