The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1919-01-18


Gals at Washington that if the press
reports are correct the Germans We're
well within their rights and that Gen
eral Harries acted injudiciously. The
war is not yet formally ended and the
allies have no more right to raise one
of their flags in an enemy city than
would the Germans to fly their colors
within the allied lines.
"a
1t begins to look as if Russia Is to be
left to her fate and to be called on to
work out her own salvation or relapse
into barbarism under the semblance Of
rule of the bolsheviki. Japan has an
nOunced that most of her troops will
be withdrawn from Siberia, Great
Britain declares that she will send no
more men to Russian territory and
that those now there are being re
called, and there IS no reason to be-
lieve that the United States will in
u CClSC hCl lOlSCS lhClC. lhtlNCd, oOh4N
of our senator's and congressman are
openly demanding that the Yanks be
brought back from Russia at once in
stead of being left to fight the bolshe
vik armies in the SHOWS of the Arch
angel region and along the Siberian
railway.
Although they are still making con
siderable progress In the Baltic prov
inces and have captured Riga, from
which the allied and German troops
withdrew, the bolsheviki have not been
doing so well toward the east, The
Omsk government of loyal Russians
grows stronger and asks recognition
by the allied nations, with the right of
representation at the peace confer
ence. The Siberian and other factions
have Joined with it, asking Admiral
Kolchak to accept their support for
the salvation of Russia. The bolshe-
vik government is having internal
troubles and a story came from Co
penhagen to the effect that Trotzky
| had quarreled with Lenine and ordered
his arrest, declaring himself dictator.
J Lenine, it is said sought to effect a
coalition with the moderates.
| ia
The conflict between Germany and
Poland over the province of Posen
may be settled without further fight
! ing, for the two governments have
opened negotiations for a peaceful I'M
derstanding But the Ruthenians, at
latest reports, were determined to re-
cover Lemberg and had surrounded
chat city, which was defended by a
large force of Poles, including divi-
sion made up of women.
The Poles were driven out of wilma
| by the bolsheviki, the defenders be-
ing without cannon and short of car
tridges. The bolshevik troops at once
began a massacre of the civilians.
The Polish soldiers retreated to Lana
varova, where they were dsarmed by
the Germans and sent to Bialystok.
There they were robbed by Germans
and started for Polish territory.
Paderewski and Pilsudski are still
| trying to get together to form gov
eminent for Poland, knowing that dis
sension must end before the allies will
| help.
-m-
President Wilson returned to Paris
| from Italy, where he probably accom-
plished much in clearing up the stu
alton concerning the disputed territory
| on the east coast of the Adriatic. 1t is
said that opinion in Italy on this mat
ter Is divided, many of the people pre-
ferring to have peace rather than to
insist on possession of the land that
| the Jugo-Slavs claim. 1t is likely a
compromise can be reached in the
peace congress without great difficulty
Premier Lloyd George being de-
tanned in London, the preliminary con-
ferences of the premiers and foreign
| ministers of the four great powers in
Paris went over to this week, but Mr.
Wilson had an important informal CON
ference with Premier Orlando of Italy
and the representatives of Japan
President Poincare named the fol-
lowing as the French delegates to the
peace conference: Premier Clemen-
ceau, Foreign Minister Piehon, Finance
Minister Klotz, Jules Cambon and An
Dire Tardieu, high commissioner to the
| United States. The French have sub
mitted to other delegations program
for procedure by which the peace con-
gress would take up matters in this
order: A general agreement for the
creation of league Of nations; the
setting up of new independent states
growing out of the war; the assess
ment of damages and indemnities and
manner of payment the conclusion &c
peace treaties with the central powers
The treaties, 1t is plain, must wait up.