Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1919-01-31

to the firm, even passionate, opinion OF
the British, French and Italians, to say
nothing of the Belgians and Serblans.
-
Prince Lichnowsky, whose record en-
titles him to respectful hearing, urges
q peace that will not grind the Ger
mans In the dust. But 1t is only dis
gushing to read the plea of Bethmann
Hollweg, who was imperial chancellor
at the outbreak of the war. He begs
for a peace of justice based on Presi-
dent Wilson's program, and says JUS
tice will veil her head If the victor
exploits the distressed conditions of
the conquered. This would sound bet
held largely to blame for the crime of
the centuries. Stch men as Bethmann
Hollweg and Bernstorff will help their
countrymen more by keeping silent.
"a
Despite many riOtOus demonstrations
by the Spartacans and Independent
Socialists, the German elections for
the Constituent assembly were held
and resulted in a substantial victory
for the Ebert faction. The Majority
Socialists elected more representatives
than any other group. The former Lib
erals, now called the German Demo-
Gratis, were second, and the Spartacans
and Independents were showed under,
winning only In Frankfort-on-the-Main
and Brunswick. 1t vas estimated the
Majority Socialists would hold 65 per
cent of the seats. The national assem-
bly, is to meet on February 6 in Wei
mar, capital of the grand duchy of
w -Eisenach, in Difference to
the demand of the south German
states, which wished to have the con,
vention as far as possible removed
from the influence of Prussia. Kurt
Eisner. the Bavarian premier, failed
of election to the convention.
The most radical elements In Ger
many are making capital out of the
brutal murder of Liebknecht and Rosa
Luxembourg, the Spartacan leaders, and
in many places general strikes were
started in protest. Bremen was re-
ported to be in the hands of the work
ingmen, who had seized the barracks,
the banks and public buildings aud dis
armed the garrison. AT Remscheid
all work was stopped. There were
serious riots in Leipsic and other cities,
but In Berlin the d%isturbers were scat
tered by the firm measures adopted-b
Gustav Noske, head of the government
police.
IA =
One of the worst beatipgs the boil
sheviki of Russia have received was
after the capture of Narva by the
E~sthonians, and the victors declare it
amounted to a complete rout. The
Esthonian army at ono moved on
P%etrograd, taking many prisoners and
guns. London heard that Trotzky or
dered the governor of Petrograd to
surrender the city without a struggle.
In the Archangel region the %bOlsheviki
kept up a vigorous attack on the adj
vanced positions of the Americans and
loyal Russians and were boasting that
In the Kadish vicinity they would drive
the allies into the White sea in March.
They seem to be well supplied with
artillery and shells, but are gaining no
material advantages.
IA
In addition to settling the dispute
between the Italians and the Jugo-
Slavs concerning Dalmatia and Fiume
the peace congress has another con-
fict of claims to adjudicate. The
secret treaty between the entente al
lies gave to France the control of Syria
and Armenia and now the king
of the Hedjas, represented at Paris
by his son, Prince Feisal, asking COM
plete independence and autonomy for
the Arabian state of the Hedjas to
consist of Syria, upper and lower
Mesopotamia, Yemen and Nejd. The
conference is asked to send a commis-
sion to learn the desires of the peoples
involved. The king of the Hedjas aid
his troops gave the British very con-
siderable aid in the conquest of Pales-
tine.
Ia
The British draft of a league of ma
lions was submitted to the peace dele
gates last week by Lord Robert Cecil,
who said it was his opinion that an in
ternational tribunal with absolutely
binding powers is not practical at the
present time. The British plan follows
the ideas of General SHUTS, the South
African leader, and contemplates a
league relying largely on public opin-
ion and having the power to impose
delay on disputants before resort to
arms. The French plan for a league