The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-06-17
CAUCASUS RATIFIES
 RUSSIAN REVOLT BY
 PUBLIC GATHERINGS
Streets of Tiflis Filled With Incoming Delegates From NeighbOring Districts
 Before Meeting

Tiflis, Causasus May 29.-(Correspond ence Of the Associated Press. 1.-The Rus sian revolution came to the Caucasus several days after 1t had won at Petro- grad, and the new order was put into effect without a hitch and with great en- thusiasm. The new government was rat flied by one of the most picturesque pub lie gatherings that has been held any where in the Russian empire.
 The peoples, not only of Tiflis, but of all neiglboring districts, were invited to attend this huge ratification meeting For several hours before the hour set for the meeting, the bridge over the Kura, and the streets leading to the As sembly square were filled with incoming delegates. serious and silent, impressed with the importance of their mission.
 Tt was the largest mass meeting of Caucasian peoples that has ever been held. In the great square six platforms were raised and the crowd was simultane- ously addressed from all six platforms, the area being too large to enable any speakers voice to carry across the entire crowd.
 The crowd included every element in the multi-racial population of this part 
 tribes Lesgians Avars. Chechens and Swanetians in long black c1oaKs and sheepskin caps. Their homes lie in the recesses of the Caucasus range. Sunk in patriarchal feudalism many of them did not know, until the war brought them in touch with the outside world, whether they were subjects of the Elm peror of Russia or the Sultan of Tur- key.
 Hundreds of the picturesque white skinned peasants of the province of Geor- gia were also there. The Georgians are politically the most advanced of any of the races in the Caucasus, having in the last 20 years developed every form of western political thought Then there were Armenian merchants, the Tartar peasants of the East Caucasus. men from the railway works and the oil fields al Baku, and the student element was prom inent
 The platforms were occupied by social democratic leaders, who heretofore had been compelled to hold their meetings in secret. They called upon the people to preserve the public order While they were speaking regiment of the Tiflis garrison headed by their colonel, marched into the square. We have come,' said the colonel. "to put our services unreserved- ly at the command of the provisional gov ernment. Long live great Russia!
 Then a soldier orator took the colonels place on the platform. "Let us not for get he said, that over wonder in Ger many we have brothers, too crushed un- der that same tyranny from which we have now, thank God, been delivered May God grant that the hour of their deliverance may also soon strike"
 In an automobile drove up the chief Of staff of the Caucasus army, who mounted the platform and read a mes sage from Grand Duke Nicholas. in which the latter stated that he realized the old regime had got to go, but asked the peo- pie to preserve quiet and keep the army free from political strife.
 Among the distinguished guests" who visited the various platforms were 20 po- uSical prisoners who had been in the dun zxons of Tiflis prison since 1906, when they were implicated in a local attempt at a revolution There were women speakers, too, representatives of the Women's League of Postoffice Employees and of the Womens Educational league. There were speeches in 10 different lan-