THE CAMPAIGNS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17702, 31 January 1918, Page 4

THE CAMPAIGNS.

Reports from Russia are to the effect that civil war is raging in Finland and tho Ukraine, where tho Bolsheviks are striking to capture the administrations. A condition of virtual war is said to exist between tho Bolshevik Government and Rumania. In these circumstances the negotiations at Brest Li to vs k have almost ceased to possess any real interest. In Finland the position, as far as can ho gathered, is that the Bolsheviks, with considerable military and nava'li forces at their disposal, are taking possession of public institutions and are endeavouring to get rid 3 f the local administration, and as they

have the superior military force at their command they "will presumably be suocessful. Bolshevik and Ukrainian armies are in open conflict in Volhyxua, Kiev and Poltava, and although the warfare is not yet on organised lines, there seems to bo every prospect of the development of regular fighting, unless, of course, one side or the other should immediately assert an undoubted superiority. The Rumanian problem is a little obscure. It is stated that negotiations for a separate peace between Rumania and the Central Powers are in progress on the basis of the transfer of the Dobrudja to Bulgaria, Rumania taking in exchange the Russian province of Bessarabia, where, of course, there is a considerable Rumanian population. Rumanian armies aro now’ in Bessarabia, and there seems to be a possibility of an alliance between Rumanians and Ukrainians against the Bolsheviks. All these reports, however, must ho based largely on rumour. They certainly show that no part of Russia has yet succeeded in establishing a stable government, for even in Pet-ro-grad and Moscow, where the Bolsheviks are dominant, thero is no positive evidence that their rule is accepted by the majority of the people. Wo have no fresh news concerning the conditions in Germany and Austria, beyond an unconfirmed report of extensive strikes in Germany. We are entitled, of course, to draw some small measure of comfort from the evidence of dissension in the enemy’s ranks, hut the information as to political movements in enemy countries is far too scanty to warrant positive deductions. It may bo surmised that the political quarrels in Germany, for instance., are not concerned merely with the fate of the occupied portions of Russia and Poland- There must be a marked disposition on the part of the peace advocates to urge the evacuation of Belgium and northern France as a prelude to the opening of negotiations with the Allies, and the existence of such a movement—though at tho moment it must be of small dimensions—probably accounts for the frequont references to the subject of Belgium in tho current controversies. More formidable than this peace movement within Germany is the strong Austrian demand for an early conclusion to hostilities, backed, as it is, by appreciable bodies of German opinion. Of actual military operations thore is little to report. The Italians launched a strong local offensive on both sidos of the Frenzela valley, between Asiago and the Brenta, and gained some ground. On the British front the only development of consequence has been tho opening of a violent t enemy bombardment on the Monchy sector. London has been again raided by enemy aeroplanes, the attack on this occasion being pressed very persistentlv.