The Washington herald., 1919-05-04

Adrianople, won and lost in the
Balkan wars. and the Enos- Media
line in Thrace. the Aegean coast as
far as the mouth of the Struma, and
Macedonia as far as the line Kuman-
ova-Uskub- b-Kalkandelen
These cities were to pass to Bull
Garia, although Uskub had been con-
quered by Serbia from Turkey in
1913 and was the ancient capital of
the Servian nation
OF all cynical betrayals in the his
tory of this or any other war. the
proposal from Petrograd to dismem-
Der Serbia seems to me about the
most astounding.
Poland, Russia declared in the Oc-
tober note. she would allow to be
restored under the protection of the
three autocracies. Germany, Austria,
and herself.
Complete independence was to be
granted Finland. the Car remaining
grand duke of that country. which
nevertheless would have no admins
trative union with Russia.
Russia's ambitions in the East had
ih ONAOOCI IO. lolO,
shrunken from her grandiose dreams
Turkey should retain the sovereignty
OF Constantinople. but agree to the
internationalization OF the straits
A three-mile strip on each side, ad-
ministered by a commission composed
Of members of all the naval powers.
was suggested, Armenia was to be an
autonomous buffer state between
Russia and Turkey. under Nubar
Pasha, a pro-Russian Armenia, and
with an army of Armenians taught
by Russian officers.
To Germany. IL she would consent
to this arrangement, Russia offered
free hand in Asiastic Turkey. south or
the line from Beikos, on the Bos-
phoros. to Bolin to Sivas to Bajagid.
No Compromise.
When about October 20 these pro-
posals reached the central powers the
fate of the world hung in the balance.
II accepted. an offensive and defen-
sive alliance between Russia and her
late enemies would be bound to fol-
low. and all hope for the allies of
winning the war on land be lost
Gar Ferdinand agreed like a shot.
the Austro- Hungarian foreign office
was favorable. the general stan of
the Emperor Charles gave its pro-
assent. What line the Ger
man foreign office took do not know,
IL indeed it took any.
What decided the issue was the
prompt veto of German general head
quarters. Hindenburg and Ludendorff
regarded Russia and Europe as at
their mercy. They would have no
compromise peace.
Following this bit of hitherto un-
revealed history. President Wilson in
December made his peace proposal, to
which the allies promptly returned a
high-minded reply demanding COM
plete victory
Russia gave her public assent to
this answer. and then privately be-
hind the backs of her associates told
the German confederation not to
take the declaration literally" Here
is the text of part of a secret note
sent by the traitors who ruled Rus
sia to the enemy on January q. 1917.
War of Exhaustion.
THE war has become one OF ex-
haustion. and the entente can hold
out longer than the central powers.
hCg VIII NC StpdIdltu lTOII Iltt
allies. and Bulgaria will be detached,
even il next summer brings no de-
cision. But we do not ask Bulgaria
to make any sacrifice.
Our peace terms. as stated in our
reply to Wilson. may be excessive,
but they should not be taken literally.
and. in any case. the peace terms
of the central powers, as communi-
Gated to us through natural chan
nels. are also excessive. If the CEN
trail powers desire peace, we adhere
to our proposals of last October"
That the ruling country of the
central powers. Germany. did not this
time desire peace. is clear from what
followed. although at this time Ger
man propaganda was telling the world
that the Kaiser's magnanimous peace
offer just trumpeted to the universe
had been rejected by the bloody
minded entente.
When on February II the Russian
note had reached the enemy through
a neutral channel, Vienna and Buda-
pest agreed to negotiate, the Berlin
foreign office at least desired to talk
matters over. but German great head
quarters at Spa at the behest Of Lu-
dendorff again peremptorily rejected
the preferred treason.
Dispatches Note.
Another three weeks passed, con-
ditions in Petrograd grew worse. the
Gar and his ministers were con-
vinced that revolution was near.
The world knew nothing of what
was brewing in Russia. but Luden-
dorm and his men. who had fomented
were fully informed OF the revolu-
tionary plot.
On March 6. a note was dispatched
containing these prophetic words, that
Charles and Wilhelm and Ferdinand
would have done well to heed:
THE position Of the dynasties at
the present moment is nowhere pleas
ant and comfortable"
Russia pointed out plainly enough
that the war was becoming so un-
popular everywhere that crowned
heads were in danger, and went far
beyond the October proposals. The
note promised, also. that Italy would
join in the detection.
must say here that I have no
proof whatever that the Russian
ministers who as their hour of fate
approached offered to sell the honor
OF Italy as well as their own would
have been able to bring about
capitulation in Rome. But I am able
to give the text of part Of the Rus
sian note of March s. which I believe
Italy has by this time been asked
by her allies to explain:
The Russian court believes itself
Justified in giving the assurance that
when once Russia has entered nnnn