The Timaru Herald. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 1918. THE BOLSHEVIK PEACE.

Timaru Herald, Volume CVII, Issue 16432, 2 January 1918, Page 4

The Timaru Herald. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 1918. THE BOLSHEVIK PEACE.

Already it is becoming clear that iho liolshovik peace is jjoing to bii a bad bargain lor Russia. So far as agreement lias been, reached Russia is to demobilise her armies, if Russian armies can be said still to exist, and accept Proclamations ot their "independence" which have already been received from large parts of hex former territory now in German hands. The proclamations have been passed, at the bayonet s point, to all intents and purposes, by sham assemblies in the Baltic districts which the German conquerors verv carefully convened. It would not bo surprising to learn that they were formally presented to M. 1 rotzky by the German delegates at. the peace conference. At all events the invaders took care that there should be no waitin? for thorn, and no fear of the conquered provinces Tiassin"* resolutions of the wron?? colour. These demands from Poland. Lithuania. Courlnnd. portions of Estlionia. and Livonia, having been acknowledged. the German armies :»re not forthwith to evacuate the districts they have overrun. That will not happen till a plebiscite of their unliappv people is token, under direction of a special Commission. to confirm the verdict of the falso assemblies. The Commission will then fix the time for the German evacuation. The "independence" on whicli a mere fraction of the population of ihe invaded will be allowed to vote will be "independence" under an Austrian "King of Pol:iml and a Hohcuzollern Tvinir of Lithuania. _ But 110 doubt a majority will vote for it. The Prussian occupiers will see to that.

The condition that, each ooun--1 i v shall determine its own future by a plebiscite might have been made specially to suit the Germans in such circumstances- The case of Courland shows what the referendum, will mean. Twothirds of the nomilation of fourland have fled from their country, rather than cringe before the Prussian, jack-boot. As they have had no -voice in the proclamation of a manipulated assembly, so they will have 110 vote in the plebiscite. The voters will be the German settlers, creatures of the "peaceful penetration" who prepared the way, as far as possible for the German army, and the small minorit v of crinsrers. And the same will be the case in other provinces. A referendum for AlsaceLorraine. if it were taken now, could only be taken in the same way- Tso wonder is reported that the cynicism of the German

proposals is almost too much for the Bolsheviki, -who are unabie to resist them, and that a British Liberal journal, naturally inclined to referenda, sum? up the position, by savin"- "llussia has surrendered ;i]l claim to her territories, without securing l more than a colourable mvnearance of liberty for their inhabitants." But the Bolsheviki have no cause to be .surprised at the result of their negotiations. Only knaves or hornless simpletons could expect ilie German War Lords, who made war for plunder, to be suddenly converted io o philanthropic nonce just when the Leninists, by destroying Russia's power to take it fror* them, had made the plunder safe wiiliiu their crrip. The separate ponce which Russia makes is primarily hor cwn concern, as Mr Lloyd fJcoree has said. If the Hu ssian peonle choose to acquiesce in the treaty which makes hu«re jrifis to tho Hermans the Allies cannot interfere. But. the Tirospert will be bad for future ncace. Tho "Russians. who rose as one man airainst German domination at, the commencemcnf- of the war. are not likely to submit to it nsrain for any lasting Yteriod. Meanwhile there is cause to fear that Germany's ambitions in the Middle East will be aided by the Russian peace, as all her ambi, tions wo\ild be by the power to exploit larjje Russian territories. If the Russian army of the Caucasus should be demobilised the Turk woxild ]o«o an - enemy whii has piven powerful co-operation in the past to British armies. Hut the Caucasus is far from PetTotrrad. Tts army may defy, the Bolsheviki.