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Show LONDON, Dec. 2G. There have been occasional assertions in Petrograd dispatches dis-patches that the influence and power of the Bolsheviki was waning but never with such unanimity as in special spec-ial dispatches dated from the Russian capital Sunday and printed today. Nearly all make the point in one form or other that defection from the Workmen's and Soldiors' organizations is growing constantly. Among causes alleged are general lack of authority, the increase in drunkenness, the reluctance reluc-tance of the population to work and the scarcity of foodstuffs. Tho main desire of the soldiers is said to be for peace. The correspondents cite incidents of Bolsheviki troops refusing to march, declining to attack the Ukranians and permitting the Cossacks to disarm' them without resistance. Fighting, it is said, is the last thing they aro.will-! ing, or intend to do. A hostile spirit is reported to survive among the Baltic sailors and the Red Guard, but the former for-mer are not numerous enough to conquer con-quer the LTkranians and the Red Guard is largely untrained. It Is reported therefore that war against the Ukraine probably will not materialize on any serious scale. Leaders Conscious of Failure. Bolsheviki leaders, the Petrograd correspondent of the Morning Post says, appear to be becoming conscious of hopeless failure, while the correspondent corre-spondent of the Dally News writes: "There is a tremendous and growing grow-ing opposition to the Bolsheviki among all classes. Men who formerly supported sup-ported them are turning against them and 'German hirelings' is a common term of denunciation. There is much talk of meeting the present reign of terror with counter measures and bomb throwing is freely suggested as the only method of exerting pressure on the Bolsheviki. This is not merely Idle talk as those who say it are those who already have thrown bombs." Civil War Activities. Reports of civil war activities, however, how-ever, continue to be received. The Bolsheviki government declares definitely defi-nitely that its troops have captured Kharkov, Nicoliaev, and are threatening threaten-ing the TJkranian hold on Odessa. The Cossacks report the strengthening of their hold on the Donetz basin. None of the reports, however, Is more precise pre-cise than recent reports oL a similar nature. In the meantime nothing more is heard of the efforts at reconciliation between tho Bolsheviki and the TJkraines. It appears that the Bolsheviki commissioners com-missioners are trying, although vainly, vain-ly, to shift stnie of the discontented military units from the capital. A Router Rou-ter dispatch from Petrograd savs the Praobrassenky regiment has declared its disbelief in the intention of the Bolsheviki government to open the constituent assembly and has refused to relinquish guard of the Tauride palace pal-ace until the assembly meets. The Semenovsky Guard regiment has, resolved re-solved not to arrest members of the constitutent assembly no matter what orders it receives. In consequence of the postponement or peace negotiations at Brest-LJtovsk because the Germans were not readv to reply to the Russian terms, the Russian delegates are reported to be returning to Petrograd where thev apparently ap-parently are expected to wait the arrival ar-rival of the delegation from the enemv powers which is to participate in a conference for discussi6n of tho political po-litical aspects of an eventual peace conference. Various explanations are offered n Petrograd dispatches of the purpose of German concentration of troops in the southwest. One suggestion is that part of these forces will be sent to Asia Minor. It is predicted a large force will be retained in the southwest to assure possession of the valuable Russian harvest. Bankers Arc Imprisoned. A Reuter dispatch from Petrograd reports the arrest and imprisonment-in imprisonment-in the fortress of St. Peter and St. Paul of M. Vyshnegradsky and M. Pu-tiloff, Pu-tiloff, managing directors of the International In-ternational Commercial bank and tho Ruso-Asiatic bank in consequence of the mention of their names in an intercepted in-tercepted letter wherein General Alexieff, former commander in chief begged Professor Paul Milukoff, the constitutional democratic leader, to interest himself in obtaining 300,000 rubles to assist starving families of imprisoned officers. Referring to the arrest of Colonel Kolpasnikoff, attached to the American Ameri-can Red Cross mission to Rumania, the Petrograd correspondent of the Post says Jt has been suggested that the letter "alleged to have been sent to the colonel by Colonel Anderson, head of the mission, stating that the American ambassador, David R. Francis, Fran-cis, was ready to advance 100,000 rubles ru-bles to the account or the Red Cross was a forgery. Such things are not uncommon now, he adds. Tho same correspondent tolegraphs that the British ambassador, Sir George Buchanan, published Sunday a statement refuting the charge of interference inter-ference in Russia's internal affairs, and adding that as there are three independent in-dependent republics in Russia it is difficult to avoid the appearance of having relations with more than one. It is reported from Brest-Litovsk by way of Petrograd that Finland has appealed ap-pealed to Germany to recognize its independence in-dependence and that the Germans express ex-press their willingness to do so, Leon Trotzky, the Bolsheviki foreign minister, minis-ter, is said to have shown his Irritation Irrita-tion because the Finns appealed to Germany direct instead or through the, Bolsheviki commissioners. A Stockholm Stock-holm dispatch to the Post records the arrival there of a Finnish delegation to ask Sweden's description of the inde- . '. i .. pendenco of the Finns. According to the same correspondent anarchistic conditions prevail in parts of Finland. Tho Swedish consul at Helsingfors has sent an urgent appeal to his government gov-ernment to protect Swedes at Abo where there is a reign of terror. Bandits Ban-dits are said to be running wild in Lei-borg Lei-borg and in various other districts. The Stockholm Tidningen reports an agreement between the Finnish senate sen-ate and the Baltic fleet sailors under which Finland will buy its freedom for 50.000,000 rubles. oo |