RUSSIA’S CRISIS.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 September 1917, Page 2

RUSSIA’S CRISIS.

WITHOUT NEWS. SINCE MONDAY. LONDON, September 11. TJhp Russian Embassy at London has not received a cable from Petrograd since Monday morning, and he is quite in the dark what is occurring. There is no news of Kerensky’s murder.

RUSSIAN OPERATIONS. Tadmiralty—PEß wireless pres*.} LONDON, ~ept. 12. Russian official:—On the coast of the Gulf of Riga our advanced detachments meeting with slight oppositon. We took up a line between Indupeloi and Sappaske. Encounters between the Pskoff road and the Dvina ended in our favour. We repulsed the enemy’s offensives north-west of Slonik and south of Radautz on the Ronmanian front. Wo captured a height east of Kimpolung.

M. KERENSKY’S STATEMENT. AVOIDING CIVIL WAR. FAUSTRALIAN & N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION] TaDMIUALTY —PER WIRELESS PRESS.] LONDON September 12. M. Kerensky has issuod the following statement: —“Superior officers everywhere aro acting in agreement with the Government and the committees at the front. General Danskin together with the headquarters staff has beon arrested; also General Erdelli, who has broken the enemy’s obedience. Several of General Erdelli’s staff have been arrested.

“Only small detachments wliichAloner al Korniloff, through deception is leading to Petrograd, remain deluded regarding the position. Their advance has been arrested. Individual units hare sent delegations to Petrograd, requesting tho arrest of the commanders who betrayed the Government. “I have taken energetic measures to defend Petrograd but, hope that bloodshed and civil war will be. avoided. I am receiving evidence of the loyalty of the troops and people from all the Provinces. The Public organisations have announced their determination to support the Government. • It is essential for tho safety of the Fatherland that complete unity of action should be preserved.

THE RUSSIAN -UN HE AVAL. LONDON September 12

The “Daily Telegraph’s” Petrograd correspondent reports that on Monday General Korniloff attempted a coup d’etat by asking the Government to resign. He offered M. Werensky the post of Minister of Justice M. Kerensky indignantly rejected the proposal which Prince Lvoff voiced A telephone conversation between M. Kerensky and General Korniloff did not lead to a more satisfactory result. M. Kerensky thereupin formed a directory and appointed General Alexioff Commander-in-Chief.

M. Kerensky states .that he is assured of support from Moscow and lias force enough to quell possible disorders at the capital. General Korniloff has arrested Verkhovskyt't. Commander of Moscow, and several commissaries who were at headquarters. The Directory arrested a number of leaders of the anti-socialist party.

THE COUNTER REVOLUTION.

THE .WORKER’S WARNING

Reuter’s Telecrams. LONDON September 12. A wireless messages states that the executives of the Soldiers’ and Peasants’ Committee have sent a message to the army and naval committees that General Korniloff is heading a military counter-revolution conspiracy. He has moved the troops towards Petrograd with the object of deposing the Provisional, Government. His troops are deceived into behoving that they have been sent to crush Maximalist conspiracy which is non-exist-ent.

The executive request the army committees to disobey the orders of General Korniloff and his fellow traitors and to carry out the demands of the Central Committees and the Provisional Government. They explain to the soldiers, especially tho waverers tho true meaning of Korniloff’s plot. THE RUSSIAN POSITION. DAILY MAIL NEWS. (Cult il Service Telegrams.) (Deceived this day at 12.30 a.m.) LONDON, September 12. The Daily Mail hns special information from Russia which says the Russians are more tired of revolutionary excesses, plunder and class hatre' . than of war. The Soviet chiefly consists of Idealists, anarchists, and syndicates. Some members are known to be in German pay. Kerensky is honest and visionary, but afraid of tho Soviet which fears its own shadow. Tho cavalry and artillery may support Korniloff as well as the Cossacks Pood considerations are likely to govern tho German war policy in Oourland and Lithuania, which are wheatless A quarter of the population of Courland are believed to havo died oLstarvation.

( SIDING MYTH KORNlLOFF[“reuter’s” telegram.] (Received this day at 1.20 a.m.,) i PETROGRtAD, September 12. Tho newspapers state Kleinbovsky tho new Generalissimo, Generals Doningu and Valouyoff respectively, commanding the western and south-western fronts, hnve joined General Komilnff. A meeting nf the garrison, workers, professional classes and railwayman of Moscow voted loyalty to the Provisional Government. Municipality in a proclamation exhorts the ancient capital to use ns one man, and defend the revolution. It appeals to all towns in Russia to rally to the Government.

