ALLIED VIEWS OF THE SITUATION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14492, 2 January 1918, Page 5

ALLIED VIEWS OF THE SITUATION.

..(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, Dec. 31. The Daily Chronicle says: "It is now evident what the Germans mean by 'without annexation.' The negotiations show that they expect td retain Poland, Lithuania, Courland, portions of Esthonia and Livonia, where Germans' have already induceti faked assemblies to declare for separation from Russia and independence under a Hapsburg King of Poland and a Hohenzollern King of Lithuania. The Central Powers will only evacuate these when Russian democratisation is completed. The cynicism of the proposals is almost too much for the Bolsheviks, but Russia has been brought to the point where the enemy can dictate." A Haparanda telegram states that the Courlands Parliament has declared in favor of Courland's early - cession to Germany, and the information has been sent to Berlin asking the Germans to make the resolution known at Brest Litovßk. Russian troops in Esthonia are dispersing and returning home. The Manchester Guardian states that the agreement at Brest Litovsk repre-v sents the terms of the separate peace upon which the Bolsheviki are determined if the Allies refuse to join a general peace. R.ussia has surrenderee* all claim to territories without securing a more colorable appearance of liberty for the inhabitants of Russia, and i**-. lost as an Ally. Some newspapers suggest that after such a gain in' the East, Germany will make surrender easier in the West and South, but all agree . that the Allies' main terms must remain unchanged. It is announced that the Allies intend to make a serious and 1 reasoned reply to Count Czernin, and Mr. Lloyd George is going to Paris to confer with M. Clemenceau. The Giornale d'ltalia considers Count Cs-ernin's. proposals unacceptable <to Italy. After her heroic sacrifice she cannot accept the unsatisfactory frontiers of 1866.