5 JANUARY 1918, Page 10

The enemy's reply to the Russian Anarchists' peace proposals was

made by Count Czernin at Brest-Litovsk on Christmas Day. He said that the Central Powers were in favour of " an immediate general peace without forcible acquisitions of territory and without war indemnities," .but the condition precedent must be the accept- ance of such a peace by all the belligerents. " It would not do for the Powers of the Quadruple Alliance negotiating with Russia one-sidedly to tie themselves to these conditions without a guarantee that Russia's Allies will recognize and -will carry out these con- ditions honestly and without reserve also as regards the Quadruple Alliance." This guarantee, of course, is not forthcoming, as the enemy knows, so that his offers to Russia are hypothetical and illusory.