Proceedings of the Brest-Litovsk Peace Conference: the peace ...

SESSION OF 30 JANTJAEY. 123
stated that since the hist meeting certain changes in the compnsition
ot some of the delegations had occurred, and he requested the Chairmen
of the Delegations in (|uestion to inform the plenary session of
these changes.
.
Ba,ron von Kiihlmann announced that the Bavarian Government,
by A'lrtuo of its treaty rights and after agreement with the German
iimperor and the Imperial Chancellor, had appointed part in the
negotiations. M. Trotsky then stated that the Eussian Delegation
had undergone two changes, one being purely personal, namelv. that
M. Karelin, the People's Commissary for State Properties, 'would
henceforth take part in the deliberations, while the other change was
of a legal and political character, namely, the incorporation of two
members of the Ukrainian People's Republic in the Russian Delegation,
which fact had already been notified in writing.
Three Ukrainian members had been appointed, one of whom. ]M.
Satomsky, People's Comndssary and Secretary of State for Education,
had remained in Petrograd and entered the Govermnent
there. The two others, namely, the President of the Executive Committee,
M. Medwjedew. and "the Secretary of State for ^Military
Affairs, M. Schachray, were at Brest-Litovsk and formed a part of
the Eussian Delegation. This fact, which was of the greatest importance
for the further course of the negotiations, reflected the
development of the situation in the Ukraine as a result of recent
events. As the opposition has an interest in being accurately informed
about the situation in the Ukraine, M. Trotsky considered it
necessary to give a further short explanation. The Ula'ainian Council
of Soldiers, Peasants, and Workmen's deputies engaged thnnighout
the Ukraine in a determined battle against the Kieif Rada, in whioh
the Ukrainian Council's party had been victorious at many points.
That party is in complete agreement Avith the Petrograd Council of
People's Commissaries. The whole Donetz coal field, the entire mining
region of Ekaterinoslav, and the Governments of Chai'koff and
Poltava were in the hands of the Ukrainian Soviet. In other parts
of the Ukraine the power of the Soviet was increasing, while the
influence of the Kieff Rada was steadily declining. On the day of
'Sir. Trotsky's departure from Petrograd a telegram was received
from Kieff to the effect that the Kieff Secretariat-General had resigned.
How the crisis had been solved by the Kieff GoAernment
and what influence it Avould exercise on the delegation of Herr Halubowiez
was not yet known, but it was clear from the foregoing that
a peace concluded with the delegation of the Kieff Secretariat under
the present circumstances could in no way be regarded as a peace
concluded with the Ukraine Republic.
In his speech to the .Main Committee of the Reichstag, Baron von
Kiihlmann had made out that the Russian Delegation had recognized
the Ukrainian Delegation so long as it could assume that the
latter would play the I'ole of auxiliary, but that no^^'. when the Russian
Delegation had realised its mistake, it had refused recognition.
This was too subjective a representation of what occurred. At the
very first sitting at Avhich the question of a Ukrainian Delegation was
broached. M. Trotsky had declared that the process of development
of the right of self-determination of the Ukraine itas still .proceeding.
Xow. when the All-Russian Congress of the Councils of Workmen.
Soldiers', and Peasants' Delegates was meeting in Petroiirad.
"