RUSSIA’S TASK

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9691, 20 June 1917, Page 5

RUSSIA’S TASK

IRON-HANDED DISCIPLINE KERENSKY WILL FORCE ARMIES TO FIGHT. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Australian and N.Z Cable Association. NEW YORK. June 18. The United Press correspondent at Petrograd states that 51. ■ Kerensky lias discarded persuasion for iron-hand-ed discipline to force the armies to fight. He has ordered deserters to he deprived of the franchise and of participation in the distribution of land, and has refused furlough to several divisions which wished to attend political conferences at Moscow. PETROGRAD, June 18. Sailors from Kronstadt incited the peasants in the Mogiloff district to seize and divide the land. AMERICA’S NOTE TO RUSSIA. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received June. 20, 1.5 a.m.) WASHINGTON, Juno 19. The Note to Russia explained the Root Commission has been published. It stated that Russia, as a democracy, must continue the fight with German autocracy, which only the united strength of the world’s democracies is. able to crush. It urged the acceptance of aid. from the. United States, and reiterated that the United States was pledged to the common cause or humanity. AMAZONIANS' CORPS BATTALIONS OF WOMEN DRILLING. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. NEW YORK, June IS. The United Press correspondent at Petrograd states that the women in Odessa have formed a “Death Legion,” and will formally ask leave to figfht. PETROGRAD. June 18. Battalions of women have been formed in Potrograd. Moscow, and elsewhere, and are drilling bard, intending to fight at the front and shame the men. TERRIBLE SLAUGHTER OVER MILLION GERMANS KILLED DURING WAR. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Australian and N.Z. Cable Association, AMSTERDAM, June 18. A German official message states :i The casualties reported during May, totalled 110,966, of which number* 19,006 were deaths. The total deaths of the war aro* 4,3.56,760, of which 1,068,137 are deaths. REACTION AGAINST AGITATORS GENERAL ABANDONMENT OF SEPARATE PEACE EFFORTS. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Australian and N.Z, Cable Association* • (Received Juno 19. 9.10 p.m.) LONDON, June 19. The “Daily Telegraph’s” Potrograd correspondent, reports that the Leninites had been lavishly supplied with funds to control the army of agitators who are taught to repeat "parrot-like a formula of poisoned words calculated to play upon the ignorance of .the Russian populace ; hut a violent reaction is growing. The Government s firm action indicates that the struggle against German propaganda is approaching a crisis. Mi- Arthur Henderson (a member of the British War Cabinet) is active. He is successfully addressing immense meetings of soldiers, interviewing the workers’ delegates, and consulting the Government upon all important questions of labour organisation. Mr Henderson’sent the Workers’ Council his views upon tho International Socialist Conference, and there aro indications of a general abandonment of efforts at a separate peace. M. Kerensky and M. Terestcbeko in. apiringly addressed a Congress of Workers and Soldiers’ Delegates, denouncing tho treason of tho extremists. SOCIALIST REVOLUTIONISTS FAVOUR PRO-WAR POLICY. “DEATH BATTALIONS” FORMING. By Telegraph— Pyoss Association—Copyright Australian and N.Z. Cable Association, (Received June 19, 9.10 p.m.) PETROGRAD, June 19. A secret ballot of tho Workers’ Committee and Social Democrats favoured the advance of the armies. Tho Socialist revolutionists voted in favour ot a pro-war policy. The situation remains complicated. The National Convention of “Workmen and Soldiers represents fifty thousand workers and soldiers throughout Russia, and probably voice-s twenty-five million citizens. The Petrograd Council, possessing eight out of 1900 votes, is likely to lose its influence to the now body, which is expected to appoint a board to assist; the Government. There is lively recruiting for tho socalled “Death Battalions.” Men and women arc volunteering to attack tho enemy regardless of their Jives. A GLOOMY OUTLOOK REVENUE HAS REACHED VANISHING POINT. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Published in “The Times." (Received June 19, 10.40 p.m.) PETROGRAD, June 18. There is a general opinion that tho internal crisis will shortly bring about an event requiring the union of all forces of law and order. The revenue receipts hare reached a vanishing point because the taxpayers have lost confidence, whilst the innumerable republics throughout the provinces are diverting local revenue to their own purposes. Commerce and industry have been reduced to desperate straits. The expropriation of land and factories has disastrously affected the peasants, workers and capitalists.