RUSSIA'S FATEFUL HOUR

North Otago Times, Volume CV, Issue 13940, 25 July 1917, Page 5

RUSSIA'S FATEFUL HOUR

WHOLE REGiMENTS SHAMELESSLY WlTH''X,.;.;■■■■draw. . SUCCESS OF ENEMY'S POWERFUL THRUST. M.KERENSKY: THE MAN OF THE HOUR. , aes—i ? HEAVY. FIGHTING ON THE WESTERN' y. ... FRONT. .. GERMANS EXPECT TREMENDOUS BRITISH ; " FRENCH INFLICT TERRIBLE DEFEAT ON - THE AISNE. - -KAISER'S FAITH IN SUBMARINES. PRUSSIAN AUTOCRAT CONFERS WITH SOCIALISTS. ,s~ .{Fit (Jtble—Press iEEOclfltlon—Copyright.) WEAKENING'-OF"RUSSIA'S WARLIKE ■ ' ■■ : 'SPIRIT. "V " ■ MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS JEOPARDISED BY MUTINOUS. REGIMENTS, I - YERY DANGEROUS SITUATION EVOLVING. (Australiau aud Kew Zealand Cable Assoctauoii.) LONDON, July 23. • . • It is reported that the Germans have captured Tpnopol. (Australian and flew Zealand Ca-blu Association.; PETROGRAD, July 23. The Workmen's and Soldiers' Congress passed a resolution granting the Provisional Government unlimited power to establish discipline in the army. A correspondent adds that the Government Executive Committec on the south-west front reports that most of the units of the Russiau Army there arc completely disorganised and mutinous. The' soldiers threaten to shoot those opposing them, and there are long lines of deserters. A fatal crisis has occurred in' the morale, of the troops, and the offensive spirit has utterly disappeared. The High Commissioner reports : LONDON. July 23 (5 p.m.) A Russian official report says: In the. neighbourhood of Krevo-Vildturds, in the district of Tsary-Bogushi, we occupied a portion of the enemy position, penetrating to a depth of two miles in places. More than a thousand prisoners were taken. The development of this succcn is jeopardised by the instability and moral weakness of certain detachments. A number of officers have perished in? fulfilling their duties, i GERMAN OCCUPATION OF TARNOPOL CONFIRMED. RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE FACE GRAVE ■L CRISIS. TACTICAL ADVANTAGES OP ENEMY'S THRUST. (Eeuter's Telegrams.) ~ Received July 24, at 5,5 p.m. ! ' LONDON, July 23. ' . The Germans have occupied Tarnopol, An appalling official account of the situation on the south-west ern front, received by the Russian Government says: A fatal , crisis has occurred in the morale of the.troops.- Most of the units are completely disorganised. The offensive spirit has utterly disappeared. Orders are unheeded, and exhortations by comrades are replied to by threats and shots. Some of the element:-! voluntarily evacuated the positions, not waiting for the approach pf the enemy. For a distance of one hundred vcrsts long, file;; of robust and shameless deserters are proceeding, to the rear. Pre-, quently entire units desert, and extreme measures are necessary to avert a catastrophe; The Commander-in-Chief cn the "Western section of theitussiair frcri has ordered deserters to be fired on. Most merciless action is urged against the cowards who are selling the revolution. * . (Australian and New Zealand Cable .Association.; Received July 24, at 7.10 p.m. LONDON, July 23. [ , The Daily Chronicle says: The Germans have taken Tarnopol, > which is the pathway to Kicff, the Ukraine capital, the occupation

