The Washington herald., 1917-05-06
Beginning with a Strike of
100000 Workers, Opposii-
ton Was Overcome with
Little Bloodshed.

Street scenes in Petrograd during the
Russian revolution are described In the
following summary made from Russian
newspapers recently received In this
country:
The revolutionary movement began as
early as the 9th Of February In Petro-
grad. On the 9th about 10000 workers
went out on a strike, to await the meet
ing OF Prince Golitzin's Cabinet with the
Duma- Prince Golftzin had at th~t time
lust been appointed prime minister ana
all the country, with Petrograd at its
head. was awaiting the last and the de-
cisive conflict between the old govern
nent and the duma.
From the 18th Of February 1t was
common occurrence for soldiers in the
streets of Petrograd to say aloud to civ
Ilians: Well you just begin and we'll
help you This spirit, with strikes and
meetings here and there, continued un-
III March 2 After that riots occurred
between the workers and the police. The
irst shots were fired on March 8. On
March 4. all the troops were called to
patrol the streets. All Petrogrsd was
divided in districts, with commanders
Of the regiments in command Of the dis
tricts The entire city was placed under
martial law.
Relations between civilians and SOL
Hers Immediately became very friendly.
The fighting originated with the police.
The reactionary- secretary OF the interior,
Protopopefr, ordered groups of police with
shotguns to be hidden in various corner
buildings Of Petrograd and these men
fired on groups OF workers and. later. on
regiments of troops which had declared
themselves in favor of the revolution.
THE crisis Of the revolution came on
the 9Th Of March when both sides were
concentrating all their powers on open
a1hfNnr Or fhfa day the fOnnda ftOn
laid for the social organizations which
undertook the leadership of the revolu-
tion: and on the other side the old gov
ernment placed almost the entire Petro-
grad garrison on the streets and troops
were ordered to occupy all the bridges.
At the same time the duma. openly broke
with the government
The progressive block, which included
the progressive duma parties, beginning
with the moderate liberal Octoberists
and ending with the continental demo-
Gratis, unanimously adopted the following
fighting resolution: The government,
which covered its hands with the blood
OF the people, should no longer be ad-
mitted to the duma. With such gov
ernnent the duma breaks its relations
forever
The next day, March 10, the troops on
the streets Of Petrograd began openly
one regiment after another, to declare
their devotion to and support of the rev.
olution. One of the first regiments to
Join the people was the Volynsky regi-
ment. The government sent the Semi
enovsxy regiment to fight the Volynsky
regiment, but the former Joined the rev.
olution also. After that, regiments, one
after the other, in full regalia. some with
bands playing the "Marseillaise," began
to move toward the duma
AS an answer to the resolution adopt
ed by the progressive block, the Czar is
sued an order dismissing the duma, an
order which the duma refused to obey.
The deputies remained at their places
and the revolutionary regiments stood
guard at the palace, where the dt ma was
assembled. The speeches OF Ro Izianko,
Prof. Milyukoff, and Kerensky - these
regiments on their way to the una to
uphold the peoples case, will remain for
ever IN history as most thrilling revo-
lutionary documents.
"One Of the correspondents Of these
latest Petrograd newspapers gives a won
dsKful picture Of the duma on March IL.
when the revolution was already accom-