RUSSIAN HORRORS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10085, 26 September 1918, Page 5

RUSSIAN HORRORS

INCENDIARISM AND INFAMY RUTHLESS ASSASSINATION OF CITIZENS. By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. - -'LONDON,- September- 24. An almost impenetrable veil hides the chaos in Russia from, the rest of Europe. The. only-news comes fragmentarily and intermittently from the Allies' official agents and from occasional refugees who reach Scandinavia after abandoning their belongings and bribing their way into security. This gives few of the details of the dreadful horrors which are being enacted, iiut. enough is known to show that Russia has sunk to a' depth of anarchy in which incendiarism, murder, and infamy of all descriptions are running in mad riot.

Reliable accounts estimate the mur- , ders in Petrograd alone at 500 a day. < There is no, sign of the appearance of any stabilising-element, and there is a terrible*•prospect of anarchy and ■ dis- j orders, already far exceeding the worst of the French and. other resolutions, proceeding., unchecked. ] It is estimated in Paris -that seven i million Russians are irretrievably doomed to starvation during the comiug winter, in which an absolute breakdown of the distribution of coal and , firewood promises to., be .one of the lesser evils. . Reports from Copenhagen state that Petrograd. is subsisting mostly upon rats, dogs and mice. This may be an exaggeration, but there is no room to doubt that unbelievable horrors are- being Buffered and perpetrated by the starving and" unemployed populations. Tho British are trying, to secure the release of British residents,, including Mr Loekhart. WASHINGTON, September 24. . The State Department, has received confirmation of the appalling conditions: in Russia. There is ruthless slaughter of officers and leading citizens, who are shot in cellars at night with guns muffled with silencers. The French and British Consuls-General at Moscow have been arrested. DIARY OF EX-CZAR. Eeuter's Telegrams. LONDON. September 24. An interesting picture of the life of the late Czar after his "abdication is gleaned hy fuller accounts of his diary, published in Bolshevik " newspapers. The diary records the Czar's sorrowful arrival at Tsarkoe Selo in 1917, where sinister-looking non-commissioned oflk. cers were occupying the greajivcourt" "of; the palace. The Czar found his'children lying ill with, measles in a room with no light. He mentions burning his papers and sorting Es possessions in view of his proposed departure for England, and skowa how reluctantly he submitted to Kerensky's request that he should ~dhly spend the meal times with his family. The ex-Monarch expressed disgust at tho studied insolenoa of the soldiers;-and records-.- "Oux idiots' decision to celebrate May Day by holding processions' and; flying;Ted' flagsT' Other entries are in a tone"of resignation and sorrow at Russia's dark prospects. Finally the Czar joyfully and thankfully., .records on June 19th the news of the successful offensive on the south-western front. i A GOVERNMENT PURGED OF BOL- | SHEVIKS. , ■ ; Australian and N.Z. CaMe. Asportation. (Received September..2s,''7.2o p.ttf.) ■ N . LONDON. September 24. ': Vladivostok reports state that.M, j Avksentieff presided at a conference of members of the-Constituent Assembly,; which decided to follow General Garda 8 army and form a. -united Government purged of Bolsheviks. This has been accepted by the. Siberian Duma' and the Omsk anct~Samara Governments. JOURNALISTS STARVING EST MOSCOW. TJmtod Service Teleffrwro. . (Received September 25, 7-25 p.m.). -"V"LONDON. September 24. A Moscow, .message states .that. 1800 journalists are starving in the city. Hundreds, of. famishing people are committing suicide daily. A later Bolshevik -wireless message states that the food situation in Moscow is' improving. Two hundred and ninety-seven food wagons arrived in two days. germanlervjTs racked POPULACE'SUFFERS FROM'"AMERICAN NIGHTMARE." Australian and... N\Z, Cable Association. (Received September 25, 7.25 p.m.) ~ „,.,. LONDON,. September 24. A Swiss telegram, reports that a wave of intense nervous depression is sweeping over Germany. Tk_e_jrhole population is suffering from "American nightmare." Despite police, precautions, anonymous pamphlets are in circulation throughout Germany, with such phrases as: "Two million Americans are.'attacking us; four millions will attack us to-morrow j,„„aad,-■..twenty .millions .are preparing to annihilate us." The Social Democratic party in the Reichstag met on the 23rd, and decided to enter the Government if the, ( Government ' definitely ~ acknowledged tho Reichstag resolution, of July, 1917, and makes an unequivocal declaration that Belgium,,, Sei-bia,.:and Montenegro will be restored, and autonomy granted to Alsace-Lorraine-.•■•■■ It also - demands direct suifrage for Federal States, restoration of the. rights of public meetings, and theJiberty, of. the.press..., ■.-,-- N.Z. JOURMUSTsTn ENGLAND AN EXCITING 'AVIA'TION EXPERI- ' """* ENCE. Published in -Tho Tii=~.~ ' (Received September 25, 7.25 p.m.) LONDON, September 24. Tho New Zealand editors visited aeroplane factories, and made a .flight over London."'The party, including Air F. Pirani, had an exciting experience. A machine, developing engine trouble, became almost unmanageable in the high wind, and experienced great difficulty in'landing." > '