REBELS IN REVAL

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 3 December 1924, Page 5

REBELS IN REVAL

COMMUNIST PLANS.

FOR GREAT UPHEAVAL.

MARTIAL LAW DECLARED.

BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPY EIGHT Received Dec. 3, 10.30 a.ra. LONDON, Dec. 2. Advices from Reval say that the thoroughness of the Communist plans was revealed at an extraordinary session of Parliament. The Premier (Akel) announced the proclamation of martial law. General Laidoner, Commander-in-Chief, stated that the insurgents attacked the Mini sir v of War. throwing three bombs, and ‘ raided the staff of the 10th Infantry Regiment, killing three sleeping officers. They also attacked the Military Academy with hand grenades, killing a sentry and a cadet. They -also killed the commander of the guard of the castle and penetrated to the President’s house. They also occupied the police bamusks, the post and telegraph offices and the military aerodrome, whence two aeroplanes were despatched to Russia, but were forced to descend at Marva. The rebels killed employees at the railway station and also captured a party of officers, whose clothes were torn off them as a preliminary to being shot. Communists outside Reval simultaneously attempted to blow up the railway. The Premier declared he is confident of his ability to maintain the upper hand.

INSURGENTS EXECUTED

(Received Dec. .3, 11.50 a.m.)

REVAL, Dec. 2. The Government’s casualties in yesterday’s fighting were eleven killed, including five officers, and three cadets, and twenty-two wounded, including three officers and ten cadets. Tiventy insurgents have been executed. [Reval is a fortified seaport town of Russia on the south coast of the Gulf of Finland, 249 miles south-west of Leningrad. The attempt by Soviet Russia to control its destinies has been bitterly opposed. It was founded in 1219 as a Danish town, and was annexed to Russia in 1721. It has a population of over 70,000.] PREMIER’S NARROW ESCAPE. REVAL, Dec. 1. The Reds occupied the railway station and .attempted to. seize the telegraph and telephone offices. The Minister of Communications was shot while on his way to the station. Government troops recaptured the station and restored order after scattered fights in which hand grenades and machineguns were used. • There were a number of casualities, including members of the police force.

It transpires that M. Akel (the Premier) and the Foreign Minister escaped by the merest chance before the revolutionaries surrounded and forcibly entered his residence. An armoured car crew routed the insurgents. - Riga reports that the casualties in the street fighting at Rkwal include eighteen soldiers and a much larger number of Communists. Sixty persons were arrested and Handed over to courtmartial.