The Washington herald., 1918-02-22


to Defend the revolution, fight to
the hnish."
Crush Defense.
The Prussian military machiue is
crushing all attempts at eleventh.
hour defense. In the north the in
vsders have taken Minsk, Hapsal,
LeaI, wenden and at last accounts
were some go miles south of Pet
rOgTad.
Leal was taken by troops that
crossed over into Esthonia from
Moon Island. German forces have
been landed in Finland, presenting
- grave fianking menace to the
Russian capital q. In the south
ROvono. the Volhynian fortress
that held for three years against
assaults has been occupied
Here the invaders are now less
than 200 miles west OF Kiey. More
than 5000 prisoners have been TAX
an. Everybody in the occupied
towns who talks. acts or looks like
4 BoIshevist official or agitator is
arrested and sent to the rear under
guard.
Secure Booty.
Every imaginable precaution is
taken by the German high COM
mand to guard against Bolsheviki
contamination as Prince Leopold
called it in his address to the
troops.
The booty so far enumerated in
cludes 1853 guns; $500 motor
trucks. hundreds of food laden
trains and incalculable other ma
terial
The food is distributed as quickly
as it can be garnered in. The mo-
tor trucks and trains are sent into
the Ukraine where facilities for
transportation of the peace food
are soreIy lacking.
Among the prisoners were one
general. several divisional COM
manders. 42J officers and $500 men.
Berlin does not specify whether the
high officers captured are holdovers
Of the regime or Bolsheviki-made.
Starving Petrograd is in the
thrOes Of indescribable turmoil.
TwO-thirds of the capitals popu-
lation is panic stricken. The other
third, consisting mostly of radicals,
persist in believing that the Teu-
tonic peoples will halt the -inva-
sion by revolt. Forty thousand
German prisoners in Petrograd are
awaiting the boom of the first at
lacking gun to do their share
thoroughly mapped out by the re-
cent German commander in the
capital.
Whether the BoIsnevist faith in a
forthcoming Teutonic home revolt is
justified forms the question of ques-
tiOns in all political speculation here.
Signs are plentiful that it is, but so
far they are only signs.
From Vienna came a dispatch late
this evening indicating Emperor
Charles had cast away the garb of
Benevolent, Democratic ruler" and
dOnned the armor of military tyrant.
He is said to have threatened the
Reichsrath, the Austrian parliament
with a proclamation of empire wide
martial law II the war budget Is not
promptly passed. The Socialists and
Radicals appear to be holding out for
redemption of Count CzernIn's PROM
ises OF immediate peace in the East.
There were also further reports
from German sources of a brewing
strike. But every direct dispatch from
both Teutonic capitals confirms that
the militarists are in full control and
mean to exploit that control to the
uttermost limit.
Diplomacy has been reduced for the
time being to militarism hand strap
per This became clearer than ever
tonight when 1t was learned that in
reply to the Lenine-Trotzky declara-
tion Berlin will make demands which
1t is impossible for the Bolsheviki to
grant unless they wish to lose all hold
on the Russian masses.
German Demands.
These demands include two shrewd
attempts
l. To concIliate the Poles, in
dignant over the cession of Cholm to
the Ukraine.
>. To place the neutrals under OBJ
legation to Germany.
Russia so the Germans now declare
must Guarantee the Independence or
the Russian Poles" and guarantee
payment of her debts to the central
powers The proposal is made that
Germany act as collector also for
Russia's debts to the neutrals.
In this latter proposal is also seen
a sly wink in the direction of France
whose finances would suffer heavily
were the Bolshevist threat not to pay
back a single rouble be kept.
Meanwhile an armada of fiiers scat
ters the legend Resistance Is Use
less in advance of the invading
armies and leaflets say that Petro-
grad is the immediate German goal.
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