RISE AND PROGRESS OF REVOLT.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 May 1917, Page 6

RISE AND PROGRESS OF REVOLT.

SOLDIERY AND PEOPLE MEET. AN UNHEEDED 'WARNING. ! Dr. Harold Williams wrote from Petro--1 grad on March 15 to the London Daily , Chronicle as follows: — g It is difficult to chronicle briefly the events of the last few days, and especi- ■ ally difficult to explain them to British i readers, in view of those restrictions • which render impossible a true and un- ' varnished statement of the recent conr dition of affairs in Russia. A sharp warning was given by the murder of Rasputin, and this warning was emphasised by most earnest persuasion from all the public bodies and | all true friends of the nation and dynasty. The warning was not heeded-; the 1 old impossible policy was pursued, and this week's revolution is the result. 1 Last Thursday a curious strike movement began, with popular demonstraJ tlons, in which the cry was "Givo us bread." Thcro was certainly greater 5 difficulty than usual in obtaining food, 1 but there were indications that the 3 police, with their agents provocateurs, J were fomenting the movement. 1 BREAD DEMONSTRATIONS.

Tliero was r. little looting of bakers' shops, stopping of trams, and so forth; but it was not until Saturday and Sunday, when tho bulk of the workmen joined in, that' the movement assumed serious proportions. Even then it took the form goodtempered parading about the ? streets, with an almost compete absence of violence. Troops were called out to parade the streets, tout they-displayed 110 particular heart in the business; they were Bontjtaijtlyj cheered by tlje crowds, aad Ja particular, simftlj;

Ed with the people instead of knouting them.

The attitude of the troops should havo been a warning to the Government; but on Saturday afternoon some of the troops were ordered to fire, and on Sunday detachments of soldiers, reinforced by police in soldiers' uniform, fired repeatedly throughout the day, killing and wounding in all over "200 people, including a few cjlficers who were among the sightseers. LITTLE FEAR OF SOLDIERY. In spite of warnings to stay indoors, crowds representing all classes thronged tho streets, mostly out of ehcor curiosity. There was no particular fear. I saw the crowds shrink' a little, and then go good-tempered on, their (fay. Life has becomo cheap during the war, and there is little fear of death. And the extraordinary thing was a complete incredulity that the soldiers' would or did fire.

On Sunday evening there was a dispute among the regiments who had fired. M. Rodzianko sent a warning telegram to the Emperor, begging him for the sake of the dynasty at once to appoint a Ministry of' Public Confidence. On Monday , morning the famous Guards' Regiment killed one or two officers who had ordered them to fire. A regiment sent to reduce them to order took their side, and both regiments, who were speedily joined by another, stormed the Artiliery Department and Arsenal. freed the politicals from all the chief prisons, and set the Central Court on fire. The officers disappeared, and soldiers, accompanied by workmen and reI volutionaries, had charge of the city. Thus the revolt began

THREE DAYS IN THE DUMA. These three days I have spent in the Dumo, where event thronged on amazing event, and walking about the streets

of Petrograd, where unheard of things were happening. They were anxious ' days, for there was 110 knowing whether the liberty of the soldiers might not turn into an orgy of rioting, or whether troops might not come in from outside to suppress the revolt. It was only today that we began to breathe freely. ISo far the revolution has passed off | with amazingly littlo violence. There have been cases of looting and wanton burning of buildings, e.g., the Central Court. There has been a good deal of shooting, too, but almost entirely against the police who had machine-guns posted on the roofs of high buildings and again and again wantonly and senselessly ■ opened fire, nnlv to be attacked in their turn and either killed or hauled off with indignity to the Duma. Theso machine-guns, which are constantly turning up in most unexpectedplaces; were probably put in place by Protopopoff's agents in expectation of ' demonstrations nt the opening of the Duma a fortnight ago. They do a good deal of damage, infuriate the people and 1 soldiers, and represent the last venomous ctings of the Government that ha 3 now surrendered. 1

On Monday morning the ukase was received dissolving the 'Duma. The ukase passed unnoticed. M. Rodzianko repeated Ins warning telegram to the Emperor in language of greater insistency: "The last hour has come to decide the fate of tho dynasty; further delay is fatal." The Emperor made no reply. The, Duma waited loyally. At one troops began coming to the Duma to ask for guidance. In the afternoon the Duma formed a temporary committee, one member from each party, to keep control of events. The Ministry disappeared. In the evening a council of workmen's deputies of which tho nucleus was composed of the recently arrested Labor group of the War Industries Committee, took possession of a room in tho Duma. The connection between the Labor and Duma committees was maintained by Labor deputies. The Duma bv evening presented an extraordinary sight. After an appeal from tho Labor deputies to maintain order, the insurgent. soldiers formed a guard round the Duma, and the Duma became the centre of the whole move- i ment, j DUMA IN CHARGE. Regiment after regiment came up, led by sergeants, to offer its help. The Duma was crowded with soldiers. Food committees and supply committees were instituted, well-known revolutionaries appeared, boy and girl students ran about on various errands, and veteran soldiers obeyed them. Arrested policemen were dragged in and hidden away. The well-known reactionary, Shcheglovitoft", President of the Council of the Empire, was arrested and brought to the Duma on Monday night. On Tuesday the movement rapidly spread to ail the regiments of the garrison, and one by one they came marching up to the Duma to offer their services. Ranked up by the Promenade Hall, they listened to .speeches by MM. Rodzianko, Miliukov and Kerensky, and then marched off amid sheering)

| The soldiers felt restless without their officers, and the main task was to get tliem restored to regular discipline. Officers, from the colonels downwards, be: gan to appear yesterday, and by last evening practically all the commanding officers of the Petrograd garrison and the General Staff had joined the now movement and proceeded to return the troops to barracks and restore order. A commandant . was appointed with subcommandants for each district, and a system of patrols was organised. ■ARREST OF THE OLD GANG. The soldiers had behaved, on the vhole, remarkably well. They displayed their jubilation in various not very harmful ways, shooting in the air, firing at sparrows, taking joy-rides in commandeered motor-cars. There were a few cases of drunkenness, but nothing serious, and the great comparative freedom from disorder is to be attributed to the absence of vodka. The population was a little nervous. 1 but extremely interested and remarkably shrewd. Both soldiers and people have displayed amazing courage, patience 1 and sound sense during three days' com-

plete absence of authority. Yesterday practically all the member* of the Government were arrested, besides several other notorious reactionaries, such as Sturmcr and General Kur. loft. I saw the Metropolitan, "Pitirim, brought in, a pale and,, tottering figure ' in white cap and blaok robe, pushed on from behind by not very respectful sol' diers. Very different he was when I last naw him, in his palatial apartment at the Alexander Nevsky Monastery, with generals, high officials and society ladies' , waiting on his pleasure. ARCH REACTIONARY YfEtiT>S. Protopopoff'a collapsei ■ was amusing. I Late lalst night a man in a fur coat ckme to a student in front of the Duma, and said,. ''l am the former Minister, Protopopoff; please take me to the | Duma Committee./' He ,wns led in, and | the announcement of his coining aroused grave indignation. Presenting himself to the Labor member, Kerensky, Proto- | popoff said, "Your Excellency, I have come to surrender." He was immediately put under arrest. iPokrovckv, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, has not beeii arrested, and is carrying on in the meantime. This morning I saw little, old Goremykin brought in under guard, looking with face inexpressive as usual. Many other reactionaries have been arrested, including the Black Hundred loader, Diibfovin, and a .hundred police o: all ranks. Officers have come thronging in wish offers of service, and colonels with flared badge of the revolution are now i common sight. The Grand Duke C'.vr" Vladimirovieli canio to the Duma llslafternoon and made a speech in the presence of tho soldiers. "I wish," he said, turning to M. Rodzianko, "to declare my sympathy with the new regime, and place myself at your disposal." The Ministers are now under the temparary control of members of the Duma. ■. Trains have not ceased running. It;hftpilUM that large supplies of provisions