Republican farmer., 1918-08-02

Piave, almost within sight of the domes of Venice. Here the Italian army reformed it's columns, consoli- dated its positions by withdrawing from the Rhaetian mountains to the Asiago plateau and, assisted by the French endorsements brought to that battlefront, stood ct bay.
 Russian Collapse.
 Events in the meanwhile had been moving swiftly in Russia. On Novem- Der l, while the offensive against Italy was under way, Alexander F. Keren- sky, then the Russian premier, an- nounced that Russia was worn out by the war and that the Allies must shoulder the burden thenceforward.
 Seven days later Kerensky was de- posed by the Bolsheviki. The fall and flight of Kerensky was the signal for Germany and Austria to enter into peace negotiations with Russia. On November 30 the Bolsheviki an- nounced that Russai was out of the war and proposed that all the Allies join in the negotiations for an arnlis- tice
 Russian and German representa- tives met at Brest Litovsk on Decem- Der 22, and terms of peace were ex- changed. No progress was made with the negotiations and the conference was broken up on January II. In the meantime, a new republic had sprung from the side of Russia. It was Ukraine territory extending along the Rumanian and Galician | frontier from the Black Sea north ward to Cholm, in ancient Poland. With this republic, the Ctnarl Elm pires made peace late in January. 1 The failure of the Bolshevik au- thorities to reach any agreement with the Germans resulted in the renewal | of hostilities on February IS, and the German armies moved forward once more.
 Brest-Iitovsk Treaty.
 This brought about a renewal of the peace negotiations, and at Brest- Litovsk the Bolsheviki were given to understand. that Germany would re- cognize the kingdom of Poland the republic of Ukraine, the independence of Finland, and the separate govern mental status of Lithuania, Esthonia, Turkey, as an ally of the Central Powers, was given a great area to the east of the Black Sea, including the regions of Baum, Kars and Erivan. With the announcement of the final signing of the treaty between the Bol- sheviki and Germany the Allies gave up hope that Russia would remain in the conflict, and at once they began to strength their lines against the coming of the great German offen- sive by which Berlin and Vienna hoped to force the Entente nations to make peace.
 Rumania Capitulates.
 With the greater part of her. terri tory occupied by the Germans, Aus trtans and Bulgarians, with her gov ernment driven from Bucharest to Jassy and with the Russian Bolshevi- Xxi openly hostile toward her, Rumania found herself in a critical situation. Rumanian troops during February and March advanced into Bessarabia a part of the new Republic of Ukraine, but they were hemmed in by the en- emy forces and obliged to withdraw
 At last, on May 6, Rumania, signed treaty of peace with the Central Powers.
 By this treaty Rumania lost the
 province of Dobrudja, on the south
 side of the Danube, which she had lreceived after the Balkan war, and
 agreed to a rectification of her vest
 ern frontier. Economic concessions
 also were made under pressure from the Teutonic Alliance.
 Petce Tentatives.
 The period between December
 1917 and March 1, 1918, may be called the period of peace tentatives. It is true that before the end of the sum- mer Pope Benedict made on appea
 to the warning nations to enter into
 peace negotiations. the basis for pour parlers being the restoration of Bel. gium and Serbia and the return tc Germany of her lost colonies. This appeal, made on August B, was an.
 swered by President Wilson on Au- gust 29, when the President announc ed that the German government al , constituted could not be believed and that the United States was ready tt enter into negotiations when the Ger man people showed they desired peace and when they spoke through any au thority which would be representative
 of them,
 The German answer to the Pepe'i 5 appeal reached the Vatican on Sep : tember 21, 1t expressed hope tha [ further warfare could be averteC through the good offices of the Pope but declined to enter into any engage IT. ent to meet what the Allies had de 3 eiared to be their minimum war aims , German Peace Offer German eaarts te secure a peae' a which would leave to Germany all thu , fruits of her victory gained througi Russia's collapse, and with Belgium S and large portions of France to b.
 used as paHns at the council table, be gan with the address of Count Czer :, min, then Austrian foreign minister, a f Brest-LitoEsk, on December s6. Tn e keynote of the address was genera
 peace without aaResatiens and indem
 mites.
 Gn January 6, President Wilson, ad dressing Congress, said that the Unit - ed States must know fer whom tn
 German rulers were speaking. Th
 address was a complement te an ad
 dress made on January 5, by DaEic II Liayd George. the British Premier. To these addresses reply was mad by Imperial Chancellor yen Hertlinj of Germany, and Count CzerRin. Tn X latter was pacific and coaciliatary il t . ''tiae good German sHord:' showed Ia 6 ba of +l,,