Omaha daily bee., 1917-12-21

Samara.
CoSSACKS AND REDS CLASH.
The Maximalists hold Astrakhan,
from which place the Cossacks were
reported on Monday to be 20 versts
distant. Fighting probably has now
begun.
The Maximalists are said to have
many machine guns but are almost
without cannon. The Cossaeks are
reported to be equipped with light
field guns.
LED BY MAD MONK.
An extraordinary state of affairs is
depicted at Tsaritsyn, in the province
of Sanara, where neither the Maxi
mallSts nor the Cossacks have gained
the mastery, both being beaten by the
forces of Heliodorus,, abbot of Tsar-
itsyn and known as "Iliadore, the
mad monk" who advanced against
them singing Save, Lord, thy
people"
Orenburg Cossacks, commanded by
General Dutoff. ara advancing against
Samara, the Maximalist garrison en-
route being dispersed. Cossacks have
occupied all the eastern part of the
province of Voronezh, a province in
south central Russia.
Fighting continues at Odessa, where
lkralnian troops hold the arsenal and
the telegraph and telephone stations.
The municipal theatW repeatedly
changed Hands before finally remain
ing Ill the possession of the Ukraif1-
ians. The MaXimalists hold the port.
which the Ukrainians shelled with
heavy artillery and field artillery in
response to bombardment of the
town by naval guns.
Ukralnlans are disarmng and re-
moving the Maximiist troops in the
province of Kicv and at Konotop,
about 100 miles east OF Tchernigov.
Proclaim Ukraine Republic.
The Ukraine central Rada has is.
sued message to Ukrainians, pro-
claiming a Ukraine democratic re-
public to form part OF an all-Russian
federal republic. Pending the meet
ing OF the Ukrainian constituent as,
sembly in January, the Rada in it's .
message recognizes the principle of
appropriation without compensation
ot private lands, monastery lands and
some church lands for the benefit of
the laboring classes.
In. the expectation OF an early peace,
Russian soldiers in increasing num-
bers are leaving the northern front.
Urgent telegrams are being received
from Petrograd for reinforcements.
the soldiers being promised the best
conditions and food. DR.. Petrofsky, a
lecturer at the MoscoE university, has
been deputed by the Bolsheviki gov.
ernment to discuss peace questions
with the Germans at Brest- Litovsk.
According to the Russian official
news agency, delegates of the Uk-
ravian council of workmen's and sol
dlers' delegates recently met at
kharkov and received to regard the
Rada as bourgeois and anti-revolu-
honary institution and to oppose it.
U. S. Leary of Kaiser.
Washington, Dec. 20.-Thc news
reports from Petrograd are regarded
III diplomatic circles here as disclos.
ing the most insidous and danger.
ous attempt yet made by the central
powers to disrupt and weaken the
entente alliance. 1t is believed that
the offer TO accept the Russian terms
so TAR as they relate to no annexa-
tons or indemnitics is insincere. and
IS made for the sole purpose of open
ing up the whole subject and using
Russia i'll a plan seeking to compel
Its late allies TO join in the negotia
tions which the Germans have been
striving to bring about for more than
a year.
1t was understood that the Boil
shevlki government. in obedience to
the suggestion of the German peace
plenpotentiaries, has undertaken to
sound out not only Russia's allies.
but also the American government,
1t is apprehended in some quarters
that the mere discussion of this latest
German peace move is likely to prove
very embarrassing to England, where
the labor councils are about to as
semble and record their views as to
war aims. and also in France, where
the socialistic elements are still
strong in their opposition to the
government