RUSSIAN CRISIS.

Taihape Daily Times, 21 February 1918, Page 5

RUSSIAN CRISIS.

INVASION OF RUSSIA, RECRUITING STIMULATED PETROGRAD, February 10. The Foreign Office has announced that as a result of the German invasion recruiting has been enormously stimulated. M. Trotsky has issued a statement regarding German peace terms, which Russia refused. These included the retention of Poland, Lithuania, Riga, and Moon Island, and the payment of an indemnity totalling i £800,000,000. GERMAN PEACE TREATIES. ROUMANIA AND UKRAINE. AMSTERDAM, February 19. The Cologne Gazette says that it is expected that negotiations with Roumania will commence on Friday next, when Baron von Kuhlmann (Foreign Minister) proceeds to Focsani, in Roumania. The Ukrainian delegates have arrived in B'erlin to arrange details for carrying out the peace treaty. RUSSIA'S DEMANDS FROM GERMANY. Received 5.45. PETROGRAD, February 20. There are indications that Trotsky, in his reply to Germany's peace demands, included the retention of Poland, Lithuania, and Moon Islands, and the payment of an indemnity of eight hundred millions sterling. Probably the indemnity will be reduced by half KALEDIN COMMITS SUICIDE. TRAINING ALL COSSACK MALES. A LARGE BOLSHEVIK ARMY FROM THE CAUCASUS. Received 9.10. • PETROGRAD, Feb 20. General Kaledin has committed suicide owing to General Alexieff's offensive against the Bolsheviks. Kaledin wished the defensive to be localised. Alexieff is training all the Cossacrc males General Mazaroff succeeds Kaledm. The Bolsheviks claim that a large revolutionary army is advancing upon Rostoff from the Caucasus. Alexieff has fled from Novochertask. General Ivanoff and the Arcnbishop Vladimir were killed in the fighting in Petchersky Monastery. IS AUSTRIA AT WAR WITH RUSSIA? RUSSIA'S QUERY. 1 ; ; Received 9.10. LONDON, Feb 20. A Russian officiai communication states that an inquiry has been sent to Count Czernin as to whether Austria is also at -war with Russia. THE UKRANIAN PEACE. MERELY A SCRAP OF PAPER. Received 9.5. LONDON, Feb 20. ' The Daily Chronicle's Amsterdam correspondent says the signing of Ukranian peace is already the subject of film scenes showing in the German cinema theatres. "Vorwaerts" declares the treaty is a mere scrap of paper, and can only be made effective when signed again with German blood. The separation of North Russia from Ukraine was merely momentary, which cannot be kept separate by foreign bayonets. INVASION OF RUSSIA. AUSTRIA AND GERMANY AGREE. Received 11.50. AMSTERDAM, February 20. The Frankfurter Zeitung states that Austria and Germany have agreed that the later will undertake military action in Russia, while Austria will eonduet operations in Ukraine. INTENSE POLISH INDIGNATION. Received 8.45

LONDON, Feb 20. The "Morning Post's" Bern e correspondent says there is intense Polish indignation at the establishment of a great Ukraine in the south and - a ' great Lithuania in the north, both at Poland's expense. The Germans anticipated this, and probably hope that Polish indignation will become open hostility, because the Germans would be glad of an opportunity of rectifying the eastern frontiers by annexing desirable strips of Russian Poland. The creation of an independent Polish kingdom would then be abandoned. '