The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1919-02-13

emily Great Britain. France and Japan
are not entirely sure OF the full etf-
cacy of the league and would have
their offensive and defensive alliances
10 fall back upon in case of need. Mr..
Balfours statement also gave rise to
the opinion that the allied nations
might decline TO abrogate the secret
treaties they entered into for the di-
vision among them OF certain terri
tories of the central powers. France
is perhaps especially interested in
this. as the secret treaties not only
gave her Alsace-Lorraine. but also the
entire coal district of the Saar valley,
and provided that the German ter
ritories on the left bank of the Rhine
should be freed from all political and
economic dependence on Germany.
Lenine's foreign minister. Tchit-
cherin, has sent out a wireless message
saying the soviet government is willing
TO partic i'm the proposed confer
ence on the Princes islands. He also
intimates that his government will
il the entente powers will undertake
not to interfere with Russia's internal
affairs. The other Russian factions. as
represented ut Paris, were rather sur
prised by Tchitcherins action and We're
not at all pleased. They are strongly
opposed TO the conference and had
hoped a refusal by the soviet govern
81, So Al
sity Of rejecting the plan. The boil
shevists. or, to give them the more
fitting appelatiOn. the anarchists. in
northern Russia, after series of sue
cesses against the American and al
lied troops which were due to the diff
ficulty the latter experienced III get
ting supplies, went bit too far anil
were given singing defeat by the
Yanks at Vistavka on the Vaga river.
About the same time the Siberian
troops under General Gaida practically
annihilated two divisions Of the an
archists at Kungur 80 miles southeast
of Perm. relieving the latter city from
the danger Of attack. General Gaida
then advanced on Ufa. which the an
archists took some time ago. The CEN
trail soviet Of Moscow has called to the
cOlors all men between the ages of
twenty-nine and forty-tive years, say
ing they will be thrown into the war If
the conference on Prinkipo island is u
failure.
In some directions the successes Of
the anarchists of Russia We're cOntin-
ued. They were reported to have cap
tured Windau, Courland's port, and to
have gained control OF virtually the
whole Of the Ukraine.
The Polish and Czecho- Slovak troops
that had been fighting on the Silesian
front signed an armistice which. 1t Is
presumed. will permit the emissaries
of the peace conference to settle the
quarrel between the two nations.
In the athens If Germany" Weimar,
the capital OF he duchy of Sake
Weimar, the German national assem-
hly began it's sessions last Thursday.
Chancellor Friedrich Ebert called the
body to order and then surrendered the
chair to Herr Pfankuch, the oldest Of
the members. After the preliminaries
we're over the assembly got down 10 the
work OF formulating a government for
Germany. The Ebert or Majority So
cialist government was transferred
temporarily to Weimar. but IL consid-
cred that its mandates expired with
the converting of the assembly so IL at
once proceeded to organize new cab
met made up Of Majority Socialists,
Democrats and Clericals.
The Spartacans. who die hard. made
their latest big play nj Bremen, gain
ing control OF that city and holding 1t
for time. Then government troops
from Berlin bombarded the place. bat
terng some OF its historic buildings,
and drove the Spartacans to Groepsin-
gen. Threats of the reds to attack
Weimar when the assembly met were
forestaled when the loyal garrison was
REINFORCED by large body OF govern
ment troops.
The authorities of the allied nations
maintain their aloof attitude toward
the German revolution" never per-
hitting themselves to- be quoted con-
corning 1t nor paying the slightest ut
tention 10 the lucubrations Of hypo-
critics such as BernstOrff. But they
are watching with Interest the inter
national conferences of Socialists
and trades unions that are In session
I'm Berne. Switzerland. The former
seems 70 be virtually dominated by
the pro-Teuton elements. The Trades