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Show I' SECRET DOCUMENTS WHICH r WERE MADE PUBLIC BY RUSSIA I (From Now York Post.) 1 The second instalment of the full , texts of the sensational secret treaties and documents, made public by the Bolshevik government at Petrograd, concern the important agreements en-1 en-1 tered, into with regard to territorial 1 readjustments on the Franco-German frontiers, and at Constantinople, and the straits. The translations of these documents from the flies of the Russian Rus-sian Foreign office aro from the first , , Russian texts known to have reached this country. The documents given below are: 1. Telegrams from Sazonoff, Russia i Foreign Minister, on Joint agreements for territorial readjustments and on forcing German trade out of China. Dated February 2-1, 1916. 2. French annexation plans in wes-! wes-! tern Germany as communicated in an j1' imperial audience at Petrograd by M. 1 Doumergue, January 30, 1917. t Note from the Russian Minister 'i of Foreign Affairs restating French annexation plans in Western Germany and pledging Russia's support. ' ' 1. Telegram from the Russian Am- h bassador at Paris on the agreement on I . exchange of annexations, March 11, I . 5. Agreement as to annexation by I ' Russia of Constantinople, the Straits, i etc, March 4, 1915. I 6. Telegram of Sazonoff, March IS, i 1915, concerning Russian annexation U of Constantinople and the Straits. I j 7. Telegram of Sazonoff to the Rus- I J. slan Ambassador in London restating I agreements with regard to Constan- I ,j tinople and Persia. I 8. Telegram to the Russian Ambas- I' ij sador at Stockholm on the informa- I I tion that it is proposed to open the I Swedish pouch at Madrid. I I' In the following telegram from the I 1 Russian Foreign Minister Sabonoff we 1,1 find the first mention of Allied plans I ; regarding territorial readjustments at tho expense of the Teuton Powers in I ! case of victor'. To Great Britain and I I; France is conceded tho right of deter- I mining the western boundary of Ger- I , many, in return for a free hand for "i Russia with the oastern boundary of the Teuton countries. The importance , of forcing German trade out of China in conjunction with Japan is emphasized. emphas-ized. Program of Sazonoff. ; (Secret telegram to tho Ambassador in Paric, 1-ebruary 24, 1916. No. 9 IS. Refer to my telegram 6063 of 1915.) At tho coming conference you might bo guided by the following general principles. Political agreements entered into among the Allies during tho war should remain unalterable and are not subject sub-ject to revision. This refers to" our agreement Avith France and England about Constantinople and the Straits, Syria and Asia Minor, and also to the London agreement with Jtaly. All propositions as to future boundaries as the Central Europe are at this moment mo-ment premature, but at the same time 1 it is to be remembered that we are ready to grant to France and England complcto freedom in fixing the limitations limita-tions of the western Gorman boundary, depending that the Allies in their turn will grant to us freedom in fixing our boundaries with Germany and Austria. It is important to insist on tho exclusion exclu-sion of the Polish question as a subject sub-ject matter for international discussion, discus-sion, and on elimination of all attempts to place the future of Poland under tho guarantee and control of tho powers. With regard to Scandinavian gCvern-mcnts gCvern-mcnts it fs important to make an effort ef-fort to hold Sweden back from taking a hostile step, and at the same time : to decide in time upon measures to : win Norway over to our side in the event war with Sweden can not be avoided. To Rumania all political benefits have already been offered to Induce it to take up arms, and therefore there-fore to look in this field for new decoys is altogether useless. The question of forcing Germans out of Chinese market .is of great importance, impor-tance, but as its solution Ib impossible without the co-operation of Japan, it is preferable to submit it for discussion discus-sion at an economic conference at which Japan will be represented. This does not exclude the desirability of exchanging ex-changing Ideas on this subject bo- tween Russia, France, and England through diplomatic channels. (Signed) SAZONOFF. Nearly a year after the preceding agreement we find the Russian Foreign Office dealing in greater detail with French annexation plans in western German'. Tho question of annexations in western Germany is restated concretely con-cretely in the following note, dated only two days later than the preceding dispatch: Copy of a note from the minister of foreign affairs . of February 1-14, 1917, No. 26, to the French ambassador in Petrograd : In your note of this date your Excellency Excel-lency was good enough to communicate to the Imperial Government, that the Government of the Republic intended to include among the terms of peace which will be offered lo Germany the following demands and guarantees of territorial character: 1. Alsace and Lorraine to be returned return-ed to France. 2. The boundaries will be extended at least to the limits of the former principality of Lorraine, and will be fixed under the direction of the French government. At .the same time strategic strate-gic demands must be taken into consideration, con-sideration, so as to include within the French territory the whole of the industrial in-dustrial iron basin of Lorraine and the whole of the industrial coal-basin of tho Valley of the Saar. 3. Other territories located on the left bank of the Rhino, and not included includ-ed in the composition of the German Empire, will be completely separated from Germany and shall be freed from all political and economic dependence on her. 4. The territory on the left bank of the Rhine not included in the composition composi-tion of French territory, shall form an autonomous and neutral government, and shall be occupied by French armies arm-ies until such timo as the enemy governments