RUSSIAN AFFAIRS.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16213, 16 May 1918, Page 7

RUSSIAN AFFAIRS.

WHAT PEACE WITH GERMANY MEANS. (Australian and X.Z. Cable Association.) (Beut«r'a Telegrams.) Admiralty per "Vs"ire'.c«a Press. (Received Mav loth. 7 p.m.) LONDON, May 14. A Russian official report states that the Foreign Commissary has sent a message to the German Government, calling its attention to the terrible position of the peaceful population of the occupied regions in White Russia, along tho line of demarcation where there have been violent pogroms, tortures, executions, and savage treatment of workers and the burning of Russian villages by German and Polish troops, who are wiping out whole villages with machine-guns.

The Russian Government complains that persons suspected of Bolshevik sympathies are being shot or imprisoned under terrible conditions. A reign of terror exists, being particularly ba-.l in the town of Minsk and the districts at Bobrinsk and Viborg, where many hundreds have been slaughtered by machine-guns. The Foreign Commissary suggests the formation of Russo-German Commissions, including representatives of the local population, to investigate the so conditions.

THE UKRAINE AND GERMANY

(Australian and Is.Z. Cable Association.) (Received May loth, 7 p.m.)

ROME, May 11

The "Popolo's" Moscow correspondent reports that out of 1,000,000 square kilometres of grain lands in the Ukraine only 50,000 have been cultivated this year, the peasants refusing to cultivato for the Germans.

(Received May 15th, 7 p.m.)

BERNE, May 14

The Munich "Nachrichten" states that enormous areas in the Ukraine, including expropriated estates of "bis; landholders, are untilled, and that *he coming harvest will not provide sufficient grain for. the Ukrainian population. Some towns are already suffering from hunger.

FIGHTING AT MOSCOW.

(By Cable.—Press Association. —Copyright.) (Reuter's Telegrams.)

PETROGRAD, May 14. A big battle between Anarchists »nrl Bolsheviks is raging at Moscow. There are many casualties. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Received May 15th, 7.30 p.m.)

PETIIOGRAD, May 14. The Soviet troops surrounded ttiw

anarchists' headquarters in Moscow, but the anarchists refused to surrender. Armoured cars bombarded them, the anarchists replying with machine-guns and grenades, but after half an hour s fight they hoisted the white flag. Fighting is being continued in other streets.

Many guns have been posted in the Kremlin, where the Council of Commissaries is sitting.

POSITION IN FINLAND

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) STOCKHOLM, May 14.

It is understood that Britain has promised provisionally to acknowledge Finland's independence until the final peace' conference, on condition that Finland releases British subjects and guarantees to maintain neutrality. MOSCOW, May 14. It is officially reported that after i.hs White Guards had occupied Tammerfors 500 Russian officers and soldiers were shot in groups of 40 and 50 with machine-guns. A desperate bloody battle was fought 'at Lahti. 4000 White Guards and Germans being killed. Many civilians were killed by the German bombardment.

ROUMANIAN CABINET

RESIGNS

(Reuter's TelegTama.7

AMSTERDAM, May 14. Berlin advices state that the Mar ghiloman Cabinet has resigned.