The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-27
FOURTH YEAR OF WAR
SUNDAY, JULY 28. is ANNIVERSARY OF AUSTRIA'S
DECLARATION AGAINST SERBIA.
BIG WITH FATE OF NATIONS-A TWELVE
MONTH OF ALTERNATE CONCERN rs

to the Asiago plateau and, assisted by
the French reinforcements brought to
tht battlefront, stood at bay.
Russian Collapse.
Events in the meanwhile had been
moving swiftly in Russia On Novem-
Der 1, while the offensive against Italy
was under way, Alexander F. keren-
sky, then the Russian premier, an
nounced that Russia was worn out by
the war and that the allies must shoul-
der the burden thenceforward.
Seven days later Kerensky was de-
posed by the Bolshevik1i. The fall and
flight of Kerensky was the signal for
Germany and Austria to enter into
peace negotiations with Russia. On
November 80, the Boisheviki an
nounced that Russia was out of the
war and proposed that all the allies
ioin in negotiations for an armistice-
Russian and German representatives
met at Brest-Litovsk on December %,
and terms OF peace were exchanged.
No progress was made with the nego-
tiatfons, and the conference was
broken up on January II. In the
meantime. a new republic had sprung
from the side of Russia 1t was
Ukraine, a territory extending along
the Rumanian and Galician frontier
from the Black sea northward to
Cholm, in ancient Poland. With this
the IlduS
peace late in January.
The failure of the Bolshevik au-
thorities to reach any agreement with
the Germans resulted in the renewal
of hostilities on February Is, and the
German armies moved forward once
more.
Brest-Litovsk Treaty.
This brought about a renewal of the
peace negotiations, and at Brest-
Litovsk the Bolshe Xxi were given TO
understand that Germany would
recognize the kingdom of Poland. the
republic OF Ukraine, the independence
of Finland. and the separate govern
mental status of Lithaania, Esthonia
and Livonia. Turkey, as an ally Of
the central powers. was given a great
area to the east of the Black, sea, in
Guiding the regions of Batum. Kars
and Erivan.
With the announcement of the final
signing of the treaty between the
Bolsheviki and Germany, the allies
save up hope that Russia would re-
main in the conflict, and at once they
began to strengthen their lines against
the coming of the great German Of
fensive by which Berlin and Vienna
hoped to force the entente nations to
make peace.
Rumania Capitulates.
With the greater part of her ter
ritory occupied by the Germans, Aus
TRANS and Bulgarians, with her gov
eminent driven from Bucharest to
Jassy and with the Russian Bolsheviki
openly hostile toward her, Rumania
found herself in q critical situation.
Rumanian troops during February
and March advanced into Bessarabia
a part of the new republic OF Ukraine,
| but they were hemned in by the
| enemy forces and obliged to- with
draw. At last, on May 8. Rumania
I g fWr
! central powers.
By thiS treaty Rumania lost the
province Of Dobrudja, on the south
side of the Danube. which she had
received after the Balkan war, and
agreed tc a rectification of her west
ern frontier. Economic concessions
also were made under pressure from
| the Teutonic alliance.
Peace Tentatives.
The period between December /,
! 1917, and March I, 1918, may be
| called the peace tentatives. It is true
| that before the end of the summer
Pope Benedict made an appeal to the
! negotiations, the basis for pourparIers
! being the restoration of Belgium and
Serbia and the return to Germany of
| her lost colonies. This appeal, made
| on August 10, was answered by Presi-
dent Wilson on August 20, when the
! government a. constituted could not
be believed and that the United States
was ready to enter into negotiations
! when the German people showed they
| desired peAce and when they spoke
| thru any authority which would be
| representative of them.
| The German answer to the Pope's
| appeal reached the Vatican on Sep
TENDER 81. It expressed hope that
further warfare could be averted thru
| the good offices of the Pope, but de-
clined to enter into any engagement
TO meet what the allies had declared
| to be their minimum war aims
+ German Peace Offer.
German efforts to secure a peace
| which would leave to Germany all the
! fruits of her victory gained thru Rus
/ sia's collapse, 'and with Belgium and
large portions on France to be used as
pawns at the council table, began with
| the address of Count Czernin, then
| Austrian foreign minister. at Brest-
Litovsk. on December IS. The key
note of the address was general peace
/ without an1exations and indemnities
On January s, President Wilson.
addressing congress, said that the
4 the German rulers were speaking. The
address was a complement to an ad-
dress made on January by David
Lloyd George, the British premier.
To these addresses reply was made
by Imperial Chancellor Won Hertlins
+of Germany. and Count Czernin. The
latter was pacific and conciliatory in
tone. while the former. abiding to
the good German sword" showed he
was speaking for the militarists of the
Germanic powers
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