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Show WHAT IS BEHIND RUSS-GERMAN PEACE? The allies have begun to take heart of hope a little too early in the peace maneuvers between the Germans and their agents, Lenine and Trotzky, leaders of the Bolsheviki government. The angry denunciation by the Bolsheviki of the German peace terms is evidence that most of the followers of Lenine and Trotzky are sincere and are not anxious to turn over western Russia and Poland Po-land to Germany. But Lenine and Trotzky are thorouhgly dishonest dis-honest and the Bolsheviki are childish visionaries.. Even if they should wich to continue the war, they have so weakened the army that it is virtually impossible. One of the absurd features of the Bolsheviki protest is the appeal to imaginary hosts in Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bui- 1 garia and Turkey who are supposed to sympathize with the Russian Rus-sian revolution and see to it that the Russian proletariat obtain justice. When the German delegates started for Brest-Litovsk the people of Berlin crowded to the railway station and cried out to the departing delegates, "Bring usback a strong peace." That was tantamount to saying, "Rob the Russians of all you can." And the delegates, taking the people at their word, generously offered of-fered the Russians peace if they would commit national suicide. The delegates demanded the surrender of territory more than half the size of Germany. The wail of indignation that has gone up in Russia is due largely to wounded pride. The Bolsheviki pretended that Germany Ger-many was intimidated by revolutionary factions among the German Ger-man people and would agree to Russia's terms of "no annexations annexa-tions and no indemnities." Instead the German delegates, after the manner of the gentleman bandit, politely demanded not only Russia's money but coat, trousers and shoes. |
