The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-10-26
ST.PETERSBURc
 FACES CRISIS Entire Railroad System of Rus-
 sia is Tied Up G0RKY PRESENTS NEW PLAY Is Extremely Sensational and If Pre- sented Few Months Ago Would Have Landed It's Author
 In Prison.
G0RKY PRESENTS NEW PLAY

St. Petersburg. October 26, a. m.-Con- fronted by situation more crucial than any since the beginning of the political and social upheaval of Russia, and what at the time this dispatch is filed shows no signs of ameloration, the Emperor's min isters, under the leadership of Count Witte, spent almost all of yesterday in conferences in the hope of finding some way out of the crisis into which the revolutionists and the socialists have cast the country.
 The general strike on the railroads is complete except in few border provinces, and St. Petersburg, Moscow and other
 large cities are almost as closely be- leagured as if they were invested by be- sieging armies. At the same time the industrial strike has assumed large dimen- sions and the turbulent elements in sey- eral localities are offering open resistance to the troops.
 The ministers, who had been in session during the day, resumed their meeting after a short interval for dinner and continued their deliberations until long after midnight. The result of these de- Alterations is not known.
 Ministerial Cabinet Assured. The ministers were summoned to meet not as the committee of ministers of which Count Witte is president, but as council of ministers, of which Count Solsky is properly the chairman, and the selection of Count Witte to preside which was done by direction of the Elm neror. shows that ministerial cabinet 's actually. though not formally, an ac- complished fact.
 If ia understood that an ediet formally establishing ministerial cabinet, which will bear the same old name of 'Sovyet,
 or council will be published In the Of- fcial Messenger Saturday next. together with an imperial rescript addressed per- sonally to Count Witts. entrusting him with the simultaneously created position of premier.
 There appears to be some question as to whether the count will take the foreign portfolio office or that of the ministry of the interior.
 The Finland railroad to Helsingfors, and the steamer constitutes St. Petersburgs s only mode of communication with the
 other world this morning The postal au- .thorities are now refusing to accept or dinary mail and commercial correspon- dence is at standstill.
 Strike In Factory Region. The strike is complete in the great fac tory region on both banks of the Neva above the city and in several other in- dustrial quarters. Forty thousand men are out, but they are conducting them selves in a most orderly manner. The store clerks union tonight proclaimed two weeks sympathetic strike for politi- cal reasons, but it is probable that it will be only partially obeyed. Prudent fnhab- itants are laying in stocks of provisions so as to prepare for emergencies. As consequence the prices of provisions have risen sharply.
 Large meetings, mainly of workmen. were held last night in the university and the higher schools, at which the sem timent was unanimous for continuing the strike on the railroads to the bitter end. | The proceedings at several of the meet 1 ings were of a strongly revolutionary 1 characters. the orators calling on their {. auditors to rise and slay all 'chinovniks' l and the police, and to meet the troops with armed force. These speeches were I received with enthusiastic cheers. The police were powerless to interfere the precincts of the university being forbid den ground to them under an imperial | ukase.
 Sensational Play By Gorky. | new sensational drama by Maxim Gorky entitled "The Children of the Sun" dealing with revolutionary Russia which a few months ago would probably ~>~--~------->------>--
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