RUSSIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 March 1917, Page 5

RUSSIA.

GERMAN AGENTS AT WORK. MOSCOW'S CLAIM AS SEAT' OF GOVERNMENT. EXHORTATION BY HOLY SYNOD. ] ' SOCIALISTS' APPEAL Received March 2C, 5.5 p.m. Petrcgrad, March '25. The authorities have seized innumerable manifestos and placards printed in Germany, urging the re-establishment of the old regime. The Mayor of Moscow, on behalf of the municipality, s cnt a message to Prince Lvoff, claiming that the city should be the seat of the constituent Assembly. The Holy Synod exhorts the faithful to unite in brotherly love, abandon discord, grant full confidence in the Provisional Government, and devote all their efforts to lead Eternal Russia in the paths of liberty, happiness, and glory. The Popular Socialist 'Party, in a proclamation, says: "Since our formation in 1915 we have urged the convocation of a. constituent Assembly as the only means whereby to establish order in conformity with the wijl of the people." The proclamation invites 'all the people to support the Government. A SMALL WAR COUNCIL . THE ARMY TAKES THE OATH. Received March 26, 5.5 p.m. : Petrograd, March 25. M. Gjitchkoff (Minister for War and the Navy) is preparing a scheme whereI by a committee, consisting of the Ministers for War, Navy, Finance, and Foreign Affairs, will become responsible for the main direction of the war, the Com-mander-in-Chief to retain a free hand as to strategy. The Ministers of Communications and Agriculture will possibly join the committee. Gent'ral Alexieff has notified the President of the Council that the army has taken the oath of loyalty to the Fatherland and the Provisional Government.

ALLIES PRESENT THEIR RESPECTS. RUSSIA WILL JUSTIFY HOPES AND EXPECTATIONS, Received March 26, 10 p.m. Petrograd, March 26. The Anglo-French and Italian Ambassadors presented their respects to the Provisional Government. '

M. Miliukoff, replying on behalf of the Government, said he had full confidence that Russia would justify the hopes and expectations of all their wellwishers. THE RED FLAG ADOPTED. Rome, March- 25. The Petrograd correspondent of the Giornale dTtalia states that the old Russian flag has been abolished, and all the. regiments have adopted the red flag.

'GRAND DUKE NICHOLAS KETTRES.

Petrograd, March 25. It is officially confirmed that the Grand Duke Nicholas lias retired from the position of Commander-in-Chief, au) that General Alcxieff, Chief of the General Staff,.officiates temporarily. ■PANDERING TO THE .MASSES. Times Service. Petrograd, March 25. One or two newspapers are stirring up wholesale resentment against the Ro-a-anolTs and pandering to the morbid and gruesoino instincts of the masses. Counsels of moderation are falling on deaf ears. The nerves of the public are shaken by the recent events, with the result of loss of tone and balance.

THE SOCIALIST TROUBLE. ARMY INVITED TO SURRENDER. TO END THE WAR. THE MAISOEDOFF TREASON CASIJ. Received March 27, 1.35 a.m. Petrograd, March 20. The Social Democratic Party, through the newspaper Pravda, has published the central committee's resolution inciting soldiers to leave the trendies and go over to the enemy, asserting that this will immediately evoke a fraternal response on the part of the Germans, and that the war among the nations will then promptly collapse, enabling the army and people to devote themselves to the final overthrow of the ruling classes. It is only the presence of M. Kerinsky in the Provisional Government that has thus far prevented an open rupture, but the moderate party is obliged to make endless concessions to the unreasonable demands of the theorist mania for forming committees, which is one of the worst features of the bureaucratic regime, terribly hampering the Reform Party.

The press devotes much space to details of the llaisoedoff treason case, and alleges that Sukhomlinoflfis connected therewith, though, Mtrfsoedoff organised the whole traitorous spying system, and was on intimate terms with Suichomlinoff, being mixed up in the latter's divorce and second marriage. Sukhomlinofl' would have been brought' to trial long ago but for the Empress having intervened, owing to the tearful protestations of Sukhomlinoff's wife.