e: Hertling had
spoken with the Kaiser, who is perfectly satisfied. Kuehlmann said to
me: 'The Kaiser is the only sensible man in the whole of Germany.'

"We have at last agreed about the form of the committee; that is, a
committee _ad hoc_ is to be formed in Brest, to work out a plan for
the evacuation and voting in detail. _Tant bien que mal_, a
provisional expedient. All home to report; next sitting to be held
January 5, 1918.

"Russians again somewhat more cheerful.

"This evening at dinner I rose to express thanks on the part of the
Russians and the four Allies to Prince Leopold. He answered at once,
and very neatly, but told me immediately afterwards that I had taken
him by surprise. As a matter of fact, I had been taken by surprise
myself; no notice had been given; it was only during the dinner itself
that the Germans asked me to speak.

"Left at 10 P.M. for Vienna.

"From the 29th to the morning of the 3rd I was in Vienna. Two long
audiences with the Emperor gave me the opportunity of telling him what
had passed at Brest. He fully approves, of course, the point of view
that peace must be made, if at all possible.

"I have dispatched a trustworthy agent to the outer provinces in order
to ascertain the exact state of feeling there. He reports that _all_
are against the Bolsheviks except the Bolsheviks themselves. The
entire body of citizens, peasants--in a word, everyone with any
possessions at all--trembles at the thought of these red robbers, and
wishes to go over to Germany. The terrorism of Lenin is said to be
indescribable, and in Petersburg all are absolutely _longing_ for the
entry of the German troops to deliver them.

"_January 3, 1918._--Return to Brest.

"On the way, at 6 P.M., I received, at a station, the following
telegram, in code, from Baron Gautsch, who had remained at Brest:

"'Russian delegation received following telegram from Petersburg
this morning: To General Hoffmann. For the representatives of the
German, Austro-Hungarian, Bulgarian and Turkish delegations. The
Government of the Russian Republic considers it necessary to carry
on the further negotiations on neutral ground, and proposes
removing to Stockholm. Regarding attitude to the proposals as
formulated by the German and Austro-Hungarian delegation in Points
1 and 2, the Government of the Russian Republic and the
Pan-Russian Central Executive Committee of the Councils of
Workers', Soldiers' and Peasants'