The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-12-19
CATASTROPHE AT HAND
General Strike on Wednesday Likely to
Mean Bloodshed.

St. Petersburg, Dec. 19.-Delayed)-|
At the time of this writing two highly
important meetings are being held, one
at Tsarskoe-Selo and the other some
miles out of town. At the former Count
Witte is fighting against revolution in
his cabinet. The final result seems to
make sure that repressive measures OF
most serious nature are going to be car
ried out whether Witte wishes it or not.
At the other meeting is the executive
of the revolutionary party, which i'm
mediately succeeded the one whose
members were arrested. It will make
final arrangements tonight for the gen
eral strike, which probably will go into
force Wednesday.
This will cut US off entirely from the
outer world. The railroads, telegraphs
I other words, they will bring about a
complete stagnation Of the entire life
This cannot fail to bring about q
terribue catastrophe with bloodshed.
The Government Gazette gives out plain
| warning. 1t says:
"'The revolutionaries are trying to
nullify the Intentions of the car man
| ifesto, and are melting the people and
the army to political murder, robbery
| and complete terrorism.'
Workmen Defy WHITE.
The workmen's council, under the
priting 100000 copies of it's paper an
! nouncing that the government has de-
! clared a civil war on the proletariat
and saying that the challenge must be
accepted.
In it's appeal to the people, the coun-
Gil declares that this is the govern
ment s. last fight, that the throne of the
| PoD poffo ic +nttoriprr hot al o,.
blow will cause it to fall. The coun-
Gil adds:
"While the government at St. Pc.
tersburg is falling, it's own regiments
are rising against it and at Riga a re-
public has already been proclaimed. A
few regiments may still be faithful, but
the army as a whole is on our side. The
have it. The people are for US. If we
are defeated it will not be our last hat,
tie. We can fight on. The government
is risking everything army and
it's finances.
Struggle rs Inevitable.
Il "Witte cannot play his hypocritica
J game any longer. The government has
i. only made concessions to save itself
evitable, it is making last despair
, ing effort to recover it's power. W.
, would have preferred delaying the de
. cisive conflict until better prepared
but reaction makes retreat impossible
A revolutionary conflict cannot bt
The paper also contains direct ap
l. peal to the army, which is signed
1.-THE Pan-Russian union of the army
!, and the navy This appeal inveigh
! against the tyranny Of the government
which, it says, employs the army no
!, against a foreign foe. but to shoe
down it's own people. Tt summons tn
: soldiers and sailors to remember thei
. parents, their wives and their chill
. dren, to take a. share in the emancipa
: ton of the nation, to organize secretly
y to take oath not to shoot down tn
people and to join I'M the general strik
when it shall have been proclaimed.
e In spite of the fury OF the revolution
9 lists, however, considerable confidence
Y expressed in. government circles that tn
e extreme elements in the present tempe
). of the workmen will not dare to call
+ general strike, and that if they do tn
q chances are that it will be a failure.
n Government Position.
s. The following statement of the GOV
:. eminent Is position has been made an
. may be accepted as authoritative:
. 'The government sincerely desired
"a introduce the new regime without hay
u ing recourse to harsh measures, but
= received no support from the constit,
+ tionalists or other moderates, while tn
- proletariat organization, under the LEAF
= ership Of the socialists, Continued the
y mad campaign in favor of armed rebe
e lion and openly melted the army an
n the navy to mutiny. The climax Of tn
campaign was reached when efforts wei
made to attack the credit Of the countr
in the midst Of considerable PAM
q Had the government allowed such e.
d forts to 60 unehallenged, it would hav
e. precipitated complete financial and il
4 dustrial ruin.
e. CATER all, sef-preservation is tt
d first law of nature; and besides, withol
k, the restoration Of semblance Of orde
a. it would be impossible to hold the ele
0. tons for the douma. The case was
e desperate one and it demanded a despe
e. ate remedy.