Of which would cut off the Russian and Rumanian.armies south of the Dniester. ■ ■ - . , ;■ •■. Received July 2-1, at 5.5 p.m. ' (Australian;niid Now Zealand Cablo Association.), • ■ PETROGRAD, July 'k . ! The Soldiers' and Workmen and Peasants' Council after an allnight sitting, resolved that the country was threatened with military j debacle and internal anarchy. The Congress declared that the | State and the revolution are endangered, and proclaiming that the Government would be the Government of the safety of the revolution, according to its unlimited power to re-establish the . organisation of the army and public order. (Australian and Now Zealand Gable Association) Received July 24, at 7.10 p.m. PETROGRAD, July 23. Following the example of the machine gun regiments, other regiments have readily handed over their arms, but they are very ' depressed at disbandment. General Kosiovsky is being charged with acting.as an intermediary between German agents at Stock-, holm and Petrograd. , The news from the provinces is good,. . ' Received July 25, at 7.10 p.m. ' . LONDON, July 23. A wireless German report says: The Russian attack south-west of Dviiisk failed. The Russian attack at, Krcvo, penetrated our position. Our counter-attack drove 'out the enemy, except at' two points. Oui' counter-attack southward of the Sereth lias-devel-oped ami the Russians have retreated into the Carpathians. We occupied the heights immediately westward of Tarnopol. We crossed Eoliatynostrap railway and bcg;n a forward movement astride the Dniester. The Russians strongly resisted southward of the railway. Russian activity has increased along the bridge of the Carpathians as far as Putno. Lively lire in the Lower Sereth indicates an impending battle. A wireless Russian official report says: We attacked in the direction of Yilna, penetrating to a depth of two miles in some places in the neighbourhood of Kre.vo taking over one thousand prisoners. The enemy continues an offensive between the Sereth, the S try pa and the Zlota Lipn. The Germans occupied four villages. There is intense enemy, artillery fighting southward of Ccrezovcca and Yelka, . KERENSKY: THE MAN OF THE HOUR. »"■" -» VIGOROUS EFFORTS TO SUPPRESS EXTREMISTS. STRONG PROOF OF GERMAN INTRIGUE THROUGHOUT RUSSIA. (Au:!.aliiin aud sew iti'aiajil l-nl'.e Association.) ■■ Received July 21,' at 10,30 p.m. PETROGRAD, July 23. M. Kerensky has received from eighteen provinces numerous addresses expressing confidence and favouring strong measures against the extremists. Lenin has placed himself at the Government's disposal in connection with the Commission of Inquiry. (Australian and New Zealand Cable A<„oci»tiou,) Received July 2-1, at 10.30 p.m. WASHINGTON, July 24. The Petrograd correspondent of'Tlie New York World, says: There is full evidence that the Germans financed the revolution. Hundreds of workmen and anarchists have been arrested with their pockets bulging with money received from German agents. M. Kerensky emerges stronger than ever. He is assisted by the Fleet. Every ship has pledged loyalty to M. Kerensky. (Australian and New Zealand Cable Associati?*.). Received July 24, at 11.20 p.m. LONDON, July 24, The Petrograd correspondent of The Daily' Chronicle says that M, Fresskehetkcst has been appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, M. Tehornotr, Minister of Agriculture; and M. Skobcleff, Minister of Labour. An effort lias been made to,secu.ro a balance between tile Socialists. M. Mrsolf has now refused .office, fearing M. Beretellix, and the agrarian programme *oi' land nationalisation. Sporadic tiring continues. The populace remains.angry. A' crowd caught two Leninites firing a machine' gun from the .house ions, They tore tiiem to pieces, The first machine gun regiment marched sullenly to the Palace Square to-day, and gave up their arms and asked for mercy. They will.be disbanded. The Cossacks are the heroes of the day. During the disturbances they, were sent out without rifles. They attacked the rebels with their sords. Only twenty out of a hundred Cossacks returned. RUIN FOE REVOLUTION MEANS RUIN FOR RUSSIA. 'STIRRING APPEAL. TO RUSSIAN PEOPLE. (Australian ami New Zealand Cade Assoc'Won.) .Received July 21, at 11.30 p.m. .. '• ; PETROGRAD, July 24. The Workmen and Soldiers' Council has issued a stirring appeal urging the soldiers to stand firm, adding:. "The time has come for acting ftvithoat hesitation.' We have acknowledged the Provisional Government, with whom iics the salvation of the revolution, We acknowledged its unlimited authority and power. Those disobeying the Government's commands will be regarded as traitors and will be treated mercilessly." The proclamation concludes: Ruin of the revolution spells ruin for all. Save the Fatherland." GERMANS PREPARING FOR DECISIVE SMASH. RENEWED ACTIVITY ALONG ALL FRONTS, MILITARY DISPLAY PROMOTED TO INFLUENCE POLITICAL SITUATION. (Australian aud Nfiw Zealand (Julio A«ociat!on.). LONDON, July 23. Lc Matin states that it cannot be denied that there is a great recrudescence of enemy activity against the Russians, and- also a miilliciplicity of attacks on the West front extending to the whole of St. Michiel region, as well as enterprises of lesser importance on the heights of the Meuse and in the Upper Alsace, where the enemy ' is striving to regain a number of observation points. The paper regards the renewed activity as the outcome of Marshal von Hindenburg's desire to impress politicals in Germany that the military is'good. ---The Petit Parisieii reports that according to German despatches, from Zurich, Dr von Zimmermann, Minister of Foreign Affairs, definitely resigiV; from the Cabinet. Dr Ilelfferich will remain as Vke-Chancellor without portfolio. (Australian anaKew Zealand Cable Association.) ' " , : ZURICH, July 23. The Neues'etc Naelirichten states that the Pan-Germans in Berlin arc indignatnt at the Kaiser for granting the suffrage to Prussia, declaring that'such a reform undermines the foundations of the State and hands it utterly to the democracy.