Los Angeles herald., 1905-10-26
RUSSIA IN GRIP
OF GREAT STRIKE
RAILWAYS OF EMPIRE ARE
TIED UP
Socialist Leaders Say Movement Is
but Preliminary to Immense
General Strike of Entire
Working Class

as the council of ministers, of which
Count Solsky is president, and the Sc
lection of Count Witte to preside,
which was done by direction of the en-
peror. shows that a ministerial cabinet
is actually though not formally an ac-
complished act.
1t is understood that an edict form
ally establishing a ministerial cabinet
which will bear the old name of "sov-
yet" or council, will be published in the
official messenger of Saturday next.
The Finland railroads to Helsingfors
and the steamers constitute st. Peters,
burg's only means of communication
with the outer world this morning. The
postal authorities are now refusing to
accept ordinary mail and international
correspondence is at standstill.
The strike is complete in the great
factory region on both banks of the
Neva above the city and in several
other Industrial quarters. Forty thou
sand men are out, but they are con-
Quoting themselves in a most orderly
manner The store clerks union to-
night proclaimed two weeks sym
pathetic strike for political rights, but
it is probable that it will be only par
TALLY observed.
Price of Provisions Rise
Prudent inhabitants are laying in
stocks of provisions so as to prepare
for emergencies. AS a 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
sentiment was unanimous for contlnu-
ing the strike on the railroads to the
bitter end.
The proceedings at several of the
meetings were of strongly revolution
ary character, the orators calling on
their auditors to slay all ChinoVn1ks
and the police and to meet the troops.
These speeches were received with
cheers. The police We're powerless to
interfere, the precincts of the university
being forbidden ground to them under
an imperial ukase.
A new sensational drama by Maxim
Gorky entitled the Children of the
SUM-" dealing with revolution in Russia
which four months ago would probably
have landed it's author in prison, was
presented here for the first time last
night, and seats for it were sold out
several weeks in advance.
The play satiries the Russian higher
classes and for the first time scene
is allowed to be presented on the Rus
sian stage in which the people rise
in revolt against the directors who are
endeayoring to save them from chol-
era.
Gorky Leaves ST. Petersburg
This scene shows the superstition
and brutality of the Russian moujik
when once aroused. The play, al
though finely presented, is brutal ana
hideously realistic in character The
audience madly applauded every allu-
sion of a political character. Maxim
Gorky was not present. His health
has again collapsed under the trying
climate of st. Petersburg, and he has
been forced to leave suddenly for the
Crimea in order to save his life.
The roads in the Volga region are
at a standstill and today a general
strike was proclaimed on the two re-
manning lines running out of st. Pc
tersburg. This involves the suspension
of postal communication. The league
of leagues has seized the opportunity
to come to the support of the railroad
men and has adopted a resolution in
favor of a general strike of all pro-
fessions.
The telegraph operators are joining
in the movement and the suspension
of railroad traffic it is feared will he
followed by complete obliteration Of
communication between interior points.
The situation is critical and preg-
nant of all sorts of dire possibilities.
The factories in the affected districts
have been forced to shut down for
lack of fuel and Moscow especially
faces not only a food but a water
famine
Fortunately st. Petersburg will
have communication open through
Finland.
Agrarian Movement Begins
The Social Democrats believe they
have the government at their mercy
since, with the railroads stopped, the
authorities are powerless to transport
troops. This is all the more serious
as bloody collisions already have been
reported at various places and a dan