The Irish standard., 1905-12-16
RIGA Insurgents
Capture fortress
ST. PETERSBURG RUMoR GIVES
GRAVE ASPECT TO RUS
SIAN SITUATION.
GOVERNOR MAKES AN
APPEAL FOR TROOPS
Baltic Provinces 1-car Civil War
Governor Gs-lc.,4. with Sweeping
Power, Appoi,.sso to Rule District
Soldiers i'll NeaaiMess.

Power, Arpoi!,.so to Rule District
Soldiers i'll NeaaiMess.
ST. Petersburg. via Eyittkuhnen,
East Prussia, Dec. ll.-Reporls are i'll
circulation TO the c.fec, tina, The III
surgents at Riga have captured the
fortress there. Inquiries made at the
ministry of the interior resulted in the
statement being made that the sov-
ernment's advices do not confirm the
capture of the fortress and the seizure
oil the governor. The situation, how.
ever, is admitted 10 be grave. Tho
commander at Riga has appealed for
sectional troops, which were dis
patched.
Near War in Provinces.
St. Petersburg. Via Eydtkuhncn. Prus-
STA Dee. 14.-The situation in the Baltic
provinces is NOW Inc most grave OF The
empires conditions. 1t approaches
civil war and the government has been
forced to appoint a governor general
with sweeping administrative powers
in an effort to restore order. All the
placed under his command. The inn
portation OF arms. which nave been
entering the country i'll lai ge quaEu-
ties. and sale of weapons have been
prohibited. and the authorities are even
empowered to arrest for three months,
under an administrative order, persons
having arms in their possession.
Demand Autonomy for Poland.
Warsaw. Russian Poland. Dec. IA
A meeting of Az Catholic clergymen
of Russian Poland after ten hours
session during the night resolved
"Wednesday to demand autonomy for
Poland with it's own parliament. gem
eral secret ballot. the reinstatement of
the Polish language in government Oh
fees. the abolition of capital punish
ment and full amnesty for political
Lris0nGrs.
Claim He Advised Slaughter.
Two prominent mon of Odessa hay,
declared their readiness to take a for
NAL oath that Gen. Kaulbars, gov
crnor-general Of Odessa. said on De-
tober 19 that all the Jews in Odessa
must be massacrcd. The trains to the
Austrian frontier are booked full ter
days ahead. The police of the first
district Of this city have struck and
the authorities have been ordered to
arrest II Of the leaders. The rest are
confined to their barracks.
Set UP Provisional Government.
Berlin, Dec. ia dispatch to the
I.okal Anzeiger from st. Petersburg.
via Eydtkuhnen. says that a message
from Riga announces that the Lithuan.
iars are masters of the city that they
lave formed Il secret provisional CIV.
ernneEt tat 0..i..srs do rot G-i2 t.,
go on the streets in uniform. that the
army is regarded by the Russian au-
| thorities as unsafe.
Capital Again Cut Off.
The restoration of cable communica
ton with points abroad lasted only ii
! few hours. Very soon after it was
reported that the cable was cut and
| that dispatches must again be for
warded by courier via the German
frontier. Nevertheless the outlook is
! clearing. The government is breath
ing freer with a fighting chance that
Premier White will yet be able to steer
his way through; the rocks which be-
/. set his path The threat of general
! strike in the immediate future has dis
appeared and the telegraph strike not
being supported is going to pieces in
spite of the wild appeals of the union
| to stand firm. At Moscow the tie-up
remains complete. but at many other
places communication has been re-
opened, although in precarious fash
ion, as the employees of both the tele-
graph and postal services, who were
discharged by wholesale for refusing
to work, are cutting the wires wherever
it is possible to do so.
Leaders Realize Weakness.
The real leaders of the workmen and
J other proletariat organizations, realiz-
ing fully their weakness and lack of
| preparation for decisive struggle. have
carried the day aver the hOt-headed
| strikers and have easily convinced the
| majority that II would be all irretriev-
able blunder to prostitute what they
regard as the supreme instrument for
forging free nation by using 1t for. a
minor issue like redressing the griev-
ances of private individuals. In reg
' stering this decision they placed
themselves on record "to continue the
| organization and equipment of the fight
ing legions which the old president,
Krustaleff, began" thus virtually fur
nishing the government with evidence
confirming its charges that articles 1O2
and 1876, of the criminal code. prohibit
ing participation in associations the
object of which is armed revolt and the
punishment for which is death, have
been violated by the strikers head or
ganization.
Made Bishop Coadjutor.
| Grand RacidS. Mich. Dec. 14.-Rev.