RUSSIAN POLITICAL PLOT

Gisborne Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 4475, 16 February 1917, Page 5

RUSSIAN POLITICAL PLOT

RECENT ARRESTS DISCUSSED. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Assn.) PETROGRAD. Feb. 14. The Times’ correspondent, commenting on the arrest of leaders of the Moderate Labor organisations on ix charge of revolutionary couspiiacy* states that the Premier’s majority in the Cabinet favored'workmen’s representation on the Central Munitions Board. M. Protopopoff disagreed, and this revived talk of a revolution . M. Protopopoff sent t-lie police to; raid the leaders’ houses, and allegedly found documents disclosing a secret organisation controlling strikes. The correspondent adds that the Russian Labor movement has hitherto not been revolutionary. Strikes have not interfered with the production ot munitions, hut M. Protopopoff transferred strikers wholesale to the firing llU M. Protopopoff instituted an intense censorship, and banished the leading writers from Petrograd. The arrest of members of the Munition Committee is attributed to M. Protonopoff, who has already announced that he believes all public bodies in Russia are animated with revolutionary ideas. It is understood a majority of fbe Ministers, including Prince‘Golitsin, favor officially recognised representatives of labor. , M. Protopopoff being m a minority, insisted a midnight raid to test the loyalty of the labor delegates, and discovered incriminating documents indicating a secret organisation which was then directing strikes. The policy of repression of labor is likely to interfere with the production of munitions and distribution of food wherein the unions had been co-opei-ating with the authorities. There "'are indications that M. wiotopopoff is introducing a censorship of all newspapers.