The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-03-15
CONGRESS OF S0VIETS WITH.
BUT 80 DISSENTING 46fES
AGREES TO TEUT@C TERMS
Bolshevik Surrender Vast Area of Valuable Territory and
Important Trade Concessions in Accepting
BrestLtovsk Treaty
WAY CLEAREDFOR
Japan IN SIBERIA
Early Announcement of Plans
for Island Empires In
vasiOn Predicted

"rY. J
Petrograd, Thursday, March
14.-The All-Russian congress of
soviets, meeting at Moscow to-
day, by a vote of 453 to 30, de-
cided to ratify the peace treaty
with the central powers.
NJ. RyaZOnOv, a prominent B0l-
shevik theorist, and representa-
tives of all thess, professional
unions, resigned from the Bol-
shevik party after the vote.
Clears Way for Japan.
The action of the All-Russian co1.
gress Of societies in accepting the Ger
man peace clears the way for an
nouncement Of allied intentions as re-
CARDS Japanese intervention in ST.
IBERIA and gives Germany vast oppor-
tunities for political and economic
penetration OF the former Russian
empire The decision of the congress
is the elimination of the peace steps
bewun by the Bolsheviki government
last December 49,:
BY the peace terms, Russia must
give up Poland, Courland, Livonia,
Esthania, and Ukraine In Asia Minor
the Russians are compelled to retire
from Armenia, and to cede to the
Turks the Russian districts of Batoum,
kars, and Erivan. ."
Renounees all Claims.
Russia must renounce all claims to
the occupied territories in Europe, Ger.
many and sAustro.Hungary to decide,
the fate OF these regions in agree.
nlent with their populations. The
Russian army must be demobiliIed
and Russian warships are to be dis.
armed.
More important to the central pow
ers in the reopening of navigation in
the Black and Baltic seas, and sign
ing of Russia under compulsion of
new commercial treaties, with guaran-
tees of most favored nation treat.
ment at least until 1925. The Boil
sheviki also promised to nut an end
to all propaganda and agitation with
in the central empires and In occu-
pied territories under their control.
WASHINGTON NOT ADVISED
Washington, D. c., March 15.-Aside
from press dispatches Washington had
no information today on the decision
of the AllRussian congress Of Soviets
at Moscow ratifying the German peace
terms ..'-
Officials had no means of knowing
whether the action was taken before
or after receipt of President Wilson's
to the people OF Russia prom
Using American aid in obtaining for
Russia full independence from Ger
man aggression. Its receipt has not
been acknowledged by the American
was to have been delivered.
1t is believed that ratification Of
the peace terms will bring an early
move by Japan in Siberia. Any move
by the Japanese it is believed would
be made chiefly as measure of pro-
lection for Japanese and American
supplies at vladivostok. -..,
Germany will derive little immedi-
ate commercial advantage by the ra-
tification of the treaty in the view OF
officials here. Russia's surplus grain
stocks are said to be small. and her
manufacturing industries are disor-
ganized. About 100000 acres of grain
in the Ukraine, which Germany and
Austria expect to divide, are far in.
land and will be hard to move be.
cause of poor rail facilities. .. .
ONLY BoLsHEvIKs REPRESENTED
London, March IA Reuter- dis
patch filed yesterday at Petrograd
says that the Bolshevik majority at
the conference at Moscow decided by
a vote of 40, to 80 to support the
peace treaty. r f.
The foregoing dispatch indicates
that only the Bolshevik representa-
tives were represented in the vote
taken at Moscow, in what may have
ben a majority caucus. The Menshev-
Xxi and probably other factions are
at the conference, but in
view of the strength of the Bolsheviki
it is impossible their decision could
be reversed.