New-York tribune., 1920-10-13
Russo o-Polish
Armistice Is
SiignedatRiiga
Preliminary Peace Terms
Are Ratified; No Victory
and No Vanquished Is
Asserted at Ceremonies

RIGA, Oct. ~ (By The Associated
Press).-A preliminary peace treaty
and armistice was signed by the Polish
and Russian Soviet peace delegates
here at 1910 o'clock Tonight
The armistice actually becomes eff
fective at midnight October 18. That
! IS 144 hours from midnight Tonight.
The announcement that peace was to
be signed brought great crowds to the
square surrounding the Black Head
House. NJ. Joffe and the Bolshevik
delegation entered the hall first AND
were followed by NJ. Domsk and the
Polish delegation. About Two hundred
persons, including the entire dplo-
matte body and prominent Lettsh Of
tcials, crowded the small room, many
Of them standing.
Considerable delay ensued, which
was due to the physical work necessary
for the completion of the treaties for
signature. Tired by more than five days
and nights of almost constant work, VI
Joffe looked extremely pale, but his
voice showed no nervousness when he
announced without rising that the
treaty had been completed, and began
reading the Russian text.
After M. Joffe had finished reading
the Russian text M. Dombski read the
Polish text, and NJ. Manuilshi followed
with the reading Of the document in
! Ukrainian.
When NJ. Manuilski segan, a smile
passed around the hall, as the delay
in the signing had been ascribed
to the preparation of the Ukrainian
text. There has been much joking at
Riga on the subject of whether there
really is a Ukrainian language, no
dictionary or grammar having existed
until the Germans published them after
discovering the necessity of establish
/ ing the Ukrainian as a separate nation
to upset the Bolsheviki.
NJ. Joffe then opened the embossed
copies Of the treaty and armistce which
lay on the table before him and signed
them. The other delegates followed
! him.
Peace of Give and Take
The head of the Soviet delegation de-
scribed the Riga peace as peace with
out victor and without vanquished, III
q brief address before the signature of
the treaty That describes the Riga
agreement accurately, as it appeared to
disinterested onlookers. 1t was peace
of give and take which those who have
followed the course of events fear will
not be very popular either with the
Bolsheviki or the Poles.
But it is undoubtedly a triumph for
the two chairmen who made it, and
the spirit Of conciliation with which
they handled the explosive questions
that disrupted the Minsk conference is
/ likely to win for them the gratitude
of a war-exhausted world.
The Riga armistice will put the Boil
sheviki at peace with all their Baltic
neighbors and leave the Wrangel move
,ment as the only great military opera
tion against the Soviets.
VI. Joffe called attention to the mary
difficulties encountered in arranging
the armistice, and also to the harmon
ious manner in which the delegations
carried out the negotiations. He ex
pressed the belief that the foundation
has been laid for permanent peace,
as both nations are absolutely tired
Of war and unwilling to assume re
sponsibility for continuing the strife.
Ukrainian Insurgents Occupy kiev
WARSAW, Oct. 12 (By The Asso-
ciated Press ).-Ukrainian insurgents
have occupied Kiev, the Bolshe0k
forces that have been holding the city
abandoning it several days ago under
pressure, according to advices received
here. The Ukrainians in Warsaw are
planning to open communications with
Kiev as soon as possible. Their rep
resentatives are already viseing pass
ports for Kiev, although no arrange
ments have as yet been made for
trains.
The Russians are concentrating along
the southern front for the purpose of
Continued next pagc)