OPENING OF RUSSIA'S CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 101, 22 January 1918, Page 5

OPENING OF RUSSIA'S CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY

STATUS OF TEMPORARY AUTHORITY THE TENSION WITH RUMANIA London, January 20. The Admiralty lias received the following official report from Pctrograd, por wireless telegram:—Comrade Sverdlaw opened the Constituent Assembly on Friday. Thero were popular manifestations in tlio streets, but the soldiers, sailors, and workmen did not participate, and assisted the Red Guards to maintain order. Comrado Cliernoff was elected President. _ Comrade Sverdlaw, in tlio nanto of the Council of the Soldiers , "driimen's, and Peasants' Deputios, submitted a request that the authority or tlio council should bo recognised, and also that all the decrees issued by the Council of the People's Commissaries should he recognised, pending a clear definition of tho relations of the Assembly and the Council. Subsequently tlio Bolshevik members and the Left Wing of the Socialist Revolutionaries would withdraw.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. AN ALL-NIGHT SITTING. Petrograd, January 20. The sitting of the Constitufcent Assembly lasted all night. Jl. Tseretelli read a declaration of tho Minority Social Democrats, demanding full power for tho Constituent Assembly and tho creation of a Democratic Republic. He proposed to erect a special instrument for regulating the c-xisting truce, and ofl'oring tlio belligerents to commence negotiations 011 a .general scale. Tlio declaration also further opposes the Bolshevik Socialistic and Utopian ideas. The Assembly voted, by 237 votes to 146, against the immediate discussion of the Bolshevik declaration regarding peace, lajul reforms, and control by workmen.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ALLIED AND NEUTRAL DIPLOMATS NOT INVITED. (Rcc. January 21, 6.50 p.m.) Pctrograd, January 20. Tho Allied and neutral diplomats were not invited to the opening of the Constituent Assembly. No Cadet member appeared. The All-Russian railwaymen's conference has adopted a resolution in favour of the formation of a Government responsible to tho Constituent Assembly.— Reutcr.

ASSEMBLY DISSOLVED BY THE SAILORS. (Rec. January 22, 1 a.m.) Potrograd, January if). The Constituent Assembly was dissolved by the sailors at >1 o'clock in the morning. Many people were killed or wounded at Moscow owing to the Red Guards firing on pro-Constituent demonstrators—ReuW. THE PLOT AGAINST RUMANIA EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF BOLSHEVIK CONSPIRACY. Petrograd, January 20. A remarkable plot has been revealed as the result of the arrest of the Rumanian Minister, M. Diamandi. Recently the Bolsheviks without the slightest provocation sent troops to Jassy,' under tlio leadership of Rakowsky, a reactionary Bulgarian, with instructions to arrest and murder General Tclicrbatchoff (Commandor-in-Chief of tlio Russian and Rumanian armies of the south-west front), to seize tlio Rumanian Royal Family, and members of the Government. General Tcherbatcheff was forewarned, and captured and interned the ringleaders, including Rochal, a student, who instituted tlio Kronstadt mutiny. General Tchebatcheff then secured tlio co-operation of the Rumanian Army, which disarmed 15,000 Bolshevik irregulars. Whole Rumanian divisions are now employed in chasing off Rimsian units which deserted from the front, and who wero looting and miming Rumanian villages. The Royal Family remain at Jassv. They aro practically cut oil from the outer world, and are sharing the people's hardships. They lived for months entirely on tinned foods, with bread threo times a week—"The Times." RUMANIA'S REPLY TO THE ULTIMATUM. Petrograd, January 20. The Rumanian reply to the Bolsheviks' recent ultimatum denies the allegations. M. Lenin considers the reply unsatisfactory.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. BOLSHEVIK WAR ON "COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARIES." Petrograd, January 20. The Bolshieviki claim to have captured 1500 countar-revolutionary officers at Debaltsovo, and also claim successes against the Ukrainians, at Skrevkaja and Voroshba. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. DRUNKEN ORGY AT ODESSA. (Rec. January 21, 6.50 p.m.) Odessa, January 20. A crowd entered the cellars of a distillery, drank freely, and then fired the building. Two hundred people wero burned to death.—"The Times." THE FOOD CRISIS IN RUSSIA PEOPLE'S COMMISSARIES FACE THE SITUATION. London, January 20. The Russian People's Commissaries for Food have issued communications drawing attention to the disorders and excesses committed at railway stations by soldiers and others. Tliey declare that the railways aro ill the power of the mobs. This state of anarchy has disorganised the transport service, and has prevented supplies reaching starving regions and the armies. The commissaries sununon the councils to take drastic measures to establish order. The commissaries announce the stoppage of passenger trains on the main lines, of numerous railways from January 20 to February 2, owing to tlio urgency of transporting iood to the front and to Moscow and Petrograd.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Router. ALLIED CRUISERS OFF VLADIVOSTOK Washington, January L'o. The State Department has been advised that two Japanese, one British, and possibly one American cruiser ore off Vladivostok, ready for ally emer-gency—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ANOTHER DENIAL FROM JAPAN (Rec. January 21, 6.50 p.m.) Petrograd, January'2o. The Japanese Embassy here deniesthe report that Japanese troops have landed at Vladivostok, and declares that Japan does not entertain the least intention of intervening in the internal affairs of Russia.—Reuter.