gov-ernments completely fulfill all the conditions con-ditions and guarantees mentioned in the treaty of peace. Your Excellency stated that the Government Gov-ernment of the Republic shall be happy hap-py to have the opportunity of counting count-ing upon tho support of .the Imperial Government in order to bring its intentions in-tentions to accomplishment. In accordance accor-dance with the order of his Imperial Majesty, my august sovereign, I have the honor to communicate in this note in tho name of tho Russian Government, Govern-ment, to your Excellency that the Government of the Republic may count on the support of the Imperial Government Govern-ment to bring to fulfillment of Its aforementioned intentions. Be so good, etc. In tho following agreements between be-tween France and Russia concerning territorial readjustments there is the additional dramatic interest that at tho moment the telegram was dispatched dis-patched from the Russian embassy at Paris, revolution was in full swing at Petrograd, and tho imperial government, govern-ment, carrying with it, as ' events showed, tho entire elaborate structure of secret agreements made public by Trotzky, In the through the abdication abdica-tion of Nicholas II did not come till three days later. Exchange of Annexations. (Secret telegram of Parisian ambassador, ambas-sador, February 26 (Marcn 11, 1917). No. 168. My answer to telegram No. 167.) No. 2. The government of the French republic wishing to confirm the importance and meaning: of treaties entered Into with the Russian government govern-ment in 1915, as to object of regulating regulat-ing at tho end of the present war the status of Constantinople and tho Straits, In accordance with Russian wishes; and wishing to preserve for its allies all guarantees with regard to military and commercial relations necessary nec-essary for the economic development and safety of the empire, recognizes the complete freedom of Russia to de-termlno de-termlno her western boundaries. (Signed) ISVOLSKY. In tho three appended documents are contained tho dispositions of tho allies for tho settlement of tho question ques-tion of Constantinople and the Dardanelles. Dar-danelles. Theso aro, perhaps, tho least secret of the documents made j public by Trotzky, in the sense that their context had been matter of fairly common knowledge from tho beginning. be-ginning. Agreement as to Constantinople and the Straits. (Second political' division (Information). (Informa-tion). On the 19th of February (March 4, 1915) the (Russian) minister of foreign for-eign affairs handed a memorandum to tho French and British ambassadors in which was defined the position as to annexation lo Russia of tho following territories, as the result of the present pres-ent war: the city of Constantinople, the westorn shores of the Bosphorus, Marmora sea, and the Dardanelles; southern Frigla. to tho lino of Enos-Medla; Enos-Medla; tho shores of Asia Minor, between be-tween Bosphorus, the River Samarra. and a point of Ismid gulf to be subsequently subse-quently defined; the islands of Marmora Mar-mora sea and the islands of Irabros and Tenedos. The special rights of England and France within the limits of aforesaid territories to remain undisturbed. un-disturbed. Tho French as well as the English governments expressed their assent to the fulfilment of our desires in the event of a successful termination of tho war and the satisfaction of a series of demands of France and England Eng-land within the limits of the Ottoman empire as well as in other placos. These demands in so far as they refer to Turkey are substantially as follows: The recognition of Constantinople as a free port for the transit of merchandise mer-chandise not coming from or going to Russia, and the freedom of passage through the Straits of mercnant ships. The recognition of English and French rights in Asiatic Turkey subject sub-ject to .specific definition in a special agreement between France, England and Russia. The preservation of sacred Mohammedan Moham-medan places and of Arabia, under an Independent Mohammedan rule. The inclusion within the English sphere of influence of the Persian neutral zone created by tho treaty oi 1907 between England and Russia. In recognizing these claims as in general subject to satisfaction the Russian government nevertheless made certain reservations; With respect to formulation of our wishes in connection with sacred Mohammedan Mo-hammedan places it is necessary to define now whether these places will remain under the administration of Turkey, with the retention by the sultan sul-tan of the tilo of caliph, or is it the intention to create new and independent independ-ent governments. In our opinion it would be desirable to separate the caliphate irom Turkey. At all events, the freedom of pilgrimage is to be insured. in-sured. In agreeing to the inclusion of the neutral zone of Persia within tho English sphere of influence the Russian Rus-sian government considers it only just to state .that the region of pic cities Iphsagan, Jezda shall be confirmed to Russia, as well as a strip of the neutral neu-tral zone wnich' cuts in tho shape of a wedge between Russian and Afghan boundaries and reaching the boundary itself at Zulphogar. shall bo included within the Russian sphere of influence. The Russian government also considers con-siders desirable at the same time to reach the solution of the question as to the territory of northorn Afghanistan contiguous to Russia, in line with Its wishes expressed in the negotiations of 1911. After the entrance of Italy into the war our wishes were communicated to the Italian government, which expressed ex-pressed its assent on its own behalf on condition that, in the event of successful success-ful termination of the war, the Italian claims in general, and specifically in the east be satisfied, and on recognition recogni-tion by Italy within the limits of territories ter-ritories ceded by us of identical rights as possessed by England and Franco. The Question of Constantinople and the Straits. (Secret telegram of the minister of foreign affairs to the French ambassador ambas-sador in Paris. March 5 (March IS), 1915. No. 1226.) On the 23d of February (March S) the French ambassador, in tho name of his government, stated to mo that France Is ready to take the most friendly attitude towards tho realization realiza-tion of our desires, stated in my telegram tele-gram to you, No. 937, in connection with tho Straits and Constantinople, for which I have instructed you to express ex-press to Delcasse my appreciation. In his conservations with you, Delcasse, even before, repeatedly expressed his assurances that we may depend on tho sympathy of Franco, and only referred re-ferred to the necessity of clarifying England's attitude, from which side he feared objections, before giving us more concrete assurances to the aforesaid effect. Lately the British government expressed ex-pressed in writing its complete agreement agree-ment to the annexation of Constantinople Constanti-nople and the Straits to Russia, within limitations indicated- by us, reserving therein only for itself a guarantee of her own economic interests, and also a similar tfenovolont attitude on our side to tho political aims of England in other spheres. For me personally the assurance of Delcasse, inwhom I have the deepest confidence, is quite sufficient, but for the Imperial government govern-ment moro specific declarations are desirable as to the agreement of France to tho complete fulfillment of our desires, similar to that made by the government by Great Britain. (Signed) SANZONOFF. Secret Telegram of Minister of Foreign Affairs to Ambassador in London. Referring to the memorandum of the British embassy here, of the 12th of March, be kind enough to express to Grey the deep appreciation of the imperial im-perial government for the full and final agreement of Great Britain to tho solution of tho question of tho Straits and Constantinople, in accordance ac-cordance with wishes of Russia. The imperial government fully appreciates the feelings of the government of Great Britain and is positive that sin-core sin-core recognition of mutual interests will forever assure the solid friendship friend-ship existing between Russia and Great Britain. Having givon Its promise prom-ise with regard to conditions for commerce com-merce in the Straits and Constantinople, Constanti-nople, the imperial government sees no objection to the confirmation of Its agreement to the following arrangement: ar-rangement: (1) Freedom of transit through Constantinople of merchandise merchan-dise coming from or Intended for Russia. (2) Freedom or passago, through the Straits of merchant ships. In order to make tho undertaking of breaking through the Dardanelles easier for the allies, the Imperial gov-. crnment is ready to assist In attracting attract-ing to this undertaking on a reason-' ablo basis of other governments, the' co-operation of which In the opinion : of France and Great Britain Is useful. use-ful. Tho imperial government fully shares the opinion of tho government of Great Britain that sacred Mobam-modan Mobam-modan places must in tho future ro-main ro-main under independent Mohammedan rule. It is desirable to clear up now, however, whether it is the intention to leave these places under the rule of Turkey and conserve in the sultan of Turkey tho title of caliph, or whether it js proposed to create new independent governments for only in one or the other event will tho imperial im-perial government be in position to formulate its wishes. As for itself, the imperial government would consider it extremely desirable to separate tho caliphate from Turkey. Tho freedom of pilgrimage must, of course, bo fully guaranteed. . The imperial government confirms its agreement to the inclusion of the sphere of English influence of the neutral zone of Persia. It, however, deems it just to state that the regions constituting the cities of Isphagan and Gezda, forming with the latter ono complete whole, shall be confirmed to Russia, because of the Russians interests inter-ests established there. The neutral zone now cuts in a wedge-liko shape between tho boundaries boun-daries of Russia and Afghanistan and comes close to tho Russian boundary near Zulphagar. Because of that, it will be necessary to place part of that wedge within tho Russian sphere of Influence. Of material importanco for tho imperial im-perial government is the question of the building of railroads in the neutral zone, which question calls for further friendly elucidation. In the future tho imporial government expects recognition, recogni-tion, in it of full freedom of action in tho sphere of influence allotted to it, with the reservation for It specially, of prior right of development within such sphere for its financial and economic econ-omic enterprises. Finally, the Imperial government deems desirable a simultaneous solu tion of tho question of Afghanistan territory contiguous to it, in the sonso of the wishes expressed by tho imperial im-perial ministry in previous negotiations negotia-tions of the past year. (Signed) SAZONOFF. The chief interest of tho following brief dispatch is In confirmation of tho vulnerability as well as susceptibility of the Swedish diplomatic mall-bags. Secret Telegram to the Ambassador in Stockholm, 15-28 of October, 1917. J No. 629. With regard to matters in Madrid, I; was informed that it has been pro-, posed unexpectedly and by a mistake to open the Swedish pouch. In view of the circumstances communicated in telegram No. 62S, and tho readiness of" tho new minister to meet us on that question, I earnestly ask you to take all measures, so that that which has been predicted by Solovicff shall not take place. Taking into consideration the painful vanity of Swodes, wo would be taking the risk of rousing tho opposition op-position of the new cabinet even moro than of the old, and would at onco lose whatever benefits the change of government now being accomplished may have assured us of. (Signed) GULKEVICH. |