RUSSIA.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8189, 21 July 1906, Page 5

RUSSIA.

THE AGRARIAN QUESTION. Received J aly 20, 10.5 p. m. [ST. PETERSBURG,; July 20. The Ministry declare that the LDuma'e threat to appeal to the ■people on the agrarian question ia the preliminary to a rebellion. M. Petrunkevitob, ou behalf of the Constitutional Democrats, ia trying to induce the Duma to be iinore moderate. Speakers on the extreme left affirmed that the patienoe of the people had ended. _ TEMPER OF THE COURT AND GOVERNMENT. iJeoeived July 20, 10.5 p.m. SL PETERSBURG, July 20. The temper of the Russian Court .and Government has becorre marikedly reactionary. A PEASANTS' MEETING DISTURBED. Received July 20, 8 30 a.m. ST. PETERSBURG, July 19. The Dragoons and police charged ; a meeting of 3,000 peasants, who were discussing the land qaeation in .the village of Kocherova, ia the Tamboff provinoe, Central Russia. Private telegrams state that eighty people were Killed, but the official .despatch Btates there was only one casualty. ■ _. Terrorists at Warsaw looted 20 .spirit stores. Wholesale murders are reported to have occurred during ;the disturbances. THE POSITION IN POLAND. f Received July 20, 8.30 a.m. PARIS, July 19. Le Journal says the Emperors of Germany and Acstria have deoided to forcibly intervene in Poland in the event of the Czar finding he ia unable to maintain the centralist regime. , The three Emperors will act in concert to maintain the status quo in Poland. Received July 20, 9.30 p.m. ST. PETERSBURG, July 20. The Russian Foreign Office and German and Austrian Embassies at St. Petersburg declare that they are unaware of any intention on the part of Germany and Austria to intervene in Poland. They not do not believe the story.

ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION. Received July 20, 11.11 a.m. ST,. PETERSBURG, July 19. An attempt to assassinate Count Todleben, aide-de-camp to the Czar, jnat failed. THE SURRENDER OP 1 PORT ARTHUR. REPORT OF THE COMMISSION! DEATH SENTENCE ON GENERAL STOESSEL. Received July 20, 11.11 a.m. ST. PETERSBURG,,JuIy 19. The report of the commission appointed to enquire into the surrender of Port Arthur on January 7th, 1905, has been issued. The commission proposes that General Stoessel, who commanded the Russian garrison, be sentenced to death; that General Fock be sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment; that General Reuss be expelled, and that Prince Alexieff, who was for a time in oommand of the Manohurian army, be reprimanded. _ _^ (The Times correspondent at Pekin, Dr. Morrison, after visiting Dalney and Port Arthur, wrote that "no more discreditable surrender has been reoorded in hißtory." He seid that General Krondraohenki, who was killed on Deoember 18th, 1904, was the heart and soul of the defence, and that but for him General Stoessel would have capitulated weeks before. The Japanese found 25,000 able-bpdied soldiers in the fortress, well olad and well nourished. There was no failure of ammunition or of food. In sherp contrast to the condemnation expressed in various quarters of General Stoesael's oonduot is the testimony of General Nogi. In the course of a recent interview the Japanese commander expressed himself as follows:—"There have been mans attacks upon the conduct of General Stoessel. These I cannot endorse. On the contrary, I consider that he is personally a brave and gallant soldier and an able and energetic ooramander. From my own observations and enquiries, 1 am satisfied that he did all he could in tbe oiroumstanoes in which he found himself at Port Arthur. Had the positions been reversed I feel thatl could have done no more. A commander needs whole-hearted and loyal 00-oreration among all bis officers and men. This General Stoessel lacked. There were occasions—so I have been informed—when officers and men aotually refused to obey his orders").

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