A manifesto in a huge type printed on the front page of the ‘Workmens Gazette’ demands the release of all political prisoners, cessation of political terrorism, restoration of freedom of Press, inviolability of person and property and placing of sufficient armed forces at the disposal of the Municipality to preserve order [Reuters’ Petrograd Correspondent wiring on November 18 said]. Food and forage are rapidly becoming exhausted owing to the destruction of Railways and general disorganisation. Officials of the Ministry of Finance refuse to hand over to the Maximalists funds from the Treasury. The Director and Vice-Directors of State Bank were arrested but subsequently released. The American Embassy has requested a train to convey two hundred American residents to Harbin. The ‘Daily Telegraph’ message from Petrograd says that the Bolsheviks forces which defeated M. Kerensky’s fifteen hundred Cossacks between Gatchna and Tsraskee Selo numbered sixteen thousand. There was desultory fighting at Kieff which changed hands several times. It is reported that Czech troops supporting Government are now masters at Kieff. Kaledin’s Cossacks control Don region and have surrounded Kharkoff and Voonetz and captured Viazma south west of Moscow on which twenty-thousand Cosssacks are reported to be advancing. Another telegram to the ‘Daily Telegraph’ from Petrograd says that fighting at Moscow began on the 10th instant. The Government force consisted of three-thousand Military Cadets and students with three guns, numerous rifles and some maxims. Fifteen-thousand of the hundred-thousand soldiers of the garrison supported the Bolsheviks and the rest remained in barracks. The Military Revolutionary Committee secured fifteen guns with which it continuously bombarded the centre of the town. Casualties to the 14th instant were three-thousand chiefly peaceful civilians. Corpses lay for days in doorways and on stairs. The Cathedral of the Assumption, the glory of the Kremlin, was destroyed by the bombardment and the church of St. Basil set on fire.
A Stockholm message to the 'Daily Chronicle’ says: Kaledin’s Cossacks occupying Donetz coalfield are able to starve and freeze Petrograd, Kaledine at Kharkoff stopped two-hundred wagon loads of food for Petrograd. The military dictatorship of Kaledine or Korniloff is expected. The ‘Daily News’ telegram from Petrograd says, at a meeting of Representative Socialists convened by the Railway Union on Friday a delegate of the Frontil Committee stated there were only three days’ supplies at the front which the army would be compelled to abandon owning to famine unless transport improved.
