IF STARVATION COMES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17217, 21 January 1918, Page 5

IF STARVATION COMES.

THE BOLSHEVIK DILEMMA. OVERAWING THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, January 18. (Received Jan. 20, at 5.5 p.m.)

The Daily Chronicle's Petrograd correspondent states that the Bolsheviks have made preparations for the meeting of the Constituent Assembly. The sailors have sot up machine guns at the Taurida Palace, the cruiser Aurora and several destroyers have been brought from Kronetadt and. now guard the city, which is in a state of feverish strain. The Bolsheviks will confront the Assembly with an ultimatum that the supreme power belongs to the Soviets and that the nationalisation of land and labour control which have been already enacted by the Bolsheviks must be confirmed. If the Social Revolutionaries will not accept the programme in toto a struggle for power will commence.

"Personally," writes the correspondent, "I do not believe the change will make any difference. The new regime would have less terror, but it is impossible to obliterate the effects of the Bolsheviks' regime. Some scandals would be removed, but the overthrow of the Bolsheviks by violence would only give occasion for intensifying the regime of terror. At present the masses are wavering—now for the Bolsheviks, now against them. If starvation comes, the masses will rend the Government."

CONFUSION WORSE CONFOUNDED

ILL-WILL BETWEEN BOLSHEVIK LEADERS. FATE OF EX-IMPERIAL FAMILY.

PETROGRAD, January 18. (Received Jan. 20, at 5.5 p.m.)

111-will between Lenin and Trotsky is increasing daily.

Maxim Gorky's newspaper, New Life, states that von Kuhlmann asked Trotsky to allow the Czarina and several of the ex-Imperial Family who are related to the Kaiser to go to Germany. Trotsky refused, and instead determined to order the trial of the Czar and the other Romanoffs.

BREST-LITOVSK NEGOTIATIONS. THE GERMAN VERSION. FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCES. Admiralty, per Wireless Press. LONDON, January 18. (Received Jan. 20, at 5.5 p.m.) The German report of the Brest-Litovsk conference says: A private meeting between Count Czemin and Ukrainians on the 16th of January settled in principle the future political relations between the Central Powers and Ukraina. M. Trotsky at Monday's sitting of the Austro-German-Russian Commission took a note of von Kuhlmanp's declaration that territorial negotiations rested exclusively on the political will of the German Government. M. Trotsky denied that his Government had outlawed anyone differing from it, and added: " When Rumania resorted to force on Russian territory against revolutionary soldiers and workmen, he and his fellow delegates recommended the Petrograd Government to arrest the Ambassador and his staff, and "he was informed that this had been already done. Von Kuhlmann emphasised that Baron von Hertling had issued instructions regarding the whole field of foreign policy, and there was no divergence between von Kuhlmann's and von Hoffmann's conceptions. The fundamental difference between the Central Powers and the Russian delegation wag that the Central Powers wished to see an orderly state arising in those regions without a break or violent transition. They were opposed to the idea of creating a vacuum and allowing the establishment of a State within the vacuum.

M. Trotsky denied that the withdrawal of the army of occupation would create a vacuum. The peoples of Poland, Lithuania, and Courland would in nowise find themselves in a difficult situation if the army were withdrawn.

Finally, at von Kuhlmann's instance, it was agreed to discuss the four Russian points seriatim.

THE RUSSIAN ACCOUNT.

VON KUHLMANN'S EVASION.

Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and

Renter. LONDON. January 19. (Received Jan. 20, at 11.40 p.m.) The Admiralty states that a wireless Russian report of the Brest-litovek conference states that von Kuhlmann indicated that Germany was willing to organise not later than a year after general peace had been declared an extensive consultation of the peoples of Poland, Lithuania, and Courland for self-determination. M. Trotsky urged that the date should depend upon peace on the eastern front and not upon a general peace. Von Kuhlmann, after several attempts at evasion, declared that Germany could not undertake any obligation to recall tho army in occupation. A German report of serjarate negotiations between the Central Powers and tho Ukrainians states that the results achieved justify the hope of a satisfactory conclusion. GERMANS ACCUSED OF MISREPRESENTATION. Admiralty, per Wireless Press. LONDON, January 18. (Received Jan. 20, at 5.5 p.m.) A Russian message states that M. Trotsky, in a proclamation, accuses the Germane of misrepresenting the BrestLitovsk proceedings with the intention of misleading the German public. CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY PROCESSION. MAXIMALISTS USE MACHINE GUNS. MANY PERSONS KILLED OR WOUNDED. Renter's Telegrams. PETROGRAD, January 19: (Received Jan. 20, at 11.40 p'.m.) The Constituent Assembly was opened by the president of the Central Committee of all the Soviets. Four hours previously a body of Maximalists attacked a procession of a society for the defence of the Constituent Assembly, tearing down the banners. Tho first command to fire was followed by machinegun and rifle fire, and a number wore lctfled, including M. Logvinoff, a member of the Executive Committee of the Peasants' Deputies. Many . persons were wounded, including several women.