New-York tribune., 1918-01-07
Germans Fear Allied
Influence on Russians
if Conference Is
Moved to Sweden
Plot to Deceive
Entente Suspected
French Papers Say
Step Is a Trick to
Confuse the Real
Issues

LONDON, Jan. g. An Official state.
ment issued at Berlin yesterday and
forwarded by the Zurich correspondents
of the Exchange Telegraph Company
announced that because of the Russian
request to transfer the peace pourpar-
lers from -Litovsk to Stockholr:
the Central Powers had temporarily
suspended the negotiations will,
Russia.
The message, which was filed at
Zurich on Saturday, said:
Another Crown Council was held
to-day at Berlin, at which Field Mar
shall Won Hindenburg and General vor
Ludendorff attended. After the meet
ing the following official statement
was issued:
In consequence of the request
of the Russian government to trans
fer the seat of negotiations from
Brest-Litovck to Stockholm, the
Central Powers have temporarily
suspended the negotiations with
Russia"
Governments Step Endorsed
A belated dispatch from the cor
respondent of the Associated Press in
Berlin, which is dated Friday, shows
that there was great political pertur-
baton following the meeting of the
Main Committee of the Reichstag that
day The meeting lasted barely forty
,fno- N.
being supported by all factions except
the Independent Socialists.
Immediately on adjournment all the
parties entered into caucus sessions,
which continued throughout the day
and until late at night. The indications
pointed, the correspondent says, to an
Endorsement Of the governments atti-
tude against moving the peace negoti-
atlons from Brest-Litovsk to Stockholm
by the Right, Centre and Progressive
parties, including the pacifsts. the
Liberals and Clercals, and the Schei-
deman wing of the Socialists. but the
attitude in general of the Socialists
was problematical.
Fears Allied Diplomats
The Liberal "Tageblatt" reflects the
general attitude of the press in de-
claring that negotiations at Stockholm
would be impossible. The newspaper
says that British, French and Ameri-
can diplomats and their numerous
agents are buzzirg about Stockholm
and would promptly weave d net Of
, intrigue around the conference, and
that espionage would flourish making
successful negotiations impossible.
A Reuter- dispatch from Amsterdam
dated to-day says the hitch over Brest-
Lltovsk is considered to endanger the
cohesion Of the Reichstag majority, but
that great efforts are being made to
prevent the falling away of the So
I cialist majority. The dispatch refers
70 the possibility of new constella-
tion of Reichstag parties
The Bellin "Vorwaerts," the Social
ist organ, refers TO he declaration by
the Chancellor on the endangering of
the peace negotiations as having fallen
on the spirit Of the nation like black
cloud: The newspaper says the situa-
ton Is extraordinarily serious.
LONDON, Jan. G.-Dispatches re
ceived from Petrograd dated Frids,
! and Saturday confirm the prev ious re-
ports that the Russian peace delega.
ton. including Leon Trotzky, the Bol
shevik Foreign Minister. returned tt
Brest-Litovsk in an endeavor to ar
range for transfer of the negotiation:
to neutral territory. The German re-
fusal to acquiesce in the Russian dc
mand. according to these dispatches
was based on the fact that their dele
gates already had arrived at Brest
Litovsk