RUSSIA’S BETRAYAL

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4814, 11 March 1918, Page 5

RUSSIA’S BETRAYAL

PRESENT PEACE IMPOSSIBLE. SHOCKING INTERNAL CONDITIONS, petrograd being EVACUATED. enemy may occupy city. Australian and nTz. Cable A«ociation (Received Alarch 10, 5.5 p.m.) PI - n -, LONDON, Alarch 9. pomta wiki) 6 ™ Petrograd newspaper nor politi®alad“ I , s that this is a lasting peace All agree on the immediate tance ' orgamsed forces of resisThe conditions in internal Russia t aie desperate. Rural life is at a standstill owing to the lack of agricultural implements. The railways lave broken down and are a mass of crawling demoralised soldiers. Many or them have no intention of returning home, but have taken up a halfconscious nomadic existence. Every station is lilie an opened hive of bees and smells like a vast latrine. Men are “ swarming in the cattle trucks. .The correspondent believes that it W'lU be years before demobilisation is complete. Thousands of people are leaving Retro grad on foot or on the roofs aiM buffers of the railway cars hoping to find food. , Japanese intervention would make the national catastrophe irreparable and would mean a shortage of meat as well as corn. Tlie World’s Petrograd correspondent expects that peace will be ratified _at Moscow" by the Congress of Soviets and BolslievikiThe newspaper Gravda says: “The worst. enemies of the revolution are Czernin and Hoffman. As a result of this ‘robber peace’ the workmen and peasants will suffer a terrible punishment.” Tlie Council of Commissaries decided to Temove the Government to Aloscowy Tlie evacuation of Petrograd is proceeding rapidly. German occupation of Petrograd is considered likely on a pretext of restoring order. The Leninites' favouring the ratification of peace terms are gaining ground. A Polish brigade of 8000 men mutinied. Certain infantry obstructed the mutineers reaching RoumanoBessarabian territory and took the Poles prisoners after severe fighting, with heavy mutual losses. TROTSKY RESIGNS. Austra ian and N.Z. Cable Association (Received Alarch 11, 12.20 a.m.) PETROGRAD. Alarch 10. ' M. Trotsky lias resigned the Comniissionership of Foreign Affairs. GERMANY’S GREAT “VICTORY.” THE KAISER’S DELIGHT. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association (Received Alarch 10 5.5 p.m.) AAISTERDAAI, Alarch 9. The Kaiser, in a telegram to the President of the Prussian Lower House says: Tlie victory in the East is one of the greatest successes in history. It secures the Baltic provinces to German nationality for all time, as far as human wisdom can foresee.” THE SIBERIAN DEBACLE. OPINIONS IN JAPAN. THE PROPOSED INTERVENTION. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association (Received Alarch 10, 5.5 p.m.) TOKIO, Alarch 8. A majority of tlie newspapers advocate intervention, but opinion is divided. The Asaka Asalii Shimbun, representing commerce, deprecates exaggeration of the Siberian disorders and urges delay. The Government is introducing a Bill nationalising all industries for war purposes. The World’s Washington correspondent learns from a high Japanese source that Japan expresses grave fears for the situation in Siberia, believing the Bolsheviki incapable of protecting their own interests. Japan regards April as the most suitable month to start a campaign but will not act without the full approval of the Allies-

AMERICA AND JAPAN. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association (Received March 10, 5.5 p.m.) PARIS, March 9. Mr Lansing, in an article in Excelsior, says the intentions of. Japan and the United States regarding the Siberian expedition have been misunderstood and this led to mutual suspicions, which bad been cleverly exploited by German agents who ' were seeking to propagate discord between the two States. “I strongly repudiate the suggestion that Japan has any aggressive designs,” be said. “Viscount Ishii, the Japanese mission, persuaded the United States that Japan only desired to aid in the complete suspression of the Prussian military caste.” SITUATION IN FINLAND. FOUNDATION OF MONARCHY SUGGESTED. GERMAN PRINCELING AS KING. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association (Received March 10,- 5-5 p.m.) STOCKHOLM, March 8. Diplomatic circles. state that the Finnish Conservatives, including manv of the White Guards, asked the Kaiser to appoint Prince Oskar -King of Finland, believing that the creation of a Kingdom with a strong military spirit is the only means or checking revolutionary tendency. A wireless Russian message says Lenin and Trotsky have, ordered the Bolshevik plenipotentiaries in Sweden to have no relations with Geiman Socialists and Imperialists. I hey declare partisans of Scheidemann and David strike-breakers and traitors to the working classes. "GERMAN LANDING AT AALANDS Reuter’s Telegrams. (Received March 10, 5.5 P-m.) STOCKHOLM, March 8 The Nyadajlizt Allchanda publishes a telegram from the Aalands stating that the .disembarkation of German troops started on Wednesday morning and is proceeding rapidly. Formidable forces have already landed. GERMANO-FINNISH TREATY. Australian and N.Z. Gabl“ Association AMSTERDAM, March 8. ■ The Germano-Einnish treaty, r has been signed, whereby Germany promises to secure from all Powers recognition of Finnish independence. Finland undertakes-,not to cede territory Ito' : any foreign Power nor to allow foreigners;,to Use her territory, except by agreement. abandons claims to War expenses, removes fortifications to the Aaland Islands, , and agrees to a permanent non-fortification of the Aalands.

HER POUND OF FLESH. GERAIAN SUPPLIES FROM UKRAINE. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association (Received March 10, 5.5 p.m.) .AMSTERDAM, March 9. Vienna papers state that the Central Powers have ordered Ukraine to deliver before April 15, 30,000 wraggons of corn, 2000 waggons of frozen meat and- 1000 waggons of dried fruits, receiving in exchange agricultural machine and iron. A German official report states that the Austro-German supreme command sent a message to Ensign Krylenko as follows: —“In lending aid to the Ukraine, Austro-German troops were only engaged in fighting in places where enemy resistance had to be broken.” BLUDGEONING ROUMANIA THE GERMAN PEACE OFFER. VARIOUS FORAIS OF BLACKMAIL. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association (Received March 10, 11.20 p.m.) PARIS, March 9. The Petit Parsien’s Jassy correspondent had an interview with M. Averescu, who said that when the interview between the .King and Count Czernin failed resultlessly Austro-Germany threatened to divide Roumania between Bulgaria and Hungary, and the threat was confirmed by the ultimatum of Alarch 2. A request for delay in reply was curtly refused. Although not demanding an indemnity, Germany intends levying various forms of blackmail against Roumania, including payment for requisitions during tlie Central Powers’ occupation, amounting to £50,000,000. Berlin newspapers admit that Germany’s interests in Roumania are purely economic. They demand a monopoly of the oil industry and claim all surplus corn. The Times’ Jassy correspondent states that Cabinet expressed its willingness to accept the * first ultimatum and start a peace discussion, bub the reply arrived two hours late, whereupon the Austrians renounced the armistice and sent another ultimatum saving that the reply did not arrive in time, and thev could not keep to the conditions imposed, which would now lie much greater.