SCENES OF HORROR IN BLACK SEA FLEET.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 13, 15 January 1918, Page 5

SCENES OF HORROR IN BLACK SEA FLEET.

BOLSHEVIK SAILORS MASSACRE OFFICERS.

ODESSA, January 14.

The horrors of Kronstadt in the early days of the revolution have been re-enacted at Sebastopol by a two days' butchery of naval officers by Bolshevik sailors. At least 60 were killed, including four admirals. Most of those killed were members of a. committee of inquiry which sat in 1912, under tlie Czar's regime, to inquire into the question of the rebellious sailors' revolutionary union. The committee sentenced 17 to death and many others to exile. The murdered admirals and captains we're experienced warriors, in whom the fleet had expressed well-merited confidence. All the officers of one ship were taken to the famous Malakoff Tower and shot. The people of Sebastopol are nervous and excited. Many reports state that the murdered officers number one hundred. Street fighting is proceeding at Mikolieff, the chief naval station on the Black Sea. Twenty German commercial travellers have arrived at Kieff and are doing business there.— ("Times.")

A Petrograd wireless message states that aa All-Ukrainian Congress has been summoned to meet at Kieff on January 23 to discuss the questions of the Ukrainian Constituent Assembly, the relations of the Black Sea Navy to Ukrainia, the reorganisation of the navy on a voluntary basis, and the organisation of trade unions.

A Russian message states that the central executive of the Council of Workmen and Soldiers' Delegates and the Peasant Deputies have issued a. decree giving the local councils power to recall members of the Constituent Assembly in all cases where they do not express the views of the labouring masses.— (A. and N.Z. and Reuter.)

The Petrograd correspondent of the "Daily Chronicle" states that the Bolsheviks intend the Constituent Assembly to sit only a few days to ratify Lenin's decrees and hand the sovereign power to the Council of Workmen and. Soldiers' Delegates. It will then dissolve. If it refuses it will be; compulsorily dissolved for good. The situation in Petrograd is slowly improving. Siberia is dispatching 200 trucks of corn daily, while Southern Russia has partially resumed dispatching foodstuffs, which have been stopped since the revolution.

The Russian and German delegates at Brest Idtovek have formed a special commission to negotiate regarding territorial questions and a future commercial treaty.

Telegrams from Finland describe the situation as dangerous. The Red Guards refuse to obey the Senate. There is every indication of a revolution being prepared. The Diet is preparing measures against the Red Guards. Denmark and Norway have acknowledged the independence of the Finnish Republic—(A. and N.Z. Cable.)