Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-03-09

| B., the Associat ted Press.
PETROGRAD, March 9.-Leon Trotz-
ky. in an address at meeting of the
maximalist party yesterday, announced
that he had resigned as commissary for
| foreign affairs.
Virtually Controlled Russia.
CAS- the bolshevik foreign minister,
Leon Trotzky, whose real name La
Leber Braunstein. was the most impor-
tant member of the revolutionary gov
ernment. formed after the overthrow OF
Kerensky last November. although Mix
OLAF Lenine. as premier. was the nomi-
nal head OF the government, Trotzky
virtually controlled Russia's destiny up
to the second peace conference at
! Brest -Litovsk.
Gt was Trotzky who made public the
text of secret documents exchanged be-
tween former Russian governments and
foreign governments. and it was he
who proposed the armistice to the CEN
trail powers early in December, which
eventually led TO the abortive CONFER
ence at Brest-Litovsk. The negotia-
tions were disrupted in mid-February
and hostilities We're renewed. The Ger
mans then submitted partial peace
terms, but Trotzky took no part in the
conferences.
Second Resignation.
(Trotzky's resignation is the second
among the Russian leaders forecast by
Berlin On February 25 Berlin report
ed that Ensign Krylenko, commander
of the Russian armies. had been super
seeded. A dispatch received in London
Thursday said that Krylenko had re-
signed owing to differences with the
council of peoples commissaries. Trotz-
ky's resignation was forecast by Ber-
lin last Tuesday. The Withdrawals OF
Trotzky and krylenko leave Lenine as
the survivor of the bolshevik ruling
triumvirate. Trotzky also is president
of the Petrograd council of workmen's
and soldiers delegates, and was ap-.
pointed food director, with unlimited
authority, on February 20. Having es-
caped from Siberia, where he was sent
for political offenses. TrotZky was an
exile at the outbreak of the war. He
was expelled from Europe for preach
ing peace and arrived in New York on
January II, 1917, but returned to Rus
sia last April after the overthrow Of
the imperial government)
Defends Peace Treaty.
Nikolai Lenine. the bolshevik. pre-
rnier, in an article against the bolshe-
Wiki who refused to ratify the peace
treaty negotiated at Brest-Litovsk, de-
clares that the terms Napoleon inn
posed upon Prussia and Germany were
tenfold heavier than Germany is im-
posing on Russia
I'VE have concluded another Tilsit
peace" he says. I'VE snail yet arise
to victory, even as Germany. after
Tilsit. attained deliverance from Napo-
leon"
7 ION, s~s
Trotzky were the signers of message
sent out by the Russian government
wireless ordering the bolshevik repre-
sentative in Sweden TO have no dealings
with the German socialist imperial
lists" The message read: I'VE cannot
negotiate with strikebreakers. such as
the partisanS of Scheidemann (the Ger
man majority socialist leader. who are
traitors to the working classes
Petrograd Awaits Fate.
Petrosrad is calmly awaiting news OF
is fate during the quiet offered by the
temporary armistice. pending consider
alton of the peace treaty by the soldiers
and workmens congress at Moscow.
Evidence is seen everyw here that the
CITY is being evacuated. The ministry
of marine is sending its archives. to
Mimi Novgorod.
TO MOSCOW NJ Dibenko. commissioner
of marine. has been missing for several
days.
Crowds are trying to leave the city. but
the regular trains have been suspended
and permission to secure special trains is
dif1icult TO obtain. Fabulous prices are
Maid for sleghs, while thousands of per-
sons are walking out along the highways
and railroads The theaters, opera and
ballet are open as usual, the public being
indifferent as the result of the long strain
to which it has been subjected.
Expects Short-Lived Peace.
NJ Alexief. a member Of the bolsheviiS
MAGE delegation, said the delegates were
forced TO sign under pressure OF arms. He
stated the terms OF the treaty differ from
the terms offered February 21 only in the
surrender of the Caucasus districts OF
Ratoum. Karr and Kutraband. under con-
ditions which make it impossible for Rus
s;a TO regain the districts from Turkey. He
stated that it was the Russian under
standing that the army was to return to
the pre-war basis.
M Alexiem said that a peace accepted
so unwillingiy by Russia must inevitabiy
be short-lived.
German military movements in the
northern districts of Russia have anoaR
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