The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-01-08
Political Turmoil ae Berlin
Brings Militarists and So-
cialists Together
BOTH EXTREMES FEAR
ANNEXATION SCHEME
Radicals Believe II Unfair.
Hiadenburs Says Ha Can
Win Slsv Territory After
His Big Pusha in West

London, Jan. 7.--GermAuy'H great
diplomatic peace steamrolisr In for
the moment at least badly stalled.
First the Bolshevtki threw q spoks
into its wheels by their refusal to b.
trapped, and now the empires hons
'front.' is wayertng The Socialists
majority and minority wings aiika
have come out solidiy and uaeauivu-
caily against the "camounage' clause
on annexation. They side with ths
Russians on this issue.
In this critical interim. while Ber-
lin IL once more engulfed by a. Violent
political battle. the allies are ensrgeb-
caily preparing for the next stroks
In their diplomatic countsr-offensiv@
opened by Premier Lloyd-George's
war aims speech yesterday. The
prenn lers OF Britain, France and Italy,
1t was authoritatively stated, are get
ting ready for a nomentous confer
ence at Paris preparatory to issuing
q Joint restatement OF the three
powers war aims.
Meanwhile at + asian army head
quarters in the field. war councii
Ia being held. Steps are being dis
cussed that may lead TO a resumption
by Russia not OF military operations
on vast scale, such as offensives OF
the BrusilofT type, but of active.
energetic guerilla defense OF the RUS
sian lines In this defense Russia
does not ask allied aid. She rejects
1t. She proposes to throw chaos into
the teeth of any military moves tho
Germans may attempt. She will give
the Teuton com nfanders the thing
they fear more Than organtZed armies
"a crippled land of endless vastness,
that has nc food, no ira asportaticn.
"a ~ fga n
ed, a land peopied by Euesfflss every
one of them armed with rifle. a.
Trotzky put it.
Belgium on Russian Scale
In Rugsia. according ~ the Bolshs~
Wiki rlan, the German armies are to
meet the sort OF thing that hroks
their dash TO Paris--a Belgium on
Russian scale.
(BelgIunr's area is 1873 square
| miles Russias area is s.sf1.1IS, Inc
population of Belgium is s,e0o .ooe.
that OF Russia more than lsO.oeo.ooo.l
| Fully aware OF these prospecuA
! Hinden burg and LudendorY are De-
| iieved 10 be bringing a tremendous
| pressure upon the Berlin government
/ to Yield to the Bolsheviki They argus
that what they cannot get from
negotiations now in the east they VIII
take bv force, after the blow In the
west" Thus, by an irony OF cur
r,,r,stanceS the Socialists find them
solves for once In the same camp
WITH the military chiefs. though the
I motives of the two are dtnerent a.
dav and night. The painter mans.
covo nostug the backbone OF natiitar-
ism, are fos-Tting with fury over tns
slightest move toward yi>lding.
Dealing With Ukrasnians-
/ Or Won Kuenlmann, the foreign
mintster. with the central powers
Ss1ays+Ionn Ia still at Brest- LAtovsk.
Az "club" for the Boishevfki. tneE
are now dealing with the Ukraine
.anar,+aIv. Meanwhile. however. they
bava SAINT n wireless message 10 Felt0
s,rsd ind,rectly inviting the Boisnevikk
ia oor,e hack and resume the pea-ce
i cnrrab. In one MESA &c they sun
! nhss'sHd that the recent staiein1n =.
; AZ terms was to be binding oniy N
case OF a general peace. In this scMs
observers see hint tha1 IN aS
~ Russtar Willingness for separats
nsace Berlin and Vienna ara now
prarared 70 make concessions.
Au,es Are Skepticai.
In allied quarters the wnoie rus
Teyrton proceedings are oeing 49,
- a,lth growing slSepticisna. From tne
-, o,,fset there have been stron8
; s,,rptoms Of a prearranEed cam
= lo,,ea~a" to lure the western allies into
xeneral peace conferences. Inuss
thsre Ia a growing belief that the Teu-
tnr onpoz'tion TO moving the parieya
- Stockholm Is only feint Cnar~
aoteristic OF this feeling is the 1oi-
; lowing article In the Paris Matin.
rs il quite certain that the
, r,ans are afraid to go to Stockncims
Ia
very shrswd game OF intrigue, pull
: Inv new Vaccinations every hour
caref,,llv scrutlnizing the effect OF
: sverv One OF them in entente coun-
= iris: $50. o,,oot7 THAT Of
ry,,denburg il knowu--to finish Rus-
I STA. keep the Baltic provinces ana exe-
: cute his offensive against as as soon
I, as possible"
r tire Germans. by feigning unwilling
ness TO 20 to stockholm, are giving
$ the Bolsheviki plan in that direction
: the stamp of-independence ana sin
Today's news from Petrograd tell
. inc Of Boisheyiki preparations Tor =
new war-iike attitude. somewhat
!. icounteraeted this skeptictsm. OUT y =
l. realized on all sides that the Hus-
stan situation is so ohscure that nc
: definite Judgment can vet be forced-
: Rumanta Stands Firm.
: Rink Ferdinand, of Rumania. haA
lcabled to the entente his resolve 50
r keep aioof from Russia's peace moves
: and to stand by the allies to the ~.
: In reply President Pcincarss q
. France. assured Rumania Of Franpe'a
: fun supportkto the end. al
: Political Interest hero wAs mon4D06
Iixs4 BY the political eRisfs n 0eru1