Los Angeles herald., 1905-10-28
witte confers With czar

Under the statute the premier may
or not hold a special portfolio. Couflt
Witte spent almost the entire day with
the emperor at Peterhof, ard ne mas
not confided to his colleagues WhetheI
he intends to take the ministry OF tne
interior or the ministry of finance OF
no portfolio at all. All the members Oh
the ministerial body are also in ignor-
ance as to whether they will retain
their places under the new leader.
Realizing that any attempt to inter
fere with the monster meeting at thS
university would inevitably lead to
bloody outbreak, Gen. Trepotf, VINO an
rounced during the afternoon that ne
intended to prevent the assembly, N
structed the police to close their eyes
to the fact, and the meeting, which
was attended by between 10000 ana
10000 persons, passed off without a
conflict. The troops stationed around
the building were withdrawn, but In
the court, the city bourse and other
nearby buildings half dozen com
panies of Cossacks and strong forces
of infantry and dragons were IN reaol-
ness to sally forth if necessary.
Big meetings were also held in the
technological and art institutes and in
two engineering schools. The students
at neither of these meetings took
prominent part in the deliberations
yielding the hospitality of the college
buildings without attempting to cloak
the meetings with the gufse of student
assemblies With the hope of avoiding
further meetings at the university, Gen.
Trepoff later placed halls in three diff
ferent parts of the city at the dlspo-
sition OF the people for meetings. there
by practically conceding the demand
of the agitators of the right of assem-
bly,.
The scene inside the university beg
gars description. In the great open air
court with no light except a few
f1ickering candles on a hastily con-
structed tribune, from 1000 to 5000
workmen, students and professional
men stood wedged together in the cold
and wet snow, listening to revolution
ary harangues.
Several Meetings Held
Another great meeting was held in
the central hall of the university build
ing and several smaller meetings were
held in labor and secret society halls.
In all sections strong minority
urged conservatism, but these were
carried from their feet by the general
enthusiasm and resolutions for gen
eral strike in every branch of society
were adopted with a hurrah. Even
the Chinovniks in the government ser
vice, whose meeting was largely at
tended, were possessed of the same
spirit and passed resolutions to stop
all work in the government depart
ments tomorrow. This probably will
include the government telegraph
agency and may put the telegraph
and cable service out of commission.
Another resolution which was gem
orally adopted notified the authorities
that the assize court building in Litania
street must be opened for universal
meeting of all classes at noon to-
morrow, at which measures will be
adopted against any person who is re-
ported as not adhering to the general
strike.
A remarkable feature of all the
speeches was the spirit of confidence
that the success of the movement was
at hand, and the manifest intention,
as the minister quoted in the first
part of this dispatch said, to force m
armed conflict upon the government.
The meetings continued far into the
night.
In the city, in spite of the absence
of disorders, there is condition of ac-
tual panic Half of the population is
compelled to rely on candles or kero-
sene lamps for light.
The streets are practically deserted
tonight except for the squads of infan-
try and cavalry which are everywhere.
The shops began to close in the after