The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1905-12-16
RIGA insurgents
Capture fortress
ST. PETERSBURG RUMoR GIVES
GRAVE ASPECT TO RUS
SIAN SITUATION.
GOVERNOR MAKES AN
APPEAL FOR TROOPS
Baltic Provinces Tear Civil War
Governor ce-2c.Sl. with Sweeping
Power, ApEoi.,.ed to Rule District
Soldiers III Aeas.iMess.

Soldiers III NeaS.iness.
st. Petersburg. via Ey,,tliuhnen,
East Prussia, Dec, ll.-Reporls are i'll
circulation to the e:fec, tina, Tie in.
surgents at Riga have captured the
fortress there. Inquiries made at the
ministry OF the interior resulted in the
statement being made that the gov
ernmenl's adv;css 10 not confirm the
capture of the fortress and the seizure
oil the governor. The situation. how
ever, is admitted 10 be grave. The
commander at Riga has appealed for
sectional troops, Which were dis,
patched.
Near War in Provinces.
St. Petersburg. Via Eyttkuhnen. prus-
STA Dee. 1.-THE situation in the Baltic
provinces is NOW The most grave of the
empires conditions. 1t approaches
civil war and the government has been
forced to appoint Il governor general
with sweeping administrative powers
in an effort to restore order. All tlle
troops in these provinces have been
placed under his command. The I'M
portation of arms. which have been
entering the country in large quaEti-
lies. and sale of weapons have been
prohibited; and the authorities are even
under an administrative order, persons
having arms in their possession.
Demand Autonomy for Poland
Warsaw. Russian Poland. Dec. IA
A meeting of Az Catholic clergymen
of Russian Poland after ten hours
session during the night resolved
Wednesday to demand autonomy for
Poland With its own parliament. gem
eral secret ballot. the reinstatement OF
the Polish language in government OF
fees. the abolition of capital punish
ment and full amnesty for political
prisoners.
Claim He Advised Slaughter.
Two prominent men of Odessa hav,
declared their readiness to take for
NAL oath that Gen. Kaulbars. gov
crnor-general of Odessa, said on Oc-
tober 19 that all the Jews in Odessa
must be massacred. The trains to the
Austrian frontier are booked full ten
days ahead. The police of the first
district of this city have struck and
the authorities have been ordered to-
arrest II Of the leaders. The rest are
confined to their barracks.
Set Up Provisional Government.
Berlin, Dec IA dispatch to the
Lokal Anzeiger from ST. Petersburg.
via Eydtkuhnen. says that message
from Riga announces that the l.ithuai-
ians are masters of the city. that they
lave formed secret provisic i,a :i,,v-
eminent. tii:, rs DO rot -i2 E.,
go on the streets in uniform that the
army is regarded by the Russian au-
thorities as unsafe.
Capital Again Cut Off.
The restoration of cable communica-
tion with points abroad lasted only /,
few hours. Very soon after ii was
reported that the cable was cut and
that dispatches must again be for
warded by courier via the German
frontier. Nevertheless the outlook is
clearing. The government is breath
ing freer with a fighting chance that
Premier White will yet be able to steer
his way through the rocks which be-
set his path. The threat of general
strike in the immediate future has dis
appeared and the telegraph strike not
being supported is going to pieces in
spite of the wild appeals of the union
to stand firm. At Moscow the tie-up
remains complete. but at many other
places communication has been re-
opened, although in precarious fash
ion, as the employees of both the tele
graph and postal services, who were
discharged by wholesale for refusing
to work, are cutting the wires wherever
it is possible to do so.
Leaders Realize Weakness.
The real leaders of the workmen and
other proletarat organizations, realiz,
ing fully their weakness and lack OF
preparation for decisive struggle. have
carried the day aver the hot headed
strikers and have easily convinced the
majority that il would be an irretriev-
able blunder to prostitute what they
regard as the supreme instrument for
forging free nation by using it for a
minor issue like redressing the grew
ances of private individuals. In reg
istering this decision they placed
themselves on record "to continue the
organization and equipment of the fight
ing legions which the old president,
Krustaleff, began" thus virtually fur
nishing the government with evidence
confirming its charges that articles 1902
and 1876, of the criminal code, prohibit
ing participation in associations the
object of which is armed revolt and the
punishment for which is death, have
been violated by the strikers head or
ganization.
Made Bishop Coadiutor.
Grand RAPIDS. Mich. Dec. 14-Rev.
LIT,