Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-02-20
S0RUSSIANS
ARE SENDING
PROOF OF aim
Original Copy of Message
On Way-Von Kuehlmann
Takes Speptical View.

Amsterdam, Feb. 2O.-3We can
no longer believe in the pacific in.
tenti0ns of Russia and must see
that peace and order prevail in
the occupied regions of the adi0in-
ing countries" DR.. Won kuehl-
mann, the German foreign minis.
ter, declared in addressing the
reichstag main committee yester-
day.
The foreign minister said he
hoped Germany's new war with
Russia would strengthen the in
4. clinatiOn for peace at PetrOgrad.
Even today" hex added, Eve are
prepared to conclude a peace which
corresponds with our interests"
Warns Against Rejoicing.
The foreign secretary read a wire
less dispatch from the Bolsheviki an
nouncing that they found it necessary
to sign a peace agreement on the
terms dictated by the central powers.
He said he would like to warn the
members of the reichstag main COM
mittee against the belief that peace
with Russia was in their pockets, add
ing peace with Russia will have been
arrived at only when the signatures
on the treaty are dry"
DR.. Won Kuehlmann said the con-
duct of the Russian delegates at the
peace negotiations at Brest-Litovsk
and in particular that of Leon Trotzky
was without precedent in history.
With his last declaration, the foreign
minister declared, that Trotzky at
tempted to eXtricate himself from a
position which had become untenable
and heswas not really DESTROYS of con-
| Guiding peace. After saying the pa
cific intentions of Russian could be
credited no longer but that even today
Germany was prepared to conclude a
peace which corresponds with our in
terests," the foreign minister referred
tc Ukraine. He said the peace agree
; ment in that instance had been
reached in consequence of the readi-
ness of the central powers for peace,
adding:
Ukraine Rich; Therefore Peace,
Ukraine is rich country and the
decisive factor for the conclusion of
peace was economic. When it came
to the fixing of the frontiers, Ukraine
claimed Cholm. There was danger
that the negotiations might be wrecked
If this demand were not taken into &C
! count. This was not a source OF
trouble in respect of the relations
among the central powers but the
Poles felt hurt. The frontirs of Cholm
have not yet been definitely fixed They
will be established by a commission
including representatives of Ukraine
and Poland"
The foreign minister said the centraI
powers would derive advantages this
year from the economic treaty witt
Ukraine. He recommended approva
of the treaty the first reading or
which was fixed for the following day
| Russians Sending Proof,
Petrograd, Feb. 2O.-General Hoff
man, the German military representa-
tive at the Brest-Litovsk peace con
ference has telegraphed to the Boil
sheviki government for written au
Identification of the Russian wireless!
peace message sent yesterday to Der
lin. General Hoffman,, according to
Russian official statement given gu
today, says that the authenticatio,
must be sent to the German commant
at Dvinsk.
, The Russian official statement say
that messenger from Petrograd il
being sent to Dvinsk today with tn
original peace message which wa
signed by Premier Lenine and For
, eign Minister Trotzky.
German Troops Push On.
Berlin. Feb. 20. tVia London) Ger
man forces on the Russian front yes
terday advanced to the northeast an
east Of Dvinsk, the German war offic
ANNOUNCED today.
The text of the statement reads:
Eastern theatre-On both sides o
the Riga-Petrograd railway the Rus
sian positions were crossed and W
advanced 20 kilometres beyond tn
line which had been our front. Feebl
resistance on the part of the enem
near InZeen, north of the railway, 500
was broken.
Our division pushed on fror
Dvinsk to the northeast and to tn
1 east.