EASTERN THEATRE

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17614, 19 October 1917, Page 5

EASTERN THEATRE

RUSSIAN ELECTIONS. FIXED FOR NOVEMBER 25. PETROGRAD, October 17. The Constituent Assembly elections will take place on November 25, and the Assembly will meet on December 30. ANARCHY, RIOTS AND MURDER. PLOT TO OVERTHROW GOVERNMENT. PETROGRAD. October 17. A campaign, beginning with anarchy and spreading to agrarian riots, looting, murder and food riots, is raging in many towns. Rands of soldiers are marauding at various points behind the fighting line and in the interior. Additional confusion is caused owing to the Bolsheviks insisting on summoning an. all-Russian Congress of Soviets on November 2, with the object of overthrowing' tho Government and placing ,the power in the Soviets' hands.

RUSSIANS LOSE (ESEL. DREADNOUGHT HITS MINE. A, and N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter, (Received October 18, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, October 17. A wireless Russian official message says:—The enemy pressed us back, in the direction of Moon Island, interrupting the land communications between Oesel and Moon. We have completely lost touch with our forces in Oesel. An eye-witness reports that an enemy Dreadnought ran on a minefield on Friday. After tho explosion the warship proceeded to the coast. Her fate is unknown. ENEMY CLAIMS. A. and N.Z. Cable Association and Renter. (Received October 18, 7.45 p.m.) LONDON, October 17. A wireloss German official messago says:—We nre in full, possession of Oesel Island. Naval • encounters north of Oesel and also in the Riga Gulf wore in our favour. Naval airships bombed Pernau, causing large fires. RUSSIA'S WEAKNESS. ALEXIEV'S WARNING. MAY HAVE TO PAY' STRONGER NATIONS. (Received October 19, 12.20 a.m.) LONDON, October 18. The "Morning Post's" Petrograd correspondent says that General Alexiov, in a romarkable interview, said that he would not attend the Paris Conference unless he was enabfcd to speak on behalf of a fighting army. The war was a struggle between tho Germanic and Anglo-Saxon races. The Russians were only lay figures- England wouUi never end.the war without victory ■**d the utter exhaustion of Germany. America's entry had decided the issue independently of Russia, whose weakness had merely postponed victory. "If Russia does not pull herself together, and put forward a real fighting army, th 0 issue for her will be lamentable. I think that if at tho Conference our utter feebleness is disclosed Japan must' enter upon the Russian stage of this European war. She' will require compensation, and naturally the weakest must pay." HUN BRUTALITY. RUMANIANS STARVED. "Tho Times" Service. (Received October 19, 1.45 a.m.) LONDON, October 18. "Tho Times" correspondent at tho Rumanian headquarters says that as a result of German brutality, 16,000 Rumanian prisoners died, mostly from starvation. GERMAN FLEET ACTIVE. BIG FLOTILLA IN THE SOUND. (Received October 19, 1.15 a.m.) STOCKHOLM, October 18. A large flotilla of German destroyers and huge submarines is reported in The sound, heading southwards. Never have so many German warships been teen at one time. Four d'stroyer* narrowly escaped running ashore at Diiiiliamm.,