Harbin, March 13.
The strike described by our corres-dent was directed ayainst General forcath's refusal to give up control of the railway area to the Zemstvo representatives who have sway at Vladivostok and westwards to Irkutsk. On March 17 General Pao Kuei-ching, commanding the Chinese garrison, settled the affair by publicly taking over the whole area and broke the strike by threatening to bring in Chinese if Russians did not get back to work.
The headquarters of the General Conference are now at the Employees' Club, situated in Birjevaya, one of the principal streets in the Pristan and within a stone's throw of a palace recently built by one of Harbin's millionaires. At noon to-day the Red Flag was hoisted over the building, for the ultimatum presented to' General Horvath remained unanswered and a general strike had been declared. Russian employees of all public and private enterprises ceased work. All Russian concerns are closed, including banks, stores, restaurants, cafