The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-10-29
Military in Russia Seems PoHtl- less to Prevent increasing
 lncendiaTy Meetings
MANY KILLED IN CLASHES
 IN CITIES OF INTERIOR
General Trepoff Has 9o,ooos Troops Under His Command In St. Peters burg AIone-Many Towns Are
 Entirely Cut Off.

St. Petersburg, October zS.-Day after day passes without the promulgation of Russia's new governmental organ-a re- sponsible ministerial cabinet to bring or der out of the present administerial chaos. Count Witte, to whom all factions look to assume the premiership, has spent all most the entire time of the past two days at Peterhof, westling with the En- peror, insisting upon conditions in con- nection with appointments which his majesty was unwilling to grant Upon his return to St. Petersburg tonight, Count Witte announced that the cabinet project which has been lying unsigned for three days on the Emperor's table, would not be promulgated tomorrow, intimating thereby that tis programme which Is known to include species of constitu- tion involving the granting of four liber- ties-freedom of speech, freedom of as- sembly, freedom of the press and free dom of the person-has not been accepted.
 Will Trust to Witte.
 It is felt here that the delay cannot be long protracted, and that 1t is only a question of hours when the Emperor con- fides the fortunes of hte dynasty and the government to Count Witte's hands.
 Meanwhile the situation is passing from bad to worse with matters at the summit in a state of unstable equilibrium The chief statesmen are all at loss how to act and the revolutionists, encouraged by the inactivity of the government, are growing bolder and more insistent in de- mands made in their speeches. It is true there have been no disorders in St. Pet ersburg, and that General Trepoff, Rus sia's other strong man, has taken every measure to put down an uprising in it's incipiency, but he has not felt sure enough of his position to act boldly with out regard to the revolutionary meetings at the university. and has contented him. self with issuing warnings which. not having been enforced, gre taken by the agitators as evidence of lack of back bone.
 Would Make an Example.
 As before Fridays giant meeting at the university, 1t was again announced today that further meetings there would not be permitted, but the college portals were again open tonight, and the nos pitality of the university was extended 10 d k1Oup Dl l4Wytio anu OtiiCl PAoANo7 sional men, one of whose orators referred to the old Russian folk legend that the world Is supported on the backs of three whales, said that the autocracy rested on three cetacea-money, the army and the loyalty of the people-but that Russia is new bankrupt and the moral sympathy of the people alienated, and that the army alone remains true and this he pre- dicted would not be for long. Another Onanlv aapbad tarroriGn and advocated making an example, of a number of high personages.
 Count Witte's ally in the stupendous task he Is about to undertake will be General Trepoff, who, although his life has been spent as an instrument for re- pression, and though he twice has es- capped attempts to execute the terrorists' sentence of death, has come to realize that the good order of things is changing and gives place to a genuine convert to the policy of giving the people a share in the government. Should Witte and Trepoff now sail, the best opinions that nothing will save the present government from complete ruin. Many shrewd ob- servers believe that Witte comes too late. The situation in St Petersburg is that of city under siege. with an uprising threatened from within, almost com petely isolated. and it's scanty store of provisions being rapidly exhausted.
 Garrison Is Enormous.
 The garrison, however, is overwhelm- ingly large. General Trepoff has ninety thousand troops under his command which are distributed in every section of the city. There is scarcely a block with out it's military partol. Infantry and cav airy are quartered in courtyards all over town. the barracks are crowded and the watch fires of the soldiers who are biv- ouacing in the streets light up the thor oughfares where electricity has been ex- tinguished. The Nevsky prospect. the city's main avenue. which last night was in darkness, tonight present wierd ap- pearance. Powerful lights mounted at the admiralty illuminate the centre of the avenue with blinding light. leaving the sidewalks in darkness. Drivers in the roadway dazzled by the glare were un- able to see where they were going. and the throngs in obscurity on the sidewalks were in but little better plight There was constant confusion, which was aug mented during the evening by an attempt of the cossacks and gendarmes to clear the sidewalks.
 Two hundred thousand men are idle Workmen's meetings held throughout the city today unanimously favored contin- uing the strike. The lawyers during tho afternoon stopped all the business of the courts:
 
 in St. Petersburg. The same paralysis has seized Russia's old stronghold. The strike Is general. the people defyins the prohibitions and are swarming to thu universities and other meeting places provisional government has already beer organized and Is waiting to exercises 1t, powers. The university is barricadec against the troops.
 Growing More Violent.
 
 The populations of other towns ar' growing more violent and reports of dis orders are arriving in increasing mum bers, but the attempts of the strike leader to hold the people in hand thus far have been generally successful.
 Troops are in full possession at man, places in the interior and the inhabitants are panic stricken.
 There is no relaxation to the railroad strike which has spread even to Centra Asia where the tran-caspian, Orenbure and Tashkend lines are tied up. Int etrike on the tran-Siberian railroad is in tsgfsrring with the return of the troop