The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-12-21
EXCITEMENT IS INTENSE Russian AutOcracy is
 Trembling. GOVERNMENT Is HELPLESS Telegraphers Refuse to Send
 Cars Messages. General Strike Goes Into Effect Today Noon and BIoodshed and An-
 archy are Looked for From
 All Sides.
GOVERNMENT Is HELPLESS

St. Petersburg, Dec. 20.-(1:20 p. m.)- The proclamation of general strike for tomorrow at noon has created the most intense excitement.
 If it can be successfully inaugurated and maintained the revolutionaries are confident that it will break the Gov ernment's back. In Government circles, however, is expressed that the prole- tariat organizations cannot effect complete tie-up and that the strike must be of a short duration. This hope seems based on the theory that the extreme program of the Reds has alienated the sympathy of large pro- portion of the real workmen and also on what they claim to be absolute knowledge that the organizations are , without funds. The Governments calculations, how ever, have proved deplorably at vari- ance with the true situation in the past and the strike leaders declare the GOV ernment is again hopelessly ignorant or the magnitude of the struggle confront ing 1t. Their plans are exceedingly ambitious.
 From the nature of appeals from the leaders to the troops it Is evident that they expect to precipitate crisis In the army.
 The central committee of railroad men of Moscow which determined the issue, last night by voting in favor Of a strike has telegraphed over the rail- road lines that employees of twenty two roads are ready to stop all tramc. Tho decision is to close everything In the empire, railroads, manufactures, wholesale and retail stores and all government works except the water works The bakeries in the cities. however, will not be closed so long as they do not raise their prices. If they raise the price of bread even the baker ies will be closed. It was proposed in Moscow to exempt the electric light plants but this was defeated
 Although the blow is timed for to- morrow noon on account of the difil- euIty of communication, the strike leaders do not hope to bring the life of the empire to a standstiH by single stroke, but they will labor for a gradual extension of the strike move ment.
 The nature of the manifesto of the workmen's council of Moscow to the army Is so inflammatory that even the radical papers are afraid to print it. During the strike it is proposed to stop all papers and to print and distrt- brute only the organ of the workmen's council. ~,...
 The police are hunting down and ar resting strike leaders as rapidly, as they can be found. but comparatively few captures have been made. as the leaders keep. in hiding. avoiding their residences and meeting in secret, each time at different locality.
 The helplessness of the Government in this crisis r. demonstrated by the inability of Durnovo to get through instructions to arrest members of the workmen's Council of Moscow. He at tempted to use the railroad wires. but the operators obeyed the dictum of the council and refused to send the mes sage. The Government is even unable to forward instructions to General Linevitch. commander of the Manchu- rian army. Five operators in success sion on the railroad lines declined to send a cipher dispatch signed by the Emperor