RUSSIAN SITUATION CLEARING

North Otago Times, Volume CVI, Issue 13983, 20 November 1917, Page 6

RUSSIAN SITUATION CLEARING

~, , . revolutionaries; ' new form of government proposed. ' formation pf independent states suggested. Unitrailic and New Zealand Cable COPENHAGEN, November 18. The Vienna correspondent of The Berliner Tageblntt states that Lenin nnd Kerensky have effected a compromise, which is esscnti- " allv favourable to M. Lenin. M. Edstroen, President of the Swedish Electric Company, who • lm returned from Pctrograd, says' that -he saw nothing of the . Woody street fighting chronicled in the foreign newspapers. The military schools were certainly damaged, but ho heard nothing of tin-reported cruelty to the Women's Battalion. The Bolshevikis, maintained excellent order. (Australian and New Zealand Cable Aiioclatwn.) LONDON, November 18. • A wireless Russian official notification, signed by General Duk- : homin, issued at Petrograd, states that he has temporarily assunfed the post of commander-in-chief, and orders the stoppage of further troops going to Petrograd. Only transports •connected with miliI tary operations arc'permitted to pass.' ' On Saturday hostilities ceased at Moscow. The terms have been signed, whereby the White Guard surrenders its anas, and ' .the! Committee of Public Safety lias been dissolved. The Maxima- ' lists' conditions for agreeing to a composite Socialist Government include the control of the troops in Pctrograd and Moscow, and the 1 arming of the workmen throughout Russia, (Reuter'a Telegrams.) ' . ,' ~ PETROGRAD, November 18. On Saturday, after defeating Kerensky, the Maximalist Council of 'Commissioners proclaimed the right of the different people of Russia to decide their own form of Government, including.Separation nmV the formation of independent States. 1 The Maximalists insist on the inclusion of Trotsky and Lenin in , p.ny composite Socialist Government, and the granting of the majority of the portfolios, including those of Foreign Affairs nnd Labour, to the Maximalists. 'The Commissioners have closed the Ru'sso-Swedish frontier at Tornea. FINLAND DEMANDS INDEPENDENCE, DRAMATIC CHANGES OF GOVERNMENT REVEALED. ~ •.• ~. ("The Times" Service,) PETROGARD, November 18. There have been kaleidoscopic changes in Finland. M. Kerensky's supporters dissolved the Diet, which was about to proclaim a Finnish Republic, but the revolutionaries re-cstablislicd the Diet ' and oppointed a Premier. Then, on the 14th, the soldiers and strik- ' ers occupied the Diet and the Senate Buildings, dissolved the ' legislators, and established a Bolsheviki Cabinet. The strike is universal, and the industries, communications, and agriculture are at a "standstill. , - (Australian and Renter). COPENHAGEN, November 18. The Russian troops in Finland favour a Finnish revolution . -*-a > WILD REVOLT IN MOSCOW DESCRIBED. EXTREMISTS DESTROY FAMOUS CHURCH OF ST. ■ BASIL. - WIDESPREAD INDIGNATION PREVAILS. (Australian and New Zealand Cable Allocation.) Received November B t at 7.40 p.m. LONDON, November 18. The Petrograd correspondent of The Daily Chronicle states that the fighting.in Moscow began on the 10th and lasted for a week. The Committee of Public Safety, consisting of the City . Council, and other organisations, controlled if force of |:hree thousand pupils and officers'of the training schools, and hastily organised a body of students with maxims and three field guns. Most of the garrison troops, numbering 100,000 remained in the 'barracks and did not participate in the fighting. Some departed ' from the city, and about 15,000 supported the Bolshevikis. The Red. Guard, composed mainly of youths and Bolshevikis. The fifteen field guns kept up a continuous bombardment of the city, killing the peaceful citizens in their Homes. The Bolshevikis seized the Kremlin, but were expelled by the Public Safety troops. The. Bolshevikis re-captured the Kremlin, and were again expelled. The killed and wounded by Wednesday numbered three thousand, They were mostly civilians and their corpses lay for days in the door-. ways and stairs. The population were afraid to leave their homes and wore unable to get provisions. The bombardment destroyed the Cathedral of Asumption and set fire to the Church of Basil. 1 This destruction is a national shame, which even Napoleon avoided, and has horrified both sides in the present struggle, aiid resulted in negotiations for peace. It is reported now that 20,000 Cossacks are advancing oh Moscow. '"WW" '•■'- - . • BIG FORCES APPROACHING PETROGRAD AND MOSCOW. GREAT SLAV EMPIRE SPLIT WITH APPALLING CHAOS. THREE DISTINCT BUSSIAS IN EXISTENCE. (Australian and New Zealand Cable Association and Reuter.) Received November 19, at 10.40 p.m. '■•"'• - . . : LONDON, November 19. " The Petrograd -correspondent of .'The Daily Chronicle reports that on Sunday night, a large'force was approaching Petrograd; Its<purpose was unknown. .Another large force is:approaching Moscow.. • , • ; "■' • •.'.'..'■.'■■■', (Australian and .New Zealand Cable Association.) ■■"■■' Received November 19, at-10.40-p.rn." •/ '.. '■'■•/ STOCKHOLM, Noyembeya.The Socialist coup in Finland, makes news from. Russia more fragmentary, but discloses appalling chaos. There are three Russias—the North half, dominated by Lenin; the Middle, including Moscow, where the Maximalists are fighting the followers of Kerensky and Korniloff and the South, including Kieff and Ukraine, where General Kalcdin and his Cossacks are supreme. (Australian and New Zealand Cable Association.-! j Received November 20, at 12.20 a.m. PETROGRAD, November 19. The losses in Moscow fighting' totalled between eight arid ten thousand. • The revolutionaries were Victorious,