THREE PACTIONS. GREAT RIVALRY DISPLAYED. death penalty necessary. LONDON, September 12. Mr. Harold Williams from Petrograd says that the most urgent task before the rulers is to effect a compromise between the conflicting elements in the army. One stands for the restoration of discipline in the form of oomplete subordination of the lower grades in the army to the higher. The other insists on the retention of army committees, political comnecessaries and the initiation of tho functions of the officers and Higher Com mand to the purely technical sphere of military operations. The conflict between the elements has been increasingly acute during the

past few days and has taken every undesirable form of dispute between the commissaries and the headquarters staff regarding the causes of the Riga rotreat. T|he •commissaries accuse the staff of exaggerating the cowardice of the troops. - -

The “Novotive Vremya” actually accuses the High Command of. intentionally abandoning. Riga in order to frighten the public opinion into the acceptance of repressive measures.

Thus far there has been great con--fusion between the respective factions •

the military authorities, commissaries and committees. In a few cases the three authorities have worked in harmony, but more frequently one authority has overstepped the bounds to the great injury of discipline and efficiency. Many of the commissaries indulge in harmful demagogy. The regimental committees have done great service among the troops in preventing insubordination or excesses. The position resembles that of trade unions, but their position is precarious as they are liable to stand for re-election at any time moment if a new agitation appears or the soldiers suspect them of being too intimate with the officers.

It is apparently impossible to abolish politics from tho Army ' and General Korniloff therefore proposes a middle course, by which commissaries and commit tees would" remain hut their functions would he clearly defined. They would not be allowed to interfere in military operations or in the appointment or dismissal of officers. It is equally necessary to find means for enforcing authority in the soldiers’ training depots. The men do no drill and live comfortable, idle lives. They are exposed to various forms of extremists agitation and when sent to the front are useless, owing to lack of training. They only spoil good regiments and increase the army’s demoralisation! Armed banos of resemsw are sometimes the centres of brigandage and rapine, but the. bulk of the men are decent and peaceable fellows. The bitter experience of the abuses of liberty prove® the necessity for reestablishing the death penalty.

FALL OF RIGA. CHARGE OF TREACHERY. LONDON, September, 12. The “Daily Mail’s” Petrograd correspondent says that a member of the Soldiers’ and Workmens’ Committee belonging to the twelfth army which defended Riga reveals apparent treachery in the fall of the town. General Brussiloff promised reinforcements but they were notE sent. The Germans outnumbered the Russians and were evidently informed of the weakest spot breaking through at the point held by the untrained territorials. They located the Russian bat-teries-and immediately pnt them out of action. : 1

KERENSKY’S ATTITUDE. DECLINES NEGOTIATIONS. (Reuter’s Telegrams A (Received this day at 12.30 a.m.) PETROGRAD September 12. The “Retch” says Titlinoff and Alexieff visited Kerensky and offered their services to avert civil war. Kerensk declined'to negotiate with the law breakers but said he would not object to the New Cabinet negotiating with Korniloff at a private conference. Kerensky and exministere .agreed that Alexieff be chief of such a cabinet, but Kerensky eventually refused to entrust the power to Alexieff, and opened negotiations nvth the Soldiers’ and Workmens’ Committee. It is believed that there will be a stronger socialist representation in the New Cabinet wherein Terestohenko and Nekrasoff will be the sole non-socialists retaining their posts.

CABINET RESKJNS. PETROGRAD, September 11. The Russian Cabinet has resigned, KORNILOFF’S POLICY, TO RENEW THE MONARCHY.

(Received This D»v at 11.25. a.m.) LONDON, Sep. 12. The “Daily Telegraph” states General Korniloff has clearly defined his policy, including tho elevation to the throne of the head of the Dolgorouk family, which is more ancient that theßomanoff’s. There is widespread knowledge of an almost certain famine next year, leaving the way for a dictatorship. Food control is now invested in provisioning committees, largely composed of ignorant peasantry, who, though utterly incapable of judging of the needs of the country, are acting energetically and bnselfishlv. v

COSSACKS PROTEST. PETROGRAD, Sep. 12. ■ The Juban Cossacks are protesting against the Government's changes of the military commands. Previous to KornjJlofPs ultimatum they said we have had..enough of these kaliedoscopic' changes, which serve only the interests of Germany, aa those responsible for the changes are aware.