Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-02-23

strongly united and disciplined Red Army, which is daily growing strong CT and more powerful and which is learning to defend the Revolution. The attitude toward us, which was actually displayed by your Govern ment and by your Allies, could not destroy us; on the contrary, we are now stronger than we were few months ago, and your present propos- al of international negotiations for a general peace finds us alive and strong and in a position to give in the name of Russia our consent to join the negotiations. In your note to Germany you demand the evacuation of occupied territories as condition which must preced the arnistice dur ing which peace negotiations shall be- gin. We are ready, MT. President, to conclude an armistice on these condi- tions, and we ask you to notify us when you, MT. President, and your AL lies intend to remove troops from Murmansk, Archangel and Siberia. You refuse to conclude an armistice unless Germany will stop outrages, pilaging, etc., during the evacuation of occupied territories. We allow our selves, therefore to draw the conclu- sion that you and your Allies, will order the Czecho- -Slovaks to return the part of our gold reserve fund which they seized in KaKzan, that you will forbid them to continue as heretofore their acts, of pilaging and outrages against the workers and peasants during their forced depart ure (for we will encourage their speedy departure, without waiting for your order.)
 :! Soviet Represent 80 Percent of 1 Russians.
 1 With regard to other peace terms, namely, that the Governments which would conclude peace must express the will of their people, you are aware that our Government fully sat, isfies this condition. Our Government expresses the will of the Councils of 1 Workmen's, Peasants and Red Army Deputies, representing at least eighty 1 per cent of the Russian people. This cannot, MT. President, be said about your Government. But for the sake of humanity and peace we do not de- mand, as a prerequisite of general peace negotiations, that all nations 1 participating in the negotiations shall be represented by Councils of Peo- ple's Commissaries elected at Con- gress of Councils of Workmen's, Peas ants and Soldiers Delegates. We know that this form of Government will soon be the general form, and that precisely a general peace, when 1,A A~.A- lo. defeat, will leave them free. to put an end to the system and the cliques that I forced upon mankind this universal 1 slaughter, and which will, in spite of themselves, surely lead the tortured peoples to create Soviet Governments, {. which give exact expressions to their ] will.
 Freedom of All Subject Nations De- 1 manded.
 Agreeing to participate at present in negotiations with even such Gov ernments as do not yet express the will of the people, we should like on \ our part to find out from you, MT. President, in detail what is your con- ception of the League of Nations, I which you propose as the crowning work of peace. You demand the in dependence of Poland, Serbia, Bel gium, and freedom for the peoples of Austria Hungary. You probably mean by this that the masses of the people must everywhere first become the masters of their own fate in order to units afterward in a league of free nations. But strangely enough, we do not find among your demands I the liberation of the Philippines, and we would be very sorry if these peo- pies should be denied the opportunity to participate together with us, thru their freely elected representatives, in the organization of the League of Nations.
 Annulment of War Loans Proposed. | We should also, Mr. President, very much like to know before the negotia- tions, with regard to the formation of League of Nations, have begun, what is your conception of the solu- tlon of many economic questions i which are essential for the cause Of 1 future peace. You do not mention the war expenditures-this unbearable burden, which the masses would have tc carry, unless, the league of nations
 should renodnce payments Spn the loans to the capitalists of all coun- tries. You know as well az we, Mir President, that this war is the out come of the policies of all capitalistic nations, that the governments of all 1 countries were continually piling up ornaments, that the ruling groups of all civilized nations pursued pol icy of annexations, and that it would, 1 therefore, be extremely unjust if the masses having paid for these policies with millions of lives and with eco homie ruin, should yet pay to those who are really responsible for the war a tribute for their policies which re- suited in all these countless miseries We propose, therefore. MT. President, the annulment of the war loans as the basis of the league of nations. As to the restoration of the countries that