Leon Trotsky, Max Hoffmann: Plenary Session of 12 January

[From the (British) Daily Review of the Foreign Press, 18 January, 1918, p. 621. Proceedings of the Brest-Litovsk Peace Conference. Washington 1918, p.90 f.]

According, to a message from Petrograd (Jan. 15), in the course of the negotiations at Brest-Litovsk on Jan. 12, M. Trotsky, in reply to General Hoffmann’s protest against the circulation of Russian propaganda in Germany, after pointing out that German newspapers had free access into Russia, whatever their views, added:

“Nevertheless, we do not find it possible to demand a curtailment of even that part of the German press which supports the views of General Hoffmann. There is no doubt that the support which our reactionary circles are receiving by certain declarations by German official circles is doing much to continue civil war in our country, at the head of which are adherents of the old regime. Nevertheless, we do not find it possible to connect this question with the conditions of the armistice or with the peace negotiations. I may also remark that, as General Hoffmann represents here, not only the Government of Berlin but, as far as I know, also of Dresden and Munich, we also represent not only Petrograd and Moscow but other towns.”

General Hoffmann answered:

“I would like to correct the last sentence of the previous speaker. I represent no Government; I represent the German Army. As to the other points of the statement just made by the President of the Russian Delegation, I must again affirm that I have not been understood by him. I am not speaking of the Press, because, without doubt, neither we nor the Russian Delegation can have an influence on what the Press says. My protest Is directed against the official Government statements and the declarations bearing the signature of the Commander in Chief of the German front or of Secretary of State Baron von Kühlmann.”

M. Trotsky replied:

“I must regret that I am unable, as General Hoffmann has said, to understand his point of view. This is to be explained, in my opinion, by the profound difference between our points of view – a difference, I am obliged to admit, which has been recognized during the war by the German judicial authorities, and a record of this fact may be found in the proceedings of the Courts at Leipzig and Stuttgart. In any case, I must clearly state that neither the stipulations of the armistice nor anything else can affect liberty of opinion, propaganda, or citizens of the Russian Republic.”