Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-22
TIE UP RUSSIAN RAILROADS
Call Issued for General Strike on All Lines
in Cars Domain.
DEMANDS ARE PURELY POLITICAL
Movement in Intended Rs an Object
Lesson for the Government
situation IL Already
Serious.

ST. PETERSBURG, Oct. A.-The strike
OF railroad employees assumed a serious
aspect today, when the three great trunk
lines out OF Moscow were completely tied
up and the other Moscow roads embar-
raised. Trains were stopped on the branch
road from Nizhni Novgorod. The pan
Russian union of railway employees have
issued call for general strike on all
the railroads of Russia. The extent to
which the call will be pbeYed remains to be
seen, as the union is of recent origin
and its strength an unknown quantity, but
up to midnight no additional, strikes. have
been reported. ,.a r-. .
A meeting of st. Petersburg railroad
men was still in session at a late hour
tonight, and had not yet reached a de-
cisive agreement to strike.
The demands OF the men are purely po-
litical, and therefore it is expected the
strike will last only long enough to serve
the purpose of a demonstration. Socialist
leaders claim It is intended only to test
their strength and is curtain raiser TO
thorough and complete tieup OF the Russian
railroad systems in January as i'm object
lesson to the government and the douma
and that 1t will be called OF as soon as 1t
Is seen that the strike is working smoothly.
Movement strictly Political.
The political nature is shown In the
call of the National union for general
strike, which makes no mention of economic
demands and declares the workmen are
ighting for the elementary human rights
OF freedom, for freedom Of press and a
representative government on the the basis
of universal suffrage, and that these are
obtainable only by a strike
call w have
power in our hands. The railroad employees
throughout Russia share our views. The
time has come to declare a general strike,
Before our might the government must
give way"
The lines on which traffic has ceased are
the Moscow & Kazan road, running
through the important centers; the Nizhni
Novgorod and Vladimir, Yaroslav and
Archangel line running northward to the
White sea; the Riazan and Uralsk road
which runs southeastward from Moscow.
tapping the great grain regions, ana the
Rizan. Tamboff, Saratoff and Samara line,
penetrating deep into the steppes. The
north Caspian and Nizhnl Novgorod road
affected is a branch line connecting with
the Kazan and Rizan roads.
! The strikes on the other Moscow roads
are partial and are largely confined to
the ONCE forces, the men Of which were
inundated into stopping work.
The government is prepared in case the
strike affects the Nicholai railroad or the
| lines TO Berlin and Vienna 70 order the
mobilization OF the railroad battalions OF
the army in order to keep communications
| open between Moscow and st. Petersburg
and abroad by the hopes the strike en-
thusiasm OF the workmen will exhaust IT.
self in a few days.
WOrkmen Crowd Meetings.
CT pETERsBIJRG Oct et-On account
OF continued meetings at universities, with
steadily increasing attendance, especially
Of workmen and other non-students, which
are not only devoted to the anti-govern-
ment propaEanda but also place the par
| ticipants In grave danger in case OF hre
! or manic. Emperor Nicholas summoned a
speciaI conference Of the ministers to dis
| cuss the right to assemble with especial
reference to the university meetings. The
! conference declared that the immediate
promuIgation Of a new statute governing
| the right OF assembly was imperatively
necessary II recommended the putting OF
| halls outside the universities at the dtspo-
sition OF the students for meetings and
| the closure OF the universities unless pub
lie meetings within their precincts were
! discontinued
! The last meeting at the St. Petersburg
university was attended by l2,0O0 persons,
/ OF whom only a small portion were stu
dents. The gathering completely hlled all
/ the available room and blocked the aisles
and corridors. The university council
| issued a statement declaring that Il cam
not be responsible for the consequences
! OF such meetings. pointing out that the
I inadequacy Of exits would cause a fright
/ ful catastrophe IN case o. ere or panic
which was easily preeipitahle In case OF
police interference or even q rurnor OF sueh
| interference.
| MOSCOW, Oct. a.-All ths employees ir