The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-11-29
Discipline and Loyalty of the Whole Russian Army May
 Be At Stake
MUTINEERS HOLD OUT AND
 TRUST THEIR COMRADES
Feeling of Unrest Seems to Be Spread Ing Through the Forces of the Whole Russian
 Empire.

St. Petersburg, November 29.-d:4 's. m.)-The last day of grace accorded tils mutiners at Sebastopol expired at mid- night with no signs of surrender on the part of the men, The hills towering above the heights of the Russian stronghold in the Black Sea may resound this morn ing. as they did in the days of the Crimean war, with the roar of musketry and can non, should the government attempt to carry out It's announced intention of crushing the revolt with the mailed fist.
 The rebellious sailors arc playing waiting game and apparently have full confidence that the guns of the fleet will not be turned against them. If they have not actually disregarded the summons to haul down the red flag, they seemed de- termned to make the authorities show their hand
 Shakes Discipline of Troops.
 Whether General Nepluoff, the com mandant of the fortress who was released by the mutlneers today and who relieved General Baron Meller Gakomolslxi, will dare to accept the challenge of the mutt neers and stake the discipline and loyalty not only of the troops at his disposal
 but of the whole army on the coast. Is,
 however. doubtful.
 l Dispatches from a score of sarrisons
 in Russia show that the land forces of l the empire are in n state Of discontent | and any order to the troops to fire upon 1 their comrades in tho sister branch or the
 service. might possibly precipitate gen l eral and widespread mutiny. on the other hand 1t would be difficult to starve out the | sailors by a regular siege, as provisions | and water can be obtained by them, and
 as they are under the guns of not un-
 friendly warships.
 1 The report that the whole neet had
 gone over to the mutineers under the | command of Lieutenant Schmidt the rev olutionary commander of the cruiser Oteh- akoff Is incorrect, though the officers of the other ships. as during Vice Ad- miral Kruger's abortive demonstration against the mutineers on the kniaz Po-
 temlxine mow the Panteleimon), at Odes'
 sa. probably will be unable to obtain obedience of the men for the carrying ont of any measures against their com rades The staff quarters at Sebastopol are guarded by cossacks and the olllcers in the streets are accompanied py es- corts of eossacks. the only branch or the
 service, the fidelity of which is absolutely
 unquestioned.
 Guard Regiments Discontented. 1 Even the members of the guard regi. | noants who are the pets of the imperial l family and superlatvey paid and treated | as compared with the members or other
 regiments. are Joining In the movement. | Two hundred and fifty members of the | guard reqirnents who were said to have | been leaders in spreading the revolution- ary propaganda were arrested at their barracks Sunday night It Is reported l that the sailors guard equipages from | which the crews for the imperial yachts l are drawn will be removed to St. Petefs-
 burg on account of disaffection among l them
 l The council for national defense held Q protracted session yesterday at whlcn lho situation was discussed
 The rumblngs of another general strike are becoming louder. The postal and tele- | graph officials al Moscow. already have l gone out aud the strike has spread to | twelve other cities.
 Discuss National Strike. The general workmens council has sum. moned a conference of the leaders through | out the empire for tomorrow Crhursday) l to discuss the possibility of national
 strike in sympathy with the locked out | workmen of St. Petersburg. There is T
 strong feeling against such strike how
 ever. not only on account of the poverty | Ot
 interfere with the great strike planned l for January.
 l delegation representing the newspa-
 per union called on Count Witte yester- day to demand that the writer. M. Zera-
 sheffsky. who was expelled from Warsaw
 by Governor General Scallon he allowed to return.
 | The premier said he would telegraph 10 the governor general suggesting the ex-
 ercise of all leniency possible in the case of M. Zerasheffsky, but he was unwilling to issue direct order.
 You know" he said, how touchy these
 governor generals and governors are just
 now Say word to them and they re- i sign"
 l Professor Hodsky. editor of the Nasha l Shisn. called upon the premier to demand l permission for Father Gapon to return to l Russia What is the use of deception
 among friends" said Count Witte to tho l professor. "You and l know, even If | the police do not. that Father Gapon has
 been living in your house since August l 13."