GRAVE AND MOMENTOUS CRISIS IN RUSSIA.

North Otago Times, Volume CVI, Issue 13975, 12 September 1917, Page 5

GRAVE AND MOMENTOUS CRISIS IN RUSSIA.

GENERAL KORNILOFF'S BETRAYAL OF the fatherland: STRUGGLE FOR POWER BETWEEN CIVIL AND MILITARY HEADS.' t M. KERENSETS COURAGEOUS STAND. TREMENDOUS SENSATION IN SWEDEN. i».r- ■■•"■"1 X BASE TREACHERY OF MUSTEK 1 ARGENTINE. . ALLIES' DIGNIFIED ATTITUDE. era !■«•■» FIERCE FIGHTING I VERDUN REGION. ■ MORE GERMAN PEACE FEELERS-

J?« Qi'oto—l'ren Anocl»tion—u» V j -JSI.). .RUSSIA'S HO® OF DESTM. " SENSATIONAL DISMISSAL OP GENERAL KORNILOFF. SLOWING DOWN OP GERMAN INVASION. (Australim and Kew Zealand Cable Association.) PETROGRAL), September 10. M. Kcrensky lias proclaimed martial law in Petrognul. His; * investigations revealed a plot by General Korniloff, who was dismissed. | v The German advance is slowing down. The Russians have occupied new positions' in the Wedcn and Wolnuir Hill country. The advancing Germans arc exposed to a flank attack from the Russians near Fredrichstadt it' the Russians are disciplined enough to use their strength. . The Russian right flank on the coast is retiring to avoid encirclement, but is not hard pressed. The centre is falling back under stress of constant German attacks. ' (Ansfrali?D and New Zealand Cable' Association.) LONDON, September 10. . The Exchange Telegraph reports: General Korniloff issued an 'ultimatum to the Government to give him full civil and military power and personal authority to constitute a new Government. M. Kerensky asked General Korniloff to resign his command and leave the Army immediately. General Klembovitsy lias been appointed to-the supreme command, and M. Kcrensky appeals to the loyalty of the Army and Navy.

(Reutcr's- Telegrams.) LONDON, September 10. Reuters correspondent at Russian Headquarters reports,,that the Germans have sent their best regiments, including nearly, the ' whole of the Guards, from the south-west front northwards. STOCKHOLM, September 10. , M. Badmajeff (the ex-Czar's secretary), General Gourko, Madame Voroboya (ex-lady-in-waiting) and several others implicated iii the plot in favour of the restoration of the Czar, are now in Finland, en route to Swe'den. ■ PETROGRAD, September 10. Owing to numerous explosions in munition factories in Pefrograd and thx.provinccs, stricter regulations have been imposed and• the guards increased. .' j. COMPLETE COLLAPSE OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES. GREAT ACTIVITY AMONG GERMAN AGENTS. (Australian ami Xew Zealand Cable" Association.) Received September 11, at 7.30 p.m. PETROGRAD,. September 10. '. The workers are leaving the city and are returning to the villages owing to the shortness of food and work. Numerous factor- ■ ies are closed owing to want of fuel. >. German agents arc everywhere active. They are endeavouring to provoke a panic by threats lof ./Violence, bombing and- incendiarism. ~ '^•*:*'*# : i^'%i§

, CIMVE pears op outbreak- op civii,- war, ;

GENERAL • KORNILOFF'S BETRAYAL OF THE FATHER.} LAND. ' , f • , •" . | . j , •• •••• ('Australian and--Reuter.)> -v •••*';.,,j. '' • .>■. Received September 11, 'at .5:5 p.m. . ' LONDON, September 10. «, A Petrograd wireless message states that M. Kerensky has de- ' spatclicd a message to the military and civil authorities throughout Russia declaring that Gohcral.'Kornilojf. lias betrayed the Father-. land and the revolution, General Liikomsky is also a traitor,'.having' refused the Provisional Government's ■•order to .take over < General Korniloff's command, indicating the possibility of civil', war at the front. General Korniloif will be punished for treachery. ' I The Government is talcing measures to prevent General.KornilofE. * directing any detachments. ' ' , ' ( . The Petrograd Workmen's Committee suggests that the Anny and Navy should refuse to obey orders issued by General Korni-L loll' ami General; Lukomsky.'

