The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-12-08
WITTE STANDS ALONE
 AND IS LOSING HEART
PROMINENT MILITARY COM MANDERS ETERYWHERE
 WANT TO RESIGN.

Minister of War Even Asks the Elm
 perOr to Allow Him to Retire-Grave
 Menace of Concerted Attack on the
 COuntry's Credit-SeriOus Runs on
 Banks-S5O, ,O0O,0OO in Gold Paid Out
 in Exchange for Paper-RevOIution-
 ists Hope to Drive Government Into
 Bankruptcy.
 London, Dec. S.-The St. Petersburg correspondent of the Daily Mail in a dispatch sent by way of Eydtkuhnen' East Prussia, says:
 Prominent military commanders ev" erywhere are requesting permission, to resign. The minister of war himself (Lieutenant-General Rudiger) has asked the emperor to allow him to re- tire. The minister of the interior (M. Durnovo) and others have followed the example of the minister of war. Count Witte stands alone, but even he is los- ing heart"
 St. Petersburg, Wednesday, Dec. 6, (Night) via Eydtkuhnen, Dec. 7.-The AAilIlSAldlG udLSGI lO1A4Ip4lI4A4G tA4S government is a concerted attack on the country's credit The public fear that the government can be forced to suspend gold payments increases daily. This would be the crowning achieve ment of the revolutionists. who are satisfied that with the attending finan- cial crash the whole house would come tumbling down. The chances of driv- ing the government into bankruptcy they profess to believe would be mate rially increased if the confidence of the foreign holders of Russian obligations were undermined and the news that the French. investors who hold four- fifths of Russia's immense foreign irl- debtedness were unloading was re- ceived with jubilation by the revolu- tionists.
 At the same time it created a verita- ble panic on the bourse, imperial tours falling to "A, fives to 94ls and govern ment lotteries to 295. Banking and in- dustrial shares went down with rush, Putiloff going from 93 to S6 and iron shares like Kolomo and Moscow, which a month ago were quoted at 45O, closed at 360.
 The savings bank was subjected to a run and at the state bank long line of nervous men and women waited for hours to eXchange paper money for gold. The bank officials did not attempt to dissuade them and exchanged rolls of gold for bills as fast as the latter were presented , 2 Both the runs on the banks and the demand for foreign exchange were ac- celerated by circulars which the strik- CTS and revolutionary organizations are spreading broadcast.
 At the ministry of finance 1t Is esti- mated that about $50,O00,000 has thus far been withdrawn from the state bank. The balance of gold in the treas ury and abroad now stands at $5S6, ,500,- 900 and the outstanding paper totals $553, 100000, leaving the government a margin of legally issuable paper of about $45,O0O,O0O.
 The government perfectly under stands the character of the assault on its credit. At the ministry of finance the Associated Press was authoritative ly informed that the situation of the government has not greatly changed, financially or economically.
 St. Petersburg Dec. 6, via Eydtkuh- nen, Dec. 7.-The situation at Kieff is described as being an extremely serious one. Some accounts say that mas- sacre has taken place in which 1,500 r)ersons were killed