We suggested to Count Czernin that his representatives
accompany our officers into Ukrainian territory to ascertain whether the
Kiev Rada existed or not. Czernin seemed to welcome this suggestion, but
when we asked him if this meant that the treaty made with the Kiev
delegation would not be signed before the return of his own mission, he
hesitated and promised to ask Kuehlmann about it. Having inquired, he
sent us an answer in the negative.
This was on February 8th. By the 9th, they had to sign the treaty. This
could not be delayed, not only on account of Leopold's birthday, but for
a more important reason, which Kuehlmann undoubtedly explained to
Czernin: "If we should send our representatives into the Ukraine just
now, they might really convince themselves that the Rada does not exist;
and then we shall have to face a single All-Russian delegation which
would spoil our prospects in the negotiations."... By the
Austro-Hungarian delegation we were advised to put principle aside and
to place the question on a more practical plane. Then the German
delegation would be disposed to concessions.... It was unthinkable that
the Germans should decide to continue the war over, say, the Moon
Islands, if you put this demand in concrete form.
We replied that we were ready to look into such concessions as their
German colleagues were prepared to make. "So far we have been contending
for the self-determination of the Lithuanians, Poles, Livonians, Letts,
Esthonians, and other peoples; and on all these issues you have told us
that such self-determination is out of the question.
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