The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1905-01-25
VERGE OF REVOLUTION
RUSSIAN EMPIRE IN A FAIR
WAY TO CRUMBLE.

tefmined TO IelL Ihelr GrleV-
ances-If Gear Refuses,
Blood Will Flow.
Berlin, Jan. 21.-The Tageblatt's
St. Petersburg correspondent says
he learns from the strikers COM
mittee that 100000 men will march
to the Winter Palace today and de-
mand to hand a petition to the en-
peror alone. Otherwise, he says
they will storm the palace and fire
the city. Four regiments are de-
clared to be in readiness, but they
will not fire on the strikers.
Despite official assurances at
midnight that the situation was
well in hand, and that ample steps
had been taken to protect the vast
industrial section of St. Petersburg
and insure the safety of the city,
the greatest uneasiness pervades
the entire population.
Picked troops are stationed at va
rious points in the city, and each
house contains miniature garri-
son with gendarmes in the court
yards and machine guns ready for
the first emergency. The Winter
Palace is strongly picketed, with
Crank Duke Vladimir In command.
Final instructions were issued to.
night.
The plan Of the government is to
prevent the workmen from coming
to the center of the city today by
guarding gates and bridges. A col
lision is therefore believed to be
more imminent, and the work men
themselves are thoroughly convinc-
ed that such Is the case. But the
authorities maintain that the loyal
ty of the troops is beyond question,
pointing out that the only time
Russian regiments showed treach-
cry was In the revolution of 1921,
when the guard regiments partici-
pated, but they say that the troops
then were practically soldiers of
fortune returning to Russia after
the Napoleonic wars, imbued with
the revolutionary ideas of France.
1t is more fully realized, however,
that, if the troops mutiny or actu-
ally join the workmen,- the govern
/ ment will be faced, not with riot,
but with revolution.
Father Gopon, at the request of
Minister of Justice Muravieff, went
to the ministry of justice Saturday
and had a long interview with M.
Mrravieff, at which the minister
tried to pursua lie him from bis p,o-
gramme for Sunday. Father Cop
lon, however, could not be budged
and at the end of the interview he
left, sayin
I'VE must each do our duty ac-
cording to the light given u.s."
| The plan of the workmen is to
assemble at three points, the Pouti.
loft and Oubokoff works and the
| Island of Vassili Ostrev, and march
to the palace square. They are
fully convinced that the emperor
will be there to receive their peti.
ltion.
/ The representative of the Asso.
ciated Press went among many
groups of. the workmen, but found
no one who expressed doubt as to
the emperor's meeting them. All
spoke of him most reverently and
I they insisted that he is kept in ig.
noranee of the truth, and that once
he has heard of their grievances
they will receive justice. They said
that just what was wanted was
shorter hours and more pay, and
also more liberty, but the ideas
I of most of the men on the latter
]point are rudimentary. They
declared their peaceful intentions
and said they did hot want to fight.
They seemed to entertain no fear
of being shot down.
!; "The soldiers are on our side,'
said one of the leaders. "They
may fire on the palace, but not or
us.'
4 No one of the workmen raised .
voice against the emperor, though
they did not spare some of the i'm
j perial family, especially Duke Alex
!, is, whom, with Others, they charg
ed with being responsible for Rus
sian defeat In the Far East, saying
that they kept the emperor in ig
norance of the true situation. Som'
of them repeated current gossip
Eabout Grand Duke Alexis and th,
Russia fleet.
"We know what happened in ,
theatre some time ago, when hi
9 mistress came on the stage covered
with jewels" said one of the men