The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-12-25
Russian RevoIutionists Make Good Threat to Turn Strike Into Re-
 beIlion.
MOSCOW'S BLOODY BAPTISM
EVERYTHING NOV DEPENDS ON
 ATTITUDE OF ARMY.

Situation fin the ''HOIy'' City Not Made
 CIear-VitaI Point as to Whether
 Troops There Have Actually Refused
 to Obey Commands Not Definitely
 Known-Uprising in St. Petersburg
 PIanned--GueriIIa Warfare if 1t
 FaiIs-Acceptance of Prince Tcher-
 batofrs Offer to Organize LOyaIists'
 Militia Creates Shudder of Horror.
 St. Petersburg, Dec. 24.-S:3O p. m.-- With Moscow's baptism of blood, the revolutionaries made good their threat te transform the strike into armed re- bellion, and the next forty-eight hours should determine whether they can marshal eufficient strength to plunge the country into an actual state of civil war and seriously tbreaten the fmmedi- ate downfall of the government.
 ' The government professes confidence that the whole attempt will fail owing to the woeful insufficiencyof arms in possession of he proletariat and by rea- son of the loyalty of the army as. a whole; but it's calculations might again be rudely upset. A few arsenals might be seized to furnish arms or the open support of few regiments might start a landslide in the army Certainly the shreWdest of the revolutionary leaders fully appreciate that the issue must be decided by the attitude of the army, which is yet to cast the die. Instruc- tions have gone forth that risings must occur everywhere In order to test the troops, and if a foothold can be se- cured 1t Is the intention of the revolu- tlonists to set up provisional govern ment and proclaim a republic.
 Thus far reports from Moscow do not clear up the vital point as to whether any of the troops there actually refused to obey commands, although there are persistent rumors that they did Kev- olutionary leaders here claim to have confirmation of a report that a grena- dier brigade and some Cossacks mutt nied and are now locked up in their barracks.
 While the military succeeded every where in driving theinsurgents from their barricades in Moscow Saturday night, the defeat evidently was not a decisive one, as barricades were again thrown up in dozensA of places this morning and fighting resulted before il o'clock.
 The Associated Press understands Hhat orders have been issued for an up- rising here, but the governments meas ures seemingly render this impossible. No meetings, public or private, are al- lowed, which makes as assembly of more than five persons in a private lodging illegal. The prisons and jails gre filled with leaders of the revolu- tionaries and agitators. Two caches of arms have been seized and an entire organization consisting of three hun- dred "crujini,' as the student militia is called, has been captured.
 Rumors were purposely circulated that conflict would be inaugurated at a demonstration of worlSmen In the Nevsky Prospect this afternoon, but they proved to be unfounded. The city in fact was unnaturally calm on the surface, and stranger dropping down the Nevsky Prospect this afternoon would have seen no evidence of fer ment.
 It was bright, crisp, winter day and smart sleighs and equipages of the aristocracy with their occupants cloaked in sabIes and other rich furs were out in force. Only the sullen faces of the crowds of strikers on the sidewalks and the heavy horse and foot pads on every block looked omfnious.
 If the plans of the revolutionaries to produce an uprising in St. Petersburg fail, as 1t Is believed they will, an at- tempt certainly will be made to terror ize the government by guerilla warfare, in which bombs will play the chief role The government having embarked in a war against the Reds" 1t is difficult to see how 1t can draw back one step
 The acceptance by Governor General Dubassoff of Moscow of the offer of the notorious reactionary Prince Tcherba- toff to organize the "Loyalists" as a militia has created a shudder of horror
 Moscow, Dec. 24.-5 p. m.-Artillery rifle and revolver firing continued throughout the day, but the noise of the battle has now somewhat abated The guns have been bonbarding one barricade after another, the cannon ades being followed by charges by the dragons, who set fire to the debris.
 The area of the fighting to-day was more extended and included Trabnois square, sadovia, Karetnaia and many other streets.
 The revolutionaries apparently have lnnt lost heart notwithstanding SatlIr- days heavy casualties. It is now known that five hundred is @ moderate estimate of the losses, and many more persons fell to-day.