The "Rizhsky Kurier," published in the metropolis of Latvia, Riga, in its issue of April 29, gave prominence to a remarkable document, purporting to be the full text of a military convention, which, it is alleged, was concluded on April 3 of this year in Berlin between the plenipotentiary representatives of the German General Staff and representatives of the Soviet Army. In the event of its authenticity being established, this document acquires enormous importance in the world's politics, for when the Russo-German treaty was published in Genoa, there were persistent rumours that a_ secret military convention had simultaneously been concluded, though M. Litvinoff, the "Russian delegate, solemnly denied it.
By the terms of this secret agreement, Germany will equip, arm—even with aeroplanes—and entirely re-organize the Russian Army and part of tha reward is to be the immediate handing over of 20 Russian battleships, which, however, "shall temporarily remain in Russian ports, on account of prevailing political conditions."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.