INTERNAL RUSSIA

Hokitika Guardian, 15 February 1917, Page 2

INTERNAL RUSSIA

London Feb 14

Many Arrests

(Australian & N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter.)

PETKOGRAD, Feb 14

It is addsd that the Russian labour movement has hitherto not been revolutionary and the strikes have not interfered with the production of munitions, but Protopoff transferred the strikers wholesale to the firing line.

Protopoff has instituted an intense censorship, ana has banished leading writers from Petrograd.

Arrest of Revolutionaries

Petrograd, Feb 14

The arrest of members of the Munitions Committee is attributed to M, Protopoff, who has already announced the belief that all pabiio bodies in Russia are animated with revolutionary ideas.

It is understood! that a majority of the Mini»ters, including M, Golitzm, favor officially recognised representatives of labor.

M. Protopoff, being in a minority instituted a midnight raid foies i the loya'ty of the labour delegates, and discovered incriminating documents, indicating a secret organisation wh.ch was then directing the strikes. A policy of repression of labour, ia likely to interfere with the production of munitions and distribution of food> wherein the unions baWbeea co-oper-ating with the authorities.

There ate indications of M. Protopoff introducing a censorship of all newspaper?,

Dutch Smuggling

London, Feb 12

Tightening the Belt. London, Feb 11 All Europe is tightening its belt. Tbe correspondent of The Times &t Rome predicts the early introduction of food tickets in Italy. The area under crop has been reduced by 20 per cent, notwithstanding the premium given by the Government for tba bieakiDg up of new soil. Genertl Cadorna has released agriculturists from the army, and is temporarily replacing them with combed city dwellers. Owing to tbe shortage of coal the quality and pressure of gas has been further reduced and cooking is difficult. Swedish farmers have memoralissd the Government, pointing out the failure of the potato harvest, and tba necessity for a vast increase of grain cultivation. In Boilia communal feeders increased in January to 120,000 daily. ; Dr Yon Bathmann Hollweg has visited headquarters and discussed the food problem, though he is mainly concerned with the military and naval situation and the preparations for the spring. Tha Gambler’s Last Throw.

A correspondent-, commentina- on the arrest of the leaders of the Moderate Labor Organisation on a charge of revolutionary conspiracy, states the Premier and a majority of the Cabinet favored workmen's re: r«?nntation on the Central Munition Board. M. Protopnff disagreed and rev : sad the telk of revolution. He ecut the police to raid the leaders’ Hours*, aud allegedly found dccumentp di-closing a ’secret organisation controlling strikes.

London, Feb II The authorities in Holland are en* deavoring to stop the smuggling of food to Germany. It has been discovered that a funeral is a favorite subterfuge. Coffins have been found to contain dead pigs. German refugees now in Holland state that great increases of sickness , and mortality have occurred in tha * large cities, due to food substitutes. Elderly and yonog people are rapidly dying.

London, Feb 11 Opinion in Loudon regards Germany’s indiscriminate submarining aa > tbe gambler’s last throw in a war against ths world. Lord NorfchclifEe states :—“ Thsy intend to starve us, bat ws have got ready in time. They are desperate, Bulgaria is weary, Austria and Turkey are anxious for peace. We do not ask the United States to enter the war, indeed, we would rather not have the German-American vote influence the J peace. Germans believe that nothing 1 wpuld force the United States to fight._ It is another colossal misunderstanding' of o'lißr people’s phychclogy, similar to their belief that Canadians, Australians, South Africans and New Zealanders would not tight. It is a pity Prussia is able to cast obloquy on the good name of other German States which hate such horrible practices.” German DenialNew Yoke, Feb 14 Messages from Berlin deny that the Germans invited suggestions for the avoidance of war with America and states there will not be any modification of the submarine programme, Japan’s Interests. \ [LONDON TIMES SERVICE.—COPYBIGHT.] (Received Feb 15, at 1.15 p.m.) London, Feb 14 Japan has asked Spain to take over her interests in Germany,