BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S CONGRATULATIONS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 23 March 1917, Page 5

BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S CONGRATULATIONS.

1 ...____ LONDON, March 22. Notice has been given of the following Government motion: That the !'House of Commons sends the Duma {fraternal greetings; and tenders the Russian people heartfelt congratula’ticns on the establishment of free Institutions, in full confidence that 1'1; will lead not only to the rapid progress of the Russian nation, but the prosecution, with renewed earnestness of the war against the stronghold [of autocratic militarism which threatuens the liberty of Europe. Mr. B'onar Law, in the House of Commons, said he hoped the discussion of Russian affairs on Thursday had not diminished the value of the resolution, whose object was to encourage the Provisional Government, THE REVOLUTION IN MOSCOW. HOW IT STARTED. Received 10 a.ln. MOSCOW, March 22. Full details of the revolution at [Moscow show it began with a gen eral strike on the 13th. Temporary committees, equally I‘CPl'€S€lltillg workmen, co-operative societies and} public bodies was formed. The police disappeared. The troops joined in,‘ slowly at first, but Colonel Gruzenoff, President of the Provincial Zemstvos, assumed the leadership of the revoluiionary troops, and later toured the ,o;arrisons. All had adhered by the 14:11, They seized the Kremlin, and Arsenal, freed the political prisoners, and burned the secret police archives. Colonel Gruzen-off reviewed 30,000 troops on the 17th. The clergy in\'ol«:ed a blessing on the new Government. Normal life was resumed by the 19th.

RUSSIAN DISORDERS DISCREDIT- j ED. Received 10 a.m. AMSTERDAM, March 22. Newspapers discredit the reports of numerous serious disorders, and point out that telegraphic communication with Holland is uninterrupted. COPENHAGEN, March 22. From reliable sources it is learned that the same rumour's are untrue. FINNS PROCLAIM INDEPENDENCE Received 11.20. LONDON, March 22. Reports from .Berlin state the Finnish Independence Committee have proclaimed the independence of Finland - i, EXECUTION OF OBNOXIOUS PARISIANS DEMANDED. Received 11.40. LONDON, March 22. A Petrograd correspondent states: On Tuesday evening the munitioners caused matters to turn more favourably. A demonstration yesterday demanded the execution of abnoxious partisians of the old regime. Kerousky, in a speech, succeeded in calming the excitement. Misehevious rumours were circulated to-day stating the Germans broke th* Russian line on the Eiga-Dvlnsk frnot. Loitreff, in a reassuring letter to the members of the Duma, states the army is firmly holding the positions, even more firmly holding in the faith of a final triumph. The workmen’ and soldiers’ Council appointed Friday for the burial of their comrades fallen in the revolution. A general holiday is to be observed in Petrograd. The fortress fires a salute. All will be buried in , one grave.

RUSSIA LIKELY TO MAKE TERMS WITH AUSTRIA. PEACE WITHIN TWO MONTHS. WASHINGTON, March 21. The New York Tribune has published a long cable to the effect that a revolution is imminent in Austria and Germany, wtyile Russia is likely to offer a separate peace to Austria on the basis of the South German States joining the Austrian Empire and the Slav provinces in Hungary being ceded to Russia. The correspondent represents the Austrian Emperor as being tired of Hohennzollern dictation and predicts peace within two months. HOW THE CZAR ABDICATED. Received, i 1.40. PETROGRaD, March 22. General Russky is believed to be ihe direct agent in persuading the Czar to abdicate, instead of sending troops to suppress the revolution.' ' The • Czaf 4 , while en route to Petrograd, learned of the revolution. He met Russky at Pskoff, saying he had decided to grant a responsible Ministtry. Russky said the manifesto was already signed Russky conversed witlf Rodzianko by telephone for two hours, and he convinced the Czar he must abdicate. A communication of the conversation was sent to Alexieff, Nicholas, and Brussiloff who all considered abdication was necessary. Russky informed the Czar, who accepted his advice.

LONDON, March 22. The Morning Post Petrograd correspondent’s cable ,dated Monday, states there is little positive news beyond a satisfactory act that one regiment remained in the barracks, and is again under proper command. The food supply problem has not improved, despite the attention devoted thereto. Several necessaries are unprocurable, which is aggravated by the continued [dizzard. In the Duma a scene took place at. the meeting of a thousand soldiers choosing representatives for the Workmens and Soldiers’ Council, which seems to be in command of General Delimitoff.

A mass meeting in the precincts of the Duma was held, wherat many soldiers of Trench and Belgian regiments, appealed to thein Russian comrades not to forget the war, reminding them that the Germans were at Riga, within four hundred versts of Petrograd. While many soldiers ary beginning to realise what this means, the more violent elements seem to believe that internal politics are of primary importance. The Extreme Internationals have have gained a footing. Their aim is to stop the war. Thein newspaper hails a republican Russia, which any competent observers regard as, at present, inconceivable. Socialist and Republican agitation momentarily eclipses the war. Preparations for a constituent Assembly auc hastening, ignoring the absence of 25 millions in the country in German occupation, a million prisoners of war, and millions in the firing front. Korniloff has arirved at Petrograd. He hoped the soldiers would realise the supreme importance of the war. Some apprehension is felt at the continued loss of time in making munitions and the loss of discipline in many reserve battalions, who should

be preparing to proceed do the front,