RUSSIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 January 1918, Page 5

RUSSIA.

ILL-WILL BETWEEN LEADERS. TROUBLE OVEII ROMANOFFS. TROTSKY ORDERS CZAR'S TRIAL. ANOTHER ULTIMATUM 'lO ROUMANIA. j Received Jan. 20, 5.5 p.m • Petrograd, .lan. IS. 111-will between Lenin and Trotsky is increasing daily. Maxim Gorky, writing in New Life, states tliat Kuiilmiuin asked Trotsky to allow the Czarina and several of her family, who are related to the Kaiser, to come to Germany. Trotsky refused, ami, instead, determined to order the trial of the Czar and other Romanoffs. The Bolsheviks have sent a second ultimatum to Roumtmia, demanding that the Russian Army be allowed a free passage through Jasny. It is not known whether the army is to be used against the Roumanians or Ukrainians.

MEETING OF ASSEMBLY. [ ELABORATE PRECAUTIONS. FEVERISH STRAIN IN PETROGRAD. I'HE BOLSHEVIKS' ULTIMATUM. THE POSITION ANALYSED. Received Jan. 20, 5.5 p.m. London, Jan. 18. The Daily Chronicle's Petrograd correspondent reports that the Bolsheviks have made preparations for the meeting of the Constituent Assembly. Sailors have set up machine-guns at Taurida Palace. The cruiser Aurora and several destroyers, which were brought from Kronstadt, now guard the city, which is in a state of feverish strain. The Bolsheviks will confront, the Constituent Assembly with the following ultimatum: That the supreme power belongs to the Soviets; the nationalisation of land and labor control already enacted by the Bolsheviks must be confirmed. If the Social Revolutionaries will not accept the programme in toto, the struggle for pow,er will commence. The correspondent adds: "Personally, I do not believe that a change will make any difference. A new regime would have less terror, but it would be impossible to | obliterate the effects of the Bolsheviks' ' regime. Some scandals would be removed, but the overthrow of the Bolsheviks by violence would only give occasion for intensifying the regime of terror. At present the masses are wavering, now for the Bolsheviks, now against. If starvation comes, the masses will rend the Government.

THE ASSEMBLY OPENED. MAXIMALISTS ATTACK A PROCESSION. MACHINE-GUNS DO DEADLY WORK. Reuter Service. Received .Jan. 20, 5.5 p.m. Petrograd, Jan. 19. The Constituent Assembly was opened by the president of the Central Committee of All the Soviets. Four hours previously "a body of Maximalists attacked a procession- of the Society for the Defence of the Constituent Assembly, tearing down the banners. The first command to fire was followed by machinegun and rifle fire. A number were killed, including LogvinolY, a member of the executive committee of the Peasants' deputies. Many were wounded, including several women.

UNREST AT VLADIVOSTOK. PROTECTIVE MEASURES. Tientsin, Jan. 18. It is feared that serious trouble is brewing at Vladivostock. Ships are ready lo remove Japanese residents,- and the I Anglo-American authorities are taking steps to protect thejr own subjects. INDEPENDENCE OF FINLAND. A REVOLUTION EXPECTED Received Jan. 19, 5.5 p.m. Copenhagen, Jan. 18. Telegrams from Finland indicate the fear of a .Socialist eoup-de-inam on Sunday, when Socialist, Russian soldiers celebrate the independence of Finland It is expected they will precipitate a revolution similar to that of the Bolsheviks.

A PALTRY TRIUMPH. LENIN EASILY GRATIFIED. •Received Jim. 19, 5.5 p.m. TVtrogrnd. Jan. 18. Lenin regards tile arrest nnd release nf the Roumanian Minister as a triumph for the Bolsheviks, as it compelled neutral ambassadors to recognise the Bolshevik Government. Frati'ies and invalids will find SHARLANJVS MAGNESIA a valuable corrective for clck Iwadaehe, ami * mild laxuOne of the simplest and most effectual of household remedies for stomach [ troubles in young children is SharUnd'a

?UTURK OK UKRAINE. srn L::y uy -CKXTRAL POWERS. Am. and N'.Z. ("Mil.; Assoc. an.l Reuter. Jo. 11), j.i p.m. London, Jao. i •A wireless Oct..u»n report from lircst Litovsk says- that a print la meeting be* tween Count Czernii. am t!it Ukrainians, oil J (itli January, settled in principle the future political relations between the Central Powers and Ukraine.

i FOREiCiM LOANS ANNULLED. UKRA!>CIAX2 I'IIOTKCTINO THEMSELVES. Pcucgrad, Jan. li. The People's (.ommissioneiv. have submitted a decree annulling'unconditionally all foreign loan--, for the approval of the executive of the Soviets. The secretary of the Rada telegraphed ordering nil Ukrainian troops to be ready to defend the independence of Ukraine and not. to admit Russian troops into Ukraine. WAYFARERS .STRIPPED. Petrograd, Jan. IS. Owing to shortage of clothes, in many rases thieves arc stripping wayfarers, who are. compelled to wander naked in the snow-bound streets. SLAV TRACI-COMJED? RUTHLESS DESTRUCTION. London, Jan. 1. Latest mails from Russia contain a letter from an English resident in Petrograd, who says:—"Life here is a tragicomedy. The, Winter Palace is now ruined and looted. The fate of the defenders was too horrible to tell." As an example of the wild chaos of the country the writer states that Count Tolstoi, a relative of the celebrated author, left his estate to peasants for their own profit, but he begged tlieni to preserve tile house intact. The peasants, however, burnt down tlr' ''"'we. Many other estafes were rut 1- , "*roved, including priceless lilw t -. "One wonders," t'>« -"'i! .ales, "what the end will toe- • • - • eating horseflesh. Uaw —-taw. ing. Butter, eggs, ami i:v.'k curable.'' , The latest telegrams from Petrograd show that the fond situation is Rapidly growing worse. The Government, is absolutely unable to revictilal the city. All communication with the.rich grain provinces of the Don and Ukraine has been cut oil'. The railways are disorganized, and soldiers are pillaging everywhere. The Soviet Congress at Minsk elected a Bolshevik, Ensign Myashikiff, comman-der-in-chief on tlie west front.