Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-12-11
Russian Government Ar
rests Leaders of
the Workmen.
FRESH STRIKE NEAR
Council in Session at Warsaw
Expected to Open a FL
nal Struggle.

St. Petersburg. Dec. 10. via EydtS oh
men. Dec. ll.-There is every indica-
tion this morning that the govern
mcnts challenge will be accepted and
that within 4S hours a general strike
throughout Russia will be ordered.
\ terrible storm has been raised by
the arrest of Krustaleff. president of
the executive committee of the work
mems council which was followed dur
ing the night by the imprisonment of a
number of the workmen's council and
sOcialistic leaders.
RenctIon AT Hand.
The reaction has come" were the
words on every lip and in the extrem-
list camp there was only one opinion
namely that it must be resisted TO the
bitter end. At all meetings last night
some of which lasted until morning
the opinion was unanimous the gov
eminent had forced the hands of the
proletariat and that the supreme weap-
on, general strike, must be invoked.
Editors Defy Law.
Newspaper editors at yesterday eve
ning's meeting decided that the tempo
rary press law forbidding the discus
sion of vital questions affecting the
welfare of the nation violated the prin-
cipals of freedom of speech and of the
press guaranteed by the imperial man
itesto and that il must be defied The
result was the editions of the Russ and
half dozen more radical papers were
cOnfiscated. Employees of the Riga
Orel railroad have declared strike on
account of the declaration of martial
law in Livonia. and have sent an ap-
peal To other roads to join. Last night
railroad men of the Baltic lines decid-
ed TO follow the example OF the Riga
OTel men.
The situation in Livonia is frightful.
Absolute anarchy prevails. \ messen-
ger who arrived here from there doclar-
ed the streets of Riga were flowing
with blood After Il meeting the rail
road men of Riga were moved down
by the fire of machine guns and artil-
lery. Railroad men of ST. Petersburg
at a meeting yesterday. passed reso-
luton stating they stand ready To obey
the signal for a general strike All
members of the union employees posts
and telegraph operators of Moscow
have been arrested at Moscow.
Means Final Struggle.
ST. Petersburg. Dec 9.-tDelayed) -
Another crisis is at hand. involving the
indefinite prolongation of the strike,
the probable immediate precipitation
of general strike throughout Russia,
and a possible final struggle between
the government and the proletariat.
This sudden change for the worse is
the result of the shedding of the first
blood in the telegraph strike this after
noon. almost simultaneously with the
action of NJ. DurnOyo. minister of the
interior. in throwing down the gauntlet
To the labor organizations by arresting
NJ. Krustaleff. president of the eXecu-
tive committee of the wOrkmen's coun-
Gil without warning.
Surrounded by Troops
About o'clock several companies Of
CoSSaCks Clattered through the streets
leading To the headquarters of the
council. in Tarsovia street. Having
barred the approaches force of
troops and police surrounded the build
ing. after which secret service men
rushed in and seized KruStaleff The
latter made no resistance. and the af-
fair was conducted quickly. IL was
impossible for KruStaleff 10 conceal
the papers OF the organization. in which
the police evidently expect To find evi-
deuce proving the ultimate effect tc be
an armed uprising against the govern
ment.
\ disturbance in which two strikers
were killed and policeman and sew
eral others wounded occurred at the
same hour Immediately in front OF the
general poStofhce
Council In session.
Warsaw. Dec. 1.-THE central com
mittee of the union railroad men is
now in session at Moscow and viii
probably order s general strike to be-
o;p NJ rY,idu{vhr