The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-06-30
RUSSIA HAS
 A BAD SCARE czar'sgovernment Almost nic-Stricken. INIT; ANAL DISTURBANCES ciy War Appears to Be
 Possibility. St. Petersburg Filled With Alarming Stories of sedition and Disaf-
 fection Among Soldiers.
 Crisis Reached.
War Appears to Be Possibility.

St. Petersburg, June 2s.--(2:3O p. m. ) The Government is in state ap- preaching panic over the events at Odessa. and the gravest fears are en- tertained that the mutiny among the blue jackets may spread to the army. Should some of the troops at Odessa be won over to the cause of their com rades of the navy, other troops sent against them might throw down their arms or join the mutineers and with the support of over 100000 workmen Odessa would become the center from which civil war would be waged against the Government. General Kakhanoff commander of the military district of Odessa, has been empow- cred to declare martial law. and Vice Admiral Chouknin. commander Of the Black Sea fleet. left St. Petersburg hastily during the evening for Sebasto- pol or Odessa, 1t is impossible to con- firm which. The only steps known to have been taken to meet the emergency Is the proclamation of martial law.
 vice-Admirai Kruger was summoned to Peterhoff at o'clock this morning to discuss the situation with the ena- peror. Such advices as the emperor and the Government have received are carefully withheld. The wires are in control of the authorities and appeals sent to the Associated Press 'eorre- spondents at Odessa to telegraph what has happened since last night have met with no response up to noon. Rumors are rife in this city, however, that the officers on board the ships belonging to the squadron of Vice-Admiral Kru- ger which left Sebastopol for Odessa Tuesday, according to one report, and for a practice cruise according to an- other story. have shared the fate of the officers of the battlcship Kniaz Potemkine, and have been murdered by the mutineers. It Is added that muti- neers are in possession of the other warships of the squadron. If so. the mutiny has control of more than half the heavy ships of the Black Sea fleet. the other battleehips said to be in the hands of the mutIneers being the Tiehsme, Sinope and tho Tria Sviati- telia (three apostles).
 As to KruEer's Squadron.
 The Admiralty. however, does not confirm the report of mutiny on board Admiral Kruger's other ships. Admiral Wirenius. Chief of the Naval General Stan, at noon today informed the As- sociated Press that he did not know whether Kruger's squadron had arrived at Odessa. Wlrenius seemed at a loss to account for the mutiny, saying that
 
 was a fine officer. having a most kind ly disposition. Besides, under the Rus sian naval regulations, the captain of a warship Is obliged to daily sample the soup of the crew to see if 1t is suitable for them.
 What appears certain from reports received at the various embassies here is that Odessa was at least for a time practically in the hands of the strikers. who erected barricades from which the police and troops were powerless to dislodge them Indeed one consul at Odessa reports that the troops refused to fire on the rioters. Nicxolieff, a neighboring town of the Littoral, is re- ported in possession of a mob
 St. Petersburg in view of the devel- opments at Odessa is filled with stories of disaffection and sedition among the troops. even the guard regiments, 1t is reported, saying they will never again fire upon the people. The Cossacks alone, according to these tales, are ab- solutely reliable.
 That disaffection and discontent among the soldiers is widespread ad- mits of little doubt, but the situation is hardly as black as painted. Up to the present time there Is no reason to be- lieve that the vast bulk of the army Is not loyal. What the effect would be of several regiments going over to the rioters. Is. however, problematicai. Ger tainly a crisis seems to have been reached.