The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-05-12
WOULD CROSS
INFESTED BRIDGE
Plain People Of Russia Are so
Anxious for New Freedom
They Are Menace to
the Nation.
LAND IS CONFIsCATED
German Agents Succeed In Stirring
Up Great Dissatisfaction Among
the Soldiers at the
Front.
LAND IS CoNF1scATED

| [By William G. Shepherd, United
Press Staff Correspondent
! PETROGR.AD, May 12.-Anxiety oi
| the plain people of Russia instantly
| to bridge the chasm between the auto
cracy that was and the democracy
| that Is to be--without carefully test
| ing out the bridge-menaces Russis
! today
THE workmen and socialists mis-
trust the duma leaders. therefore the
government is powerless and practic
ally under arrest in It's own house,
was the apt summary of the situa
tion made in the duma yesterday by
Delegate Shulgin.
The friction between the duma
leaders and representatives of the
soldiers and workmen has long been
apparent Today, however, came
word of an equally menaclng point
OF difference Russia's peasants are
taking things in their own hands
Pleas by duma representatives sent
broadcast throughout Russia 10
preach the doctrines of the new plan
of government and to tell the ignor-
ant peasant to wait for complete or
ganization are apparently falling on
deaf ears.
Word received today indicates tina,
nearly 150,0OO,0OO acres OF land have
been seized by the peasants through
out Russia. The peasants colld not
wait for the promised breaking up Of
vast estates under pledges that such
a distribution would come soon after
the constituent assembly had defin-
itely mapped out Russia's future.
Confiscation and distribution of
land has in many sections of Russia
been formally decided upon by, vote
of popular assemblies. The move
ment has become so general through
out the land that German agents
have succeeded in stirring up great
dissatisfaction among soldiers at the
front, by inslnuating that unless the
soldiers deserted aud went home to
participate in the confiscatton, they
would lose their share. Numerous
desertions have come from this re-
port.
The Russian workmen, too, are TAX
ing matters into their own hands.
Throughout Russia, workmen are
placing representative officers Of
their organizations with various man
ufacturing companies and refusing
permission for any shipments without
their official wise.
Minister of War Gutchkoff today
issued this proclamation to the
army:
People who hate Russia are coun-
teracting the work Of the army, clam
oring for the end of the war. An
active campaign is progressing
against discipline and obedience.
Don't listen to traitors. Insist
that all ranks observe discipline. Sol
diers at the front, obey your chiefs,
whose duty it is to punish disobed-
ience severely"
Germany's fine hand is seen in
the mushroom growth Of many move
ments. Hundreds Of German agents
work in Petrograd alone The full
weight of Germany's influence is be-
hind the Stockholm socialist confer
ence. The proclamation of the exc
cutive committee of soldiers and
workmen shows realization of the
tinge now affecting the
Conference" To combat that Ger
manic influence. the committee de-
cided to take the initiative itself in
any peace moves and to assume con-