; field, ; : , already^oppj^ .;• •; Petrograd/rvltoy-^pll-to-dq>pe'pi>ie■■ ate .migrntihg toJ/Arcliang"bl v l '.' It ' lieved that a military dictator will arise ; perhaps QonernrAlGxiefl'' 1 : or General Kaledin, -"; •' ';'■ '■'■'■-. ', • ; VThe young officers who forinccltlie chief force resisting the'Bolshevikis in Petrqgrad; were massacred by tlw thousand. v ln one . ' case the 'Bolslipyiki eaptiired an' armoured car manned by Cadets, The Bolshoviki'thrust their bayonets through the loopholes and' piunfeil the unfortunates inside. Then they hauled the Cadets out; and trampled them to death. , . ' .'-,."'■■ < ' CEASELESS ACTIVITY IN THE WEST 'r' , "'.■■ ENEMY LAUNCHES DETERMINED RAIDS AGAINST BRITISH MONT. ARTILLERY 'DUELS' CONTINUE WITHOUT RESPITE. '•(Australian and Reuter). ', ' Received November 19, at 8.45 p.m. LONDON, November 18. , Sir Douglas Haig reports: A strong raiding party this morning entered certain points in our trenches in the neighbourhood of Gillemoiit Farm south-east of Epehy. , We counter-attacked across the open, and ejected the enemy, after sharp fighting. Our trenches ■' south-east 1 of Havrincourt were raided eariy this morning. The Lancashire Regiment and Highlanders successfully raided ithe neighbourhood of Monchy-le-Prcux, There is reciprocal artillery action on the battle front, The enemy's fire was principally directed on the positions at Passchendaele, Langemarek, and south-' ward of Polygon Wood. ' ■ ' A French communique. reports • intermittent artillery activity in Vandesson's region and towards Schoenh'otz. The guns are 1 lively aiid continuous north of Hill 344, and on the right bank of the Mouse. • There is reciprocal artillery action north of .ChciiiJii-dcs-Dames and on the right bank of the Meuse. , BRITISH CALMLY AWAITING GERMAN THtfUST, . ENEMY'S BATTERIES SHOW N T O TENDENCY TO ' ' DECREASE IN VIOLENCE. (Australian and Rm Zeauyid Cablo Association.). v Received November 19, at 10.40 p.m. LONDON, November 19. Mr Philip Gibbs writes: "We are prepared for a big German offensive to recover Passchendaele; from the direction of West Roosobekoe. The enemy's batteries show no tnedency to decrease on the Flanders front. ""; They are continually shelling Inverness Copse, Polygon Wood, and"-Nonheboschen. . ... '