~ TEXT OF M. KERENSKY'S PROCLAMATION,

RIGOROUS METHODS TO PRESERVE FREEDOM .AND ORDER. 1BOLD ATTEMPTS TO. WREST RIGHTS'FROM - : CITIZENS. (Australian and New Zealand Cablo Association.} . ; Received September'll, at 5.5 p.m. LONDON, September 10. Another wireless message from Petrograd gives thp following • details of M. Kerensky's proclamation:— ■ "General Korniloff on Saturday sent Generallvoff, demanding that the Provisional Government liand over to General Korniloir all its civil and military powers, in order that lie .could form ' a new Government. General Korniloff telephoned to me -iter, confirming the demand. The Provisional Government considered General Korniloff's demand, which indicated that certain circles of Russian Society desired to profit grave condition and establish an order contrary to/the revolution. The Provisional Government empowered him to take immediate and' decisive measures to cut short, at the root, all attempts to encroach upon the citizens' rights, won by the revolution. All

necessary measures to safeguard freedom and order are being taken. I have ordered General Korniloff 1o surrender the fiiiic- ' lions of Commander-in-Chief to General Klembovsky, who is comiiiandjiig the northern front, barring the way to Pctrograd. General Klembovsky will remain at Pskov. I declaro the city and district'of Pctrograd in a state of war, and call upon the citizens to remain absolutely calm and maintain the order necessary for the preservation of the Fatherland. All members of ; the Army and Fleet must rigorously and calmly fulfil their duties by defending the Fatherland from the external foe."

1 MOMENTOUS TRIAL OF STRENGTH BETWEEN RIVAL ' ' PARTIES,

' general koeniloff's challenge to provisional .government: : gravest events hidden behind, clo t se ; '■■■• : '- 'Mi---- ! \j

•:••• •; " •• I • n>iU'(l grrviCF.)' ' ' Ikci-ivcd r Jl, ai'7.lo p.m. ' LONDON, September 10. J The strength of the rival parties in Russia is 'obscure. ■lt is 1 the prevalent belief in London that a rigid censorship is hiding the momentous'ancl gravest events. It is believed that General Korniloff's challenge to M, Keren--1 sky's authority is backed by the Kaledin, Cossack, Cadet ond Monarchist parties, ■ • General Korniloff's hold upon other troops is an ' unknown quantity. General Korniloff is not expected to accept ft compromise, believing that after the failure of his Moscow warnings, the most stringent military dictatorship is the only hope of stopping the rut and restoring Russia as a military ally.

WELL-KNOWN .NEWSPAPER CORRESPONDENT'S REVIEW OF THE SITUATION. URGENT NEED FOB COMPROMISE BETWEEN CONFLICTING PARTIES. ■ APPALLING STATE OF CHAOS REIGNS. ■ ■■ ( 1

(Australian anil Km Zealand Cable Association.) Received September 11, at 8.40 p.m. LONDON, September 10. Dr Harold Williams, telegraphing from* Petrograd says-. The most urgent tusks before the rulers are to effect a compromise between the conflicting elements in the army. One factor stands for. the restoration of discipline in the form of the complete subordination of the lower grades of the Army to the higher other insists on the retention of the Army Committees, political comniis--savies and the limitation of the functions of theofficors and the Higher Command to the purely, technical sphere of military operations. The conflict 1 between the elements has been.increasingly

acute during the last few days and lias, taken every undesirable form of discipline between the commissaries and the headquarters staff. Regarding the causes of the Riga retreat, the commissaries accuse the Staff of exaggerating the cowardice, of the troops. The Novotwa Yremya : actually accuses the High Command of in-,: tentionajly abandoning Riga, in order to frighten the public opinion into the acceptance of repressive measures. Thus far thcrci has been great confunion between the respective factions of the military authprifies,. the commissaries and the committees. In a few cases,. IheHlircc authorities work in harmony, but more frequently one authority overstepped the bounds to the great injury of discipline and efficiency. Many commissaries indulge in harmful demagogy, The regimental committees have done great service among the troops, preventaing .insubordination and excess. Their positions resembles trade unions, but their position is.precarious,' •< as they are liable to reflection .at, any moment, if a new agitation appears or the soldiers suspect the committee of being too intimate with the officers. ..'".'■'.-,.

D'r Williams'adds that it is apparently impossible to abolish the political influence in the Army. General 'Korniloi^therefore.proposes a middle course whereby the commissaries and committees will remain, but with their functions clearly Defined. They will not be allowed to interfere with the military operations ot'thc appointment and dismissal of officers:.' It is'equally necessaiiy'to find, a means of enforcing authority on the soldiers in the trainings, depots. The men do no drill, but«live comfortably idle.lives, exposed to the various forms of extremist agitation, and when sent to the front they are useless, owing to lack of training. They only, spoil the good regiments' and increase 'the Army's 'doinoratjßatiOT. Armed bands of reservists are sometimes the centres of brigandage;. . and. rapine, but the bulk of the men are decent peaceable-fellows. ■ Bitter experience of the abuses' of liberty, .proves the 'necessity for '; ra-ostablisliiiigthe deatlvpenalty.,' :Vi '. ■ ..." ' ." .■•• ..-'■''-'