RUSSIA’S CRISIS.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 November 1917, Page 2

RUSSIA’S CRISIS.

NEWS EXAGGERATED.

COPENHAGEN November 18

Estroen president of the Swedish Electric Coy. has returned from Petrograd. He saw nothing of the bloody fighting chronicled by foreign newspapers. The military schools were certainly damaged. He heard nothing of the reported cruelties to women.

A battalion of Bolsheviks maintained excellent order. The Berliner Ta'geblatit’s Vienna correspondent states Lenin and Kerensky have effected a compromise, which is essentially favourable to Lenin.

Russian troop s in Finland favour a Finnish revolution.

A PROCLAMATION,

rADMIRALTY —PER WIRELESS PRESS.]

. LONDON, Nov. 18. ! Russian official:—A notification signed by Dukhonin, issued at Petrograd states he has temporarily assumed the post of Commander-in-Chicf. He or- , ders the stoppage of further troops going to Petrograd. Only transport connected with military operations will be permitted.

| A GREAT MIX-UP. | [LONDON TIMES SERVICE—COPYRIGHT] j PETROGRAD, Nov. 18. ■ There were kaleidoscopic changes in Finland. Kerensky’s supporters dissolved the Diet which was about to proclaim.a Finnish Republic. The revolutionaries then re-establish-ed the Diet and appointed a Premier 1 Then on the 14th. th© soldiers and strikers occupied the Diet and Senate * buildings, dissolved the Logislnthire, and established a Bolsheviek Cabinet.. ■ The strike is universal and industries, communication and agriculture is at a standstill.

i THE INTERNAL FIGHTING

FURTHER DETAILS

1 LONDON November 18. ' The “Daily Chronicle’s” Petrograd . eorerspondent- -reports that fighting in Moscow began on the tenth and lasted all the week. The committeei of Pub- , lie safety, consisting of the City Coun- , oil and other organisations controlled ! a force of three thousand pupils and officers of training schools and hastily organised a .body of students with maxims and three field guns. Most of the garrison troop s numbering a hundred thousand, remained in bar racks and did not participate in th e fighting. Some departed from the city and about 15,000 supported the Bolsheviks with Red Guards composed mainly of youths and supported by fifteen field guns, and kept up a continuous bombardment of the centre of the city, killing peaceful citizens in their homes

! The Bolsheviks seized the Kremlin hut were expelled by the Public Safety I troops. >/ ' - i The Bolsheviks recaptured the i Kremli n and were again expelled. I The killed and wounded by Wednesday numbered 3000, mostly civilians. The corpses lay for days in the door- * ways and stairs. The population were afraid to leave their homes and were unable to get provisions. The bombardment destroyed "the Cathedral of Assumption and set fire to the Church of St. Basil. This destruction is a national shame, and which even Napoleon avoided! and has horrified both sides in the present struggle. It resulted in negotiations for peace. It is now reported that 20,000 Cossacks are advancing onMoscow .

APPALLING chaos. STOCKHOLM, November 18. A Socialist coup in Finland makes the news from Russia fragmentary hut discloses appalling chaos. There are three Russian Parties; The north half i s dominated by lieniri, middle including Moscow where the Maximalists are fighting followers of Kerensky and Korniloff and the Ukraine where the Klaiden Cossacks are supreme. APPROACHING PETROGRAD. LONDON, Nov. 19. The “Daily Chronicle’s” Petr#grad correspondent reports that on Sunday night, a large force was approaching Petrograd. Its purpose is unknown. Another large force is approaching Moscow. THE COSSACK’S ADVANTAGE (Received this day at 12.30 a.m.) STOCKHOLM, November 18. The Cossack’s great auvantage is trie occupation of Donetz coal field, which places the whole of the Russian railways at their mercy . DOMINATING THE POSITION (Received this day at 12.30 a.m.) STOCKHOLM November 18. Kaledin can starve and freeze Petrograd out. Already he has stopped two hundred waggons of food, and -announces his intention of stopping the whole transport of food to Petrograd.

THE EXIT. (Received this day at 12.30 a.m.) STOCKHOLM November 18. Many well-to-do people are migrating to Archangel. KERENSKY’S POSITION. (Reoeived this day at 12.30 a.m.) STOCKHOLM November 18. It is evident Kerensky is done jfor. THE COMING MAN. STOCKHOLM November 18. It ig generally beileved that a Military director will arise—perhaps Alerieff or Kaledin . X MASSACRE. STOCKHOLM, Nov. 18th. The young officers who formed the chief tipree the Bolsheviks in Petrograd were massacred by the 'thousand. r THE POSITION AT MOSCOW. (Received this day at 1.20 a.m.,) PETROGRAD November 18. The losses in the Moscow fighting ■rere between eight and ten thousand. The revolutionaries were victorious