Los Angeles herald., 1905-05-14
VIEW MAY DAY
WITH ANXIETY
ST. PETERSBURG NERv0USLY
AWAITING ISSUE
RADICALS STIR UP TROUBLE
Twenty-Five Thousand cossaeks sta.
toned In the City, and Authori-
ties Say They Have Sltua-
tlon Well In Hand

BY Associated Press
ST. PETERSBURG, May 19.-Tomor-
row, the Russian May Day, is awaited
with nervousness both by the public
and authorities. The revolutionary
agitators would like to make it another
Red Sunday in every city in the en-
pire, and everywhere are urging work.
men to celebrate the fete with anti
government demonstrations, and to re-
sist with arms If the police and troops
interfere.
The agitators are covertly aided by
| radicals who have not the courage to
come out in the open and who are
trying to pave the way to set up the
cry of the shooting down of innocents,
in the event of bloodshed, by warning
the authorities that the meetings are
intended to be pacific, but perusal of
the countless proclamations with which
the st. Petersburg streets are flooded
proves conclusively that they are really
intended to precipitate collisions. Many
workmen are said to be armed with
bombs and revolvers, and large stock
of pistols Of an automatic repeating
type, smuggled in for the revolution
lists, is being offered for sale to the
initiated at cost price.
Saner Liberals Counsel Peace
Fortunately saner liberals, and even
those of radical views, realizing the
futility of bloodshed, are counseling
the workmen not to jeopardize their
lives uselessly. The police also have
issued systematic warnings. Never
theless, disdaining the advice of we'll
wishers and defying the warnings of
the police, the Social Democrats and
Social Revolutionists have called big
meetings to be held at Smolensk Field
on Vassili island; at the Preobrajnsk
cemetery on the Schusselburg Chausee,
where some of the victims of January
% are buried; at the Petropavslov park,
in the Viborg quarter at several
places in the Poutiloff district and at
other industrial centers. 1t is almost
too much to hope the day will pass
in Russia without collisions or blood
shed.
Anticipate Disorders
Governor General Trepoff and Di-
rector of Police Kovalensky, while ex-
pressing the hope that all will be quiet
tomorrow, so far as st. Petersburg is
concerned, admit the possibility of dis
orders. At the same time they in
sisted to the Associated Press that If
l. ,c +l,@ ,,etI ,,e+
rest on those who deliberately pro-
woke it.
Elaborate precautions have been
taken. The garrison of the city was
further reinforced during the week and
a large detachment of Don Cossacks
arrived tonight. They stared open-eyed
at their view of st. Isaac's cathedral
and other sights of the big city as they
rode to their quarters. Twenty-Five
thousand Cossacks We're stationed to-
night in various quarters of the city,
principally in the outskirts. and all of
the guard regiments are under arms,
but specific orders from Prince Vassil-
chikoff, Grand Duke Vladimir's aide,
who will be in active command, are
that they must not fire unless actually
attacked Special orders have been
given to the Cossacks, who with the
gendarmerie will be used to- disperse
the crowds, not even to draw their
cutlasses save in the event of a Cossack
being killed or wounded, but to employ
their whips freely If necessary to scat
Ter demonstrators
Peaceful Crowds Will Be Allowed
Peaceful crowds, if not organized for
demonstrating, will be permitted to as
semble. Today there was no sign of
approaching trouble. The workmen
paid their accustomed Saturday visits
to the bath houses. went shopping in
the city and otherwise enjoyed the half
holiday.
There was no indication today of the
tension that was apparent on the eve
of the trouble of January 2. At Goul-
vance park, beyond the Poutiloff indus
trial quarter, there was a traditional
promenade of girls of the poorer classes
before prospective benedicts, and the
merrymaking was as noisy and hearty
as ever.