The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-03-02

- SApAS0AAJ Viz D. Wv 1890 49,
of the war during the present
week has been the surrender of
Northern Russia. But the mill
tary interest, which is supreme,
for it must in the end control
even the political arrangements
which have been set up between
the German government and
Bolshevik leaders, lies in dis
cussion upon "the war of move
ment which the German high
command is apparently planning
to put into effect if possible upon
the western as well as upon the
eastern front.
The capitalization Of Northern
Russia has taken place of course,
without any consultation with
its people or attempt to deter
mine their wishes in the matter.
1t was signed merely by the
small cosmopolitan group of men
who are masters through terror
ism In Petrograd some of whom
are actually agents Of the Ger
man government, and all Of
whom are entirely Indifferent to
any national feeling for Russia.
It's object is to maintain these
people in such power as they
have been able to set up in what
used to be the Russian capital,
and its effect is to complete
long belt Of small and weak
states, nominally independent,
which Germany and Austria are
setting up in Eastern Europe.
These they win dominate politi-
oaIly and economically and from
them they hope to draw military
strength, so that In practice, il
they remain with their present
boundaries, they will form parts
Of a great Central European en-
pire under the leadership and
domination Of Prussia and its
rulers.
Thesersmall states are Livonia,
Esthonia, Courland, German
lied Rumania with new king,
who would be appointed by Ger
many, and probably would be
one Of Prussia's ruling family,
and the Ukraine.
Prussia Fears
a Free Poland.
One of the chief objects in set
ting up all these small states -
especially the last named-is to
create a weak and diminished
Poland. This is because Poland
is real nationality, strongly
patriotic, virile and possessing
the elements of national great
ness and power, so that its
resurrection as a state is one of
the things which Prussia most |
seriously breads.
But all these arrangements de-
pend for their permanency upon
what happens on the western
front. If the Germans can main
tain their line In the west, and |
can succeed in forcing the AL
lied powers to give them a peace
which leaves them strong and
the undisputed masters of Cen
trail Europe, they would obvious. |
ly have won the war. They
would, of course, evacuate Bel |
gium and Northern France; they I
would hold a referendum with
pleasure In Alsace-Lorraine, and
they probably would even tell
Austria to give back to Italy the
territory now occupied and the
Trentino, that italian valley in
the Alps which Austria now
rules. But in spite of these con-
cessions they would come out of
such an arrangement with pow
srs and resources which would
Insure that they would be the
future masters of Europe.
Gan Play for Small
Stake OF Big One.
There are two ways in which
they can attain this end; a
way and a maximum
way. /
The minimum way is to hold
fhe present siege line from the
Channel to the Adriatic intact, i
while they continue to increase
the pressure upon Great Britain
and the vital communications of
the Allies by a larger and more
effective use of the submarine.
They hope that even if they have
no better success than this lit /
VIII be a sufficient power in the
field to upset the new balance
created by the detection of Rus
ssm Fra0v4 Aha ATI3na no4rua and IN