GERMANY DIVIDED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16750, 17 January 1918, Page 5

GERMANY DIVIDED.

CHALLENGE TO PAN-GERMANS

CRISIS OVER NEGOTIATIONS LONDON, Jan. 8. The crisis between General Ludendorf and the Government is due to the inclination of Count Czcrnin, Austrian Foreign Minister, and Dr. Kuhlmann, German Foreign Minister, towards the evacuation of Poland and Courlaud. Supporters of Count Czernin believe that the political status of these countries is important, provided the Central Powers get a good start with pacific penetration. Luuendorf now occupies the same position towards Dr. Hertlmg, Imperial Chancellor, as Tirpitz occupied towards BethmannHollweg. j 'the ian-Gcrman newspapers are flooded with articles signed by well-Known generals claiming that Ueiinaaiy is holding all the trumps of might which must be played lor uie overthrow of England and the bleeding white of France. Admiral von Tirpitz telegraphed to Dr. Hertling, on behalf of the Fatherland League, a violent denunciation of any promise of evacuations. The Lokal Anzeiger says Hertling ha 3 held a conference of the party leaders, describing the military and political situation reassuringly and removing disquietude regarding the Ludendorf crisis. Conflict of Policies. The Berlin Tageblatt states that a majority in the Reichstag has decided to support Kuhlmann, but the Socialists, headed by Herr Scleidemann, demand a rigid interpretation of the no annexations formula. The, National Liberals have passed a resolution to the effect that Hindenburg and Ludendorf's demands regarding the new frontier must be decisive. The l'etrugrad correspondent of the Daily News states that during the negotiations at Brest Litovsk two distinct tendI encies were displayed by enemy delegates. One was annexationist, and was represented by General Hoffmann, Prince Leopold's chief of staff, and the other, which was more moderate, was represented by Baron Kuhlmaan, German Foreign Minister, and Count Czernin, Austrian Foreign .Minister. Disputes were frequent, and there were constant appeals to Berlin, which supported the moderates. Messages from The Hague and Amsterdam describe the position in Germany as the most critical since the fall of Dr. von Bethmarm-Holweg. The Brest-Litovsk negotiations are compelling tho Kaiser to decide finally between the military narty and the moderates. On Sunday the Kaiser talked for an hour with Dr. von Hertling in the Chancellor's garden. Then he conferred with the general staff and the War Minister. There is much comment concerning a long interview Between the Kaiser and von Woyrsch, Germany's newest field marshal. Dutch opinion is that the Kaiser desires to side with the popular generals, but he fears a political upheaval, and Austrian influences, which obstinately demand peace at the cost of sacrifices. The Cologne Gazette appeals to the general staff to reunite with the diplomats, but the pan-Germans demand the final dismissal of the moderates from power and from the Kaiser's entourage. Attitude o! Socialists. The Times correspondent at Amsterdam says the Berlin Social Democrats have passed a resolution to the effect that a lasting peace is possible only by an honest interpretation of the democratic principle of self-determination, and protesting against Kuhlmann's misuse of the principle for the disguise of annexations. Writing in Die Zukunft, Herr Harden says: "For 500 years the Letts, Livonians, Lithuanians, and Esthonians firmly resisted German ideas. Germany's power after the war will be inadequate to rivet them with gold. Therefore the annexation will merely deeply embitter the Russians, who, despite war and revolution, before 1950 will number 200,000,000." Mr. J. D. Bonrchier, the Times correspondent at Petrograd, states that a gloomy impression was caused by the news of the arrest of hundreds of Socialists in Germany, as it is regarded as the Kaiser's reply to the Bolshevik propaganda since the armistice was agreed to, A leading article in the Times says the Brest Litovsk honeymoon ended in unhappy differences, effectually opening the eyes of the Bolsheviks. A breach seems inevitable, despite tho weakness of the present Russian Government and the disregard of the London Pact and Britain's old friendship and sympathies with the Russian people. The hope of an early resumption of Russia's rightful place among the Powers remains as firm and as strong as in any previous period of the war.