The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-11-27
Mutny of Sailors and Soldiers Was Planned With Unusual
 Skill and Daring
FEAR OF SPREAD IS WHAT
 ANNOYS THE GOVERNMENT
Many of the Officers Are Now Relying Entirely on the Cossacks Who 1t Is Believed Will Re-
 main Loyal.

St. Petersburg. November 2s.-The suc- cessful mutiny of the sailors at Sebasto- pol, accompanied by the first open revolt of an entire regiment of troops, has cre- ated the greatest alarm in government circles. and no attempt is made to dis guise the seriousness of this latest crisis.
 The army is the last prop of the gov- ernment. Mutiny is contagious and the epidemic of revolt which has attacked in turn practically all of the units of the navy from vladivostok to Cronstadt, it Is now feared, is destined similarly to spread through the army. Ugly reports have been repeatedly circulated of sedi- tion among the soldiers in Manchuria, and 1t was specifically reported week ago that General Linevitch had to put down mutiny with considerable bloodshed, and that subsequently he executed forty-two officers. No confirmation of this report was obtainable, but whether 1t be true or not, the morale of the troops on gar rison duty in Russia has certainly every where been shaken by the revolutionary propaganda, and the fidelity of individual units, even of the guard regiments. is questioned.
 Relied on the Cossacks.
 During the disorders following the pro- mitigation of the imperial manifesto some of the provincial governors refrained from testing the loyalty of the troops, prefer ring to rely on the CossacKs. who showed no signs of wavering.
 Count witte called an extraordinary ses- +l,{. nd another session was held tonight to con sider the situation. Grand Duke Nicholas NicfoIaevitch. president of the council of national defense, and commander of the imperial guard was present, and this fact caused a revival of the rumor that the grand duke might immediately be ap- pointed dictator; but 1t can be taken for granted that this step has not been 'decdrd upon, as 1t is plain that dc- tatorship at the present juncture would be sure to precipitate an immediate armed revolution. Nevertheless Count Witte's government. if it continues its present policy. in the opinion of many students of the situation, will be powerless to cope with the increasing problems by which it is constantly confronted.
 
 mount higher and the extreme clements. convinced that the government must fall, are raising their demands approximately.
 Points Out Inconsistencies.
 The Slovo today pertinently pointed out the inconsistency of the demand of the reyolutonaries for the abolition of the death penalty. saying they base their de- mand on humanitarian grounds, yet they closed the drug stores which furnished medicines to the sick and stopped the railroads which were carrying relief to millions suffering from famine.
 The Russ halls the mutiny at Sebastopol as the beginning of the end and calls upon the zemstvo congress to quit talking. and to come to St. Petersburg in the name of the country and ask Count Witte what he proposes to do to tranquiize the peo- pie, and if the reply be unsatisfactory to take the only step which remains namely, the formation of a provisional government.
 M Souvorin, editor of the Novoe vre- mya, likens the situation to a hydra headed monster. which no sooner than one of its heads Is cut off, grows two in its place. adding that unfortunately there is no Hercules in sight"
 Punish Strike Inciters.
 The only immediate measure the gov ernment Is known to have decided upon is the enactment of a drastic law to pun iish persons guilty of melting strikes but this would only be likely to infiame the socialists. The physical impossibility of holding elections in many provinces. ow- ing to the prevalence of agrarian dsor- ders and the generally disturbed condi- tions, involving the postponement of the meeting of the douma, which is sure to be misnterpreted, constitutes another danger and adds weight to the arguments of those who are urging on Count Witte that the only chance of restoring conn parative tranquility is to induce the Elm peror to sign a constitution guaranteeing the liberties promised in the manifesto They declare that the choice lies between that and dictatorship.