The sun., 1918-01-07
Russian Request to Resume
Discussion at Stockholm
Stumbling Block.
CROWN COUNCIL ACTS
Unexpected Change of Mind
by Germany Upsets the =
Entire Programme.
REICHSTAG IN TURMOIL
Brest-LitOvsk Fiasco Makes
Position Of Socialist Ma.
jority Doubtful.
REICHsTAG IN TURMOIL
Special Gable DespsscA 10 Tas sts.

spoCS0t SOOte DESp0tCN 70 luB SlN
Copyright. 1918: su roAn resssvsd.
LONDON. Jan. 6.-Despite the state.
mont made to the main committee Of the
Reichstag, last week by the Under For
eign Secretary. which followed . Crown
Council held . few days before, to ths
effect that the peace negotiations st
Brest-Litovsk were progressing satisfac-
torily. and the intimation from Berlin
that the demand OF tho Russians for tina
transfer OF the discussions to Stockholm
or some other neutral city was merely
suggestion. not . demand. an OFFICIAL
announcement from Berlin states that
the peace negotiations have been "sus-
pended temporarily"
IT is evident that Germany has exTe-
rienced a change Of mind In the last few
days and no longer has any dasire to
continue the negotiations on the former
basis. DR.. Won Kuehlmann. the Gernnsn
Foreign Minister. and Count CZerrin,
the Austro- Hungarian Foreign Minieter
hurried back to Brest-Litovsk to be or
hand Saturday. the date agreed upon for
the resumption Of the peace negotiations.
and a statemen; issued yesterday in Ber-
lin asserted that the Russian delegates,
including for the first time Leon Trots-
sky. the Bolshev!k Foreign Minister,
were OIL the way to the same place.
Whatever arrangement had been made
seems to have been upset suddenly. and
so far as the German officials were COLI
cerned. Unexpectedly. by the Crown
Council.
Rumor Ludendor6 Out.
The sudden reversal Of action appar
entity was not carried out smoothly, Tor
several papers in Germany publish the
statement that Gen. Won Ludendorff.
generally regarded as the leading mind
/ in the military Eroup that rules Ge,
many. had rendered his resignation. A.
Official despatch from Berlin. through
Amsterdam. denies this
The decision of the Kaiser to suspend
peace negotiations with Russia, I, is ex-
plained here, will make the Eolehevik
more amenable to reason. and il is BE-
lived that there is All excellent prospect
OF the Lenne-Trotzky regime In Petro-
grad soon realizing that the sole hope Of
Russian salvation lies in the fullest pos
sble cooperation with the Entente Co
ernments
1t is expected that the new outline Of
the war aims Of the Allies. as enunciated
yesterday In Premier Lloyd Georges ad-
dress to t.s trade unions, will have a.
important bearing on the attitude OF tn"
Bolsheviki toward Germany.
There also Is increa asing belief In an
thoritative quarters that Germany il
greatly embarrassed by the course that
events have taken relative to the Brest-
l.itovsk intrigues. German diplonarT
evidently made the mistake OF attempt
ing to force impossible peace terms be-
cause it was confident that the military
situation was completely satisfsct TO
Germany on the east front and thar y
was possible to coercc the Russians u
they protested. Such course did not
| appeal. however, To Won Hind enb burg s.,S
Won LudendorfT. who realized fully tIe
| !mpossibility of sparins forces and ma
terials to conquer even non-resistart
Russia
Knew Need for strong FOrces.
| They knew also the absolute necessity
Of maintaining military lines OF cons'd.
erah'c strength on the Baltic Sea and
| Black Sea to prevent Russian revolu
| tionary propaganda from reaching the
peoples Of the Central Empires WIS
demoralizing consequences.
This danger is especially serious ~
| AustriasHungary. where the large SlaN -
population is thoroughly disafferted an!
Is potential powder magazine wi, -
may he exploded by a Russian spsrh
! Tho German military leaders seeminclv
| realiz" these dangers. while the diplo
mats do not. As result the DIPLOMA
ovcrpayed their part at Brest-Litoyei
and are in great danger Of losing all III"
advantages gained when the pourpsrlr'
! were initiated
Fragmentary reports from 7errar'
| through neutrals indicate that tho rccci.'
Grown Council in Berlin developed sharp
passages between the military and dtplc-
matte groups the diplomats We're blamed
for bungling everything and very spc"u '
instructions were given TO them.
! AS the Russian Constituent Assem-.
J has been summoned to meet January ! =
1t is suggested that the Lenine Go,o,..
! Inent is more willing to cooperat" wiz
the Assembly in the effort to prrsrui a
united national front. As the Allie h. 50
made the acknowledgment OF I.eninc v
the Assembly essential to diploN5' :
recognition, the meeting Of the Assem-.
bly, is likely to be followed by some form
Of recognition.
Relations between Germany and .-
garia are reported to he nervous " Tie
correspondent OF the Morning Post say.
that the Bulgars are fearful that Cor
many does not intend To permit Ru.-
garia to take the Dobrudja. which
Bulgaria insistently demands. A. \
meeting in Bulgaria recently II was re-
solved to continue the armed struggle
independently rather than relinquish the
Dobrudja-