Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 77, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 December 1917 — BEGIN RUSSIAN PEACE PARLEY [ARTICLE]

BEGIN RUSSIAN PEACE PARLEY

Von Kuehlmann Made Chairman of Meeting—Kaiser’s Rules Adopted. TERMS PRESENTED BY SLAVS - : 'v> -4- ■ y'V ■■ :• V _> Teuton Foreign Minister Makes Opening Address—Kaiser Plans to Attend Meeting Later if Delegates Reach, Agreement. Amsterdam, Dec. ‘24. —A dispatch received here from Brest-Litovsk, Russia (occupied by Teutons), dated Saturday, says: “Today at four o’clock in the afternoon the peace negotiations were begun at a solemn sitting. The meeting was attended by the following delegates: “Germany—Dr. Richard von Kuehlmann, foreign minister; Ilerr von Rosenberg, Baron von Hock, General Hoffmann and Major Brinckmann. “Austria-Hungary: Count Czornin, foreign minister; Herr von Merey, Freiherr von Wisser, Count Collerda, Count Osnky, Field Marshal von Chisicres, Lieutenant l’arny and Major von Gluise. “Bulgaria: Minister Popoff, former Secretary Coseff, Postmaster General Stoyanovich, Colonel Gant jiff and Doctor Anastasoff. “Turkey: Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Nessimy Bey, Ambassador Hakki, Under-Foreign Secretary Hekmit Boy and General Zokki Pasha. “Russia. .loffe Kaniineff, Bisenko Pokrosky, Karaghan Lubinski, Weltman Pawlowich, Admiral Alvater, General Tumorri, Colonel Ilokki, Colonel Zeplett and Captain Lipsky,

Kuehlmann Presides. “Prince Leopold of Bavaria, as commander in chief of the German forces in the east, welcomed the delegates and invited Hakki Pasha, as the senior delegate, to open the' conference. Hakki Pasha, after an expression of a desire for a satisfactory result, declared the negotiations formally open and proposed Dr. von Kuehlmann as the presiding officer. The German foreign minister was unanimously elected chairman. “The most important speech before the delegates was made by Dr. von Kuehlmann. He said : “ ‘The purpose of this memorable meeting is to terminate the war between the central powers and Russia and re-establish a state of peace and friendship. In view of the situation it will be impossible in the course of these deliberations to prepare an instrument of peace elaborated in its smallest details. “‘What I have iu mind is to. fix the most important principles and conditions upon which peaceful and neighborly intercourse, especially in the cultural and economic sense, can he speedily resumed, and also to decide upon the best means of healing the wounds caused by the war. “The German- foreign minister proposed the following rules, which were adopted: “Questions of precedence will be decided according to the alphabetical list of the represented powers. “Plenary sittings will he presided over by the chief representative of each of the five powers in rotation. Here Are the Terms. “The Russian terms include : “First —No compulsory annexation of territory taken during the war and speedy evacuation of such territory. “Second—That political independence shall be restored to all nations deprived of independence by the fortunes of war. “Third —That national groups not independent before tile war shall decide by referendum whether they shall become independent or give their allegiance to some power. “Fourth —Where mixed nationalities occupy any territory the rights of the minority shall be defended by a separate law assuring educational freedom and administrative autonomy, if possible. “Fisth —No belligerent country shall lie required to pay contributions and private persons shall be compensated for losses incurred through the war front it special fund contributed by all the belligerents on a proportional basis. The same principles shall lie applicable to colonies as to the parent countries. “The final clause of the terms prohibits the boycotting of one country by another and provides for separate customs agreements and for naval blockades not pursuing direct military objects. > “Tin* delegates of the central powers declared their readiness to begin the examination of the Russian program. The result of their labors will be discussed at the next sitting.” Kaiser to Attend Peace Meet. London, Dec. 24. —A dispatch to the Exchange Telegraph from Copenhagen says: "H “The Berliner Zeitung says Emperor Williaih has informed his government that -he contemplates going to Brest-Litovsk if the diplomats arrive at an agreement, in which case he will endeavor to assemble all the sovereigns and regents of Europe in a peace conference, as was done after the Napoleonic wars. ■ “The emperor is credited with having declared that everybody wants peace, and .that the future offers so many great tasks that all states must co-operate in them.”*