Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-16
A SEVERE INDICTMENT.
Russian Revolutionists Issued
Strong Manifesto.
VERITABLE BOMBSHELL
THE CzAR'S TREASURY DECLARED
BANKRUPT.
Financial Ruin of Country Charged to
VERITABLE BOMBSHELL
Financial Ruin of Country Charged tc
Bureaucracy-Seriou Charges OF
Abuse of Power.

ST. PETERSBURG, Friday, December 15
(morning). via Eydtkuhnen. East Prussia.
December 16.-The proletariat organ:za-
tions, through the invisible government"
threw a bombshell into the camp of the Of
fcial government during the night by issu-
ing manifesto. following the form OF
regular imperial document, declaring the
Bankruptcy of the treasury, ordering the
proletariat army everywhere to refuse to
pay taxes of any description, to insist on
the payment of wages IN gold or silver ana
to withdraw all their deposits from the saw
ings banks in gold
The manifesto is a terrible indictment or
the manner in which the bureaucracy has
brought the country to financial ruin, as
sertng that the government has squander-
ed not only the country's income, but the
proceeds of the fore,gn loans on rail-
roads the army and the fleet. leaving the
people without schools or roads, yet, II Is
declared there is no money to feed the
soldiers, and everywhere there are insur-
rections of the beggared and starved troops
and sailors.
Speculated With Government Funds
The manifesto even charges the govern
ment with using deposits In the govern
ment savings banks to speculate on the
bourse and with covering up Its chronic
deficits In the interest on the immense
debt by the proceeds of the foreign loans,
which are at last exhausted.
The rich II is further declared, have al
ready taken warning, and are converting
their property into securities ana gold ana
are sending them abroad. The only saliva
tion for the country, according to the mani
festo. is the overthrow of the autocracy by
a constituent assembly and the sooner the
government falls the better. Therefore, the
last source of the existence of the old re-
gime-its financial revenue-must be stop
ped"
The document is signed by the members
of the workmen's council. the committee
of the Pan-Russlan union and the central
committees of the social democrats. social
revolutionists and socialists of Poland.
Manifesto Prepared With Secrecy.
This great step of the revolutionaries,
which throws down the gage of battle to
the government, was prepared with such
secrecy that the authorities were taken off
their guard. and did not even attempt to
prevent fits publication in the newspapers.
The revolutionary leaders expect 1t will be
followed with reprisals and arrests, but all
this has been foreseen. The leaders laid
their plans deeply before issuing the mani
festo. New committees of the various or
ganizations have been elected in the third
and fourth degree. If one set of committees
IS put behind the bars they will take its
place and carry on the work.
The League of Leagues was not asked to
Join in the manifesto, being regarded with
some jealousy by the proletariat organiza-
tions. which claim to be bearing the brunt
of the revolution and to be entitled to the
fruits thereof.
Big Issue Of Paper Money.
The proletariat leaders claim to have alb
solute knowledge that the government has
just issued S125. 100000 in paper money
Under the provisions of the press law the
editor of every paper which printed the
manifesto has rendered himself liable to
eight months Imprisonment and 81 500 fine.
Now must come the test of the govern
ment's power.
1t develops that among the papers of NJ.
krustalefr, the president of the executive
committee of the workmens council, seized
at the time of his arrest, were documents
which furnish evidence of q we'll planned
conspiracy to seize and carry off Premier
Witte.