RUSSIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 June 1917, Page 5

RUSSIA.

RUSSIA'S PLIGHT. ASSISTANT WAR STATEMENT. TRANSPORT WILFULLY DISORGAN ISED. GOVERNMENT POWERLESS TO COPI WITH EVIL. Times Service. Received May 31 8.30 p.m. . Petrograd, May 30. Colonel Jakubowitch (Assistant Minis tor for War>-, addressing the Congress said everything was ready for the of fensive except the necessary sense o duty, which impeded the arrival of food stufis and fodder. The transport of aup plies, which had improved considerablj during the first days of the revolution gradually grew worse, and a week agt became completely disorganised. Soldiers deliberately uncoupled trucks containing fodder and foodstuffs for th< front, and the railway officials wen powerless. Deserters who were leaving the from insisted on turning back the trains. He declared that the whole army anc country is infested with German spies and the Government is helpless to cop< with the evil. ' IMMEDIATE PEACE. INSISTED ON BY DELEGATES FROl' FIGHTING FRONT. TERRIBLE HARDSHIPS OF SOLDIERS AN (APPEAL TO THE PEOPLE. Received May 31, 7.20 p.m. • Petrograd, May 30. A conference of delegates from the fighting fronts resolved that the army demands that everything should be done to end the international carnage immediately on the basis of peace without annexations or indemnity. The resolutions point out that the Russians have been fighting under conditions infinitely Worse than their allies, and had 'to march almost unprotected against the Austro-German bullet* and break entanglements with their bare hands. The Russians must be provided with munitions, and the army appeals to the people to rally round the Provisional Government, and not permit) the army to become manure for foreign fields. STARTLING ARTICLES. i REVOLUTIONARY WAR POLICY. Tokio, May 30. Profesor Bokmetoff, the new Russian Ambassador to the United State, has ■arrived en route to Washington. Ho says ho is immensely satisfied with the conditions in Russia. ; He thinks the new regime will soon be able to launch an offensive against the enenly. He repudiates the idea that Russia will make a separate pea«e. Petrograd, May 30. Two startling articles, reflecting the revolutionary war policy-, have been published iu the organ of the Council of Soldiers' and Workmen's delegates. One, more particularly addressed to England, strongly dissents from the claim that the Provisional Government's declaration and the revolutionary leaders' pronouncements regarding the Russian peace formula coincide with the Anglo-French aims. The paper asserts that Russia will not) sacrifice a single soldier to help her western allies restore historic injustice. The othqr article says that the watchword of "No annexation" must not be misinterpreted.' It defines annexation as the forcible seizure of territory in the possesion of another State" on the day of the declaration of war. "Without annexation" means that not a single drop of the people's blood must lie spilt for sijch a seizure. The Daily News' Petrograd correspondent states that the Soldiers' and Workmen's official organ is discussing the statement in the Allied newspapers that Russia's war aims coincide with those of the Allies. The paper declares that the Allies must answer definitely yes or no. An affirmative reply would be followed by pourparlers. If it is in the negative, the Allies, will assume the same responsibility for the continuanco of tho war as Germany. The paper add? that the declarations of the British and French Governments do not satisfy the Russian revolutionary democracy. The 'Daily, Express' Petrograd correspondent states that the Allies' reply to the Russian Note is expected in a few days. DISAFFECTED WORKERS. DANGEROUS PROPAGANDA. London, May 30. The Paris Journal's Petrograd correspondent says that the dangerous propaganda of certain advanced parties in the army is causing deplorable Results amongst the working classes. The demands, if insisted on, will produce an scono'mic and financial crisis, which will have disastrous consequences. M. Skotill does not despair of realising an understanding with the disaffect:d workers.

ALCOHOL CONDEMNED. Londori, May 30. Mr. Shepherd, writing from Petrograd, states that from to-morrow soldier absentees will be punished as deserters. M. Kerensky has issued an rrder against alcohol, saying that), unless sol- , diers abstained, Russia would go down ■ hi a pool of alcohol with the aecompanl- , gieat oi laaradtaiiist <ug eutngM,

A NEW PARTY.

DEEEXCE OF LIBERAL' AND REBUBLIOAN iP<MNOIPI/EB. Keuter Service. [ May 31, 5.8 p.m. London, May 30. At a meeting of the Octctbrist party at Moscow, under ex-Minister Gutchkoff it was decided to form a' flew party tiie party to combine bourgeoise and democratic elements in defence of Liber al and Republican principles. AN IMPORTANT CASE. ECHO OP COLEMAN" BANKRUPTCY, Auckland, May 30. An important civil action bearing oi the posthumous bankruptcy of the late W illiara Coleman, solicitor, commencea at the Supreme Court to-day, when the Hon. A. Myers sued the Bank of New South Wales to recover the sum oi £2OOO. The statement of claim set oul that in May, 1897, the plaintiff, the late William Coleman, and the late Alfred Henry Morisby, were Made executors and trustees under the will of John Paseoe, Auckland, mining engineer, who died in England in May, 1808, Morisby having predeceased him in 1902. In November, 1009, plaintiff proved the will in England, reserving power to Coleman as the other surviving executor. Portion of the. estate in England consisted of the sum of £3OOO invested in Government debentures, deposited by Coleman with the defendant bank in .June, WOB. In June, 1913, Coleman wrote to the bank, notifying that the debentures, together with other securities, belonged to Mr. Myers and himself as executors for Pascoe, and. asking that interest for them be paid into his "Account No. 3." The deferidant bank," it was alleged, negligently and improperly dealt With the debentures by delivering them in Ifebruary, 1915, to the Bank of New Zealand, receiving £3OOO in cash, together'with accrued interest, both of which sums it placed to the credit of Coleman. Of the £3OOO, the sum of £IOOO was converted by Coleman to his own use, and the balance deposited by him with the Auckland Gas Company at call. In the following July the Gas Company repaid £IOOO, which Coloman converted also to his own URe. The balanee of £IOOO ■vas retained by the company until after the death of Coleman in 1915, ftnd then handed over to the Official Assignee, who was now holding it to the credit of Pascoe's estate. The statement of defence admitted the. trusteeship, but denied any improper cnmluot or negligence in dealing with the securities,in the manner alleged. It was further alleged that the capital of the estate had been reduced by £2OOO as alleged, the said capital had been lost solely through the improper conduat and negligence of plaintiff, in (a) permitting Coleman to have uncontrolled disposal of the Bfl,id moneys, (h) not making reasonable investments representing the money in the estate, (c) not ascertaining the date upon whlcn •;he debentures fell dutL and seeing to the proper investment jif the proceeds. In the course of argument it' was 'stated that the beneficiaries had issued a writ against Mr. Myers, claiming a (refund of £2OOO, and that he had satisfied the claim.