19 JANUARY 1918, Page 2

Throughout last week the Russian Anarchist delegates, abandon- ing their

demand for the -removal of the Peace Conference to Stockholm, continued to discuss with the enemy delegates at Brest-Litovsk the fate of the Baltic Provinces and Poland. Baron von Kehl/mem tried to corner M. Trotsky with the argument that, if Russia recognized the independence of these peoples, she was not concerned with their fatale. He contended, further, that as the Baltic Provinces and Poland had ceased to form part of Russia, the proposal that each party should evacuate the other's territory could not apply to them. M. Trotsky, however, maintained that the border peoples had had no genuine opportunity of " aelf - determination," unlike Finland and the Ukraine. As to the German boasts, "war-maps disappear while peoples remain." General Hoffmann, who represents the Army at Brest-Litovsk, lost his patience at last, and in the true Prussian way reminded the Anarchists that they were the defeated party. The German Army, he said, occupied the provinces, and would not leave them. Finally, after much logic-chopping, the Russians presented a written demand that the enemy should disclaim all desire to annex the occupied lands, whose peoples should decide their own future after the armies had withdrawn and the fugitives had returned. The Conference was then adjourned.