Republican farmer., 1918-03-08

1t is reported in Petrograd that
banks have been reopened the prop
erty of landlords restored and other
conditions approaching the old regime
revived in towns occupied by the Ger
mans.
Petrograd was calm and orderly to-
day regardless of the presence of
German troops at Narva, near the
capital, and evidences on all sides of
the removal of var supplies.
10 a gathering of workmen's and
soldiers delegates in Moscow on
Monday N. Prokrovsky, leader Of the
second peace delegation in Brest-Li-
tovsk, explained the treaty with the
democratic revolution not to deceive
themselves.
The new frontiers traced by Ger
many, NJ. Prokrovsky declared, cSn-
stitute a ling o: :r,n n aronud revoIuz
tlonary- Russia. He said the Ger
mars were trying 10 stitie the revoIu-
ton, the conduests of which ware re-
duced to nothing by the economic de-
mands or Berlin. The decree ma
donalizing the banks had fallen into
abeyance because the German terms
had the effect of converting the banks
into German concerns. Military evac-
uation by Russia of Esthonia, Cour-
land and Livonia gave the enemy
full authority in those regions.
M. zinovieff, president of the Pc
trograd council of workmen's and SOL
diers' delegates; M. ZverdIof and
others from Petrograd, addressed to
the conference. They said the
Russian representatives were obliged
to sign the peace agreement as a
tactical measure, owing to the situa-
ton brought about by Ukraine in
agreeing to ignominious peace terms.
The meeting adopted no resolution.
Should the aIl-Russian congress of
workmen's and soldiers delegates at
its meeting next week in Moscow fail
to ratify the peace terms forced on
Russia by Germany, it is not unlikely
that Russia and the United States and
her allies again may be fighting
against German imperialism as allies,
although allies in a somewhat re-
stricted sense.
Leon Trotzky, the Bolsheviki for
eign minister, granted the Associated
Press an interview at the Smolny in
stitute.
might not be possible for the tradi-
tional friends, Russia and the United !
States, to continue together to battle j
against German oppression should
peace efforts fail, Trotzky replied:
America and Russia today have
different aims, but if we have COM
mon stations on the same route see
no reason why we could not travel to-
gether in the same car. Each could
have the right to get off when he
wanted to.
Until revolution comes in Ger
many undoubtedly Russia and Amer
lea have a common road. We are
what we are and cannot change, and
we do not expect the American gov
ernment to change"
NJ. Trotzky said that if the Boil
sheviki could go back to the state of
affairs which existed last October, just
before they overthrew the Kerensky
government, they would repeat the
whole program which has been put
through since that time.
Sin October we did not exclude the
possibility of a holy war" he de-
clareds Now we consider such a war
possible. The Soldiers and Work
mems delegates must now fight for
organization and order"
M. Trotzky was asked whether the
United States might assist in the
process of organization by detailing
to the Trans Siberian railroad the 800
American railroad experts now wait
ing in Japan, and what guarantee the
Bo1sheviki could give that goods inn
ported in consequence of such assist
ance would not fall into German
hands. He said that if the Russian
government fell into German hands it
could not protect such supplies, but
that all sorts of supplies were being
evacuated from Petrograd.