RUSSIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 July 1917, Page 5

RUSSIA.

j AN APPALLING SITUATION. FATAL CRISIS IN MORALE OiF TROOPS. DESERTERS TO BE FIRED ON. Reuter Service. Received July 24, 5.5 p.in. London, July 23. The Germans have occupied Tarnopol. An appalling official account of the situation on the south-western front has been received. The Russian Government says a fatal crisis has occurred in the morale of the troops,, most of the units being completely disorganised, and the offensive spirit has utterly disappeared. Orders are unheeded, and the exhortations of comrades are replied to by threato of shots. T'iio samo element* voluntarily evacuate positions, a«t waiting for the approach of tha enemy. Sometimes urgeut orders for reinforcsmenfcs are discussed for hours, while for a distance of a hundred versts long flies of robust, shameless deserters are proceeding to the reilr. entire units desert. Extreme measures ars necessary to avert a catastrophe.

The commander-in-chief on the western front has ordered deserters to be fired on, as she tuust take, merciless action against the cowards who are Selling the Russian revolution.

ANARCHY THREATENED. GOVERNMENT MOST SAVE FULL POWER. Received July 24, 5.5 p.m. Petrograd, July 23. The Soldiers', Workmen's, atid Peasants' Council at an *ll night sitting paeaed a resolution to the effect that the couatrr was threatened with a military debacle on account of the internal anarchy, and declaring that the State aad the revolution were endangered, and proclaiming thai the Government would be a government of safety and of the revolution according as it had unlimited power to re-establish the organisation of the army and public order.

SUCCESS AT VILNA. ENEMY OCCUPY FOUR VILLAGES. Received July 24, 9.1(5 p.m. London, July 23. A wireless Rissiau official report states: We attacked in the direction of Vilna, penetrating to a depth of two ■miles in some places ia the neighborhood of Krevo, and taking over 1000 prisoner?. I jib instability and moral weakiife'SS of certain detachments is jeopardising the development of any further success, l'ha enemy continues tho offensive between Sereth, Strypa and Klota-Lipa, and occupied four villages. There is intense enemy artillerying southward of Cerezoveca Yelk*.

GERMANS TAKE TARNOPOL. an important position. Received July 24, 5.5 pja. London, July 23. The Daily Chronicle reports: The Germans hsvs taken Tamopol, which is in the pathway to Kieff, the Ukraman capital, the occupation ot which would cut off the Roumanian and Russian armies south of the Dnoister. London, July 23. It is reported that the Germans have captured Tarnopol.

GERMANS FINANCE REVOLT. MEN ARRESTED WITH BULGING POCKETS. KERENSKY STRONGER THAN EVER. LOYALTY OF FLEET. Received July 24, 10.50 p.m. tPetrograd, July 24. The United Press correspondent states that there is .evidence that the GeTmans hftvo financed the revolution, as hundreds of workmen and anarchists have been arrested whose pockets are bulging with money received from German agents. M. Keren sky emerges stronger than ever, with his* assistant fleet, every ship of which is pledged to loyalty to Kb*" ensky.

THE DISBANDMENT PROCESS. men depressed. Received July 24, 7.10 p.m. (Petrograd, July 23. Following the example of the machine gun regiments oilier regiments readily 1 handed over their arras, but are very depressed at the disuandment. Kosiovsky has been charged with acting as intermediary between German agents at Stockholm and Petrograd. News from the provinces is good.

GOVERNMENT GRANTED UNLIMITED POWER. Petrograd, July 23. The Workmen's and Soldiers' Congress passed a resolution granted the sional Government unlimited power to re-establish discipline in the army. Tbo correspondent adds tlia-t th© Government executive committee in the soijth-west reports that moat of the Units of the Russian army there are completely disorganised and mutinous. The soldiers threaten to shoot thOße opposing them. There are long lines of deserters. A fatal crisis hae occurred in the morale of the troops, and tike ottos' m Me dfeggun*"