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

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20 PKOCEEDIXGS OF THE BEEST-LITOVSK CONFEKEXCE.
General Hoffmann considered ,siieh a term too short. He directed
attention to the fact that a war between coalitions makes an agreement
between allies inevitable, and this agi'eenient takes time. As
the armistice has for its object the opening of peace negotiations,
that could be interrupted only in the event of the negotiations not
leading to the desired end. In that case negotiations among allied
Governments wonld be inevitable, and this would demand a great
deal of time.
On the suggestion of the Russian Delegation, an adjournment was
announced at 12.30 p. m. (10.30 a. m.).
The session was resumed at 1 p. m. (11 a. m.).
The President of the Eussian Delegation introduced the following
formulation of paragraph 1 of the draft armistice proposals (concerning
the term of the armistice)
l.Tlie annistice Ije.niiis Ndv. -JT (Dec. 10) at 2 p. iii. (12 noon) and i-ontimies
to Dec. 2."i, 1917 (.Tan. 7. 1918). at 2 p. m. (12 noon). Eitlier party has tlie
i-iglit of renewing hostilities on .givinii seven days' notice to this effect. If such
notice does not ensue, then the armistice is automatically jirolonged until such
time as one of the parties gives the seven days' notice of the interruption of the
armistice.
A. A. loffe stated in explanation that the commencement of the
armistice on Nov. 27 (Dec. 10) is fixed in anticipation of the agreement
coming into force on Nov. 25 (Dec. 5). If otherwise, then the
commencement of the armistice must be corresiJondingly postponed.
General Hoffmann, in order to expedite the negotiations, agreed on
a 28-day term for the armistice and laid emphasis on the fact that
by so doing he thought to s>(i far toward meeting the wish qf the
Russian Delegation. He then proposed passing to the consideration
of par. 2 of the Russian draft, armistice negotiations.
General Hoffmann objected to the Eussian text of the draft, pointing
out that it would bind the German forces on the West also to an
armistice, and therefore he proposed the following text for par. 2:
The armistice affects all land and air forces of the said coimtries
between the Black Sea and the Baltic and also on the Russo-Turkish
fronts of Asia.
General Hoffmann remarked that special agreements would have
to be made for the Eusso-Turkish fronts in Asia.
Turkey's plenipotentiary proposed that the armistice should simultaneously
affect the neutral countries also, /. e., Persia.
General Hoffmann remarked that these conditions only concern the
air and land forces, and that special conditions would have to be
prepared for the naval forces.
RtTSSIAN ACCOl^NT, C0^'TINl'EU.
From the (British) nailii Rericw of the Foiikin Picusi. l»i,,/
I Picxx Supplement,
6 February, 1918, pp. a9.3-:«).-,.
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Pravda (Dec. 11 and 13) publishes the continuation of the report
of the protocol of the session of Dec. 3. the first i)art of Avhich
was given in the Pravda of Dec. 22. and the A. P. S. of Jan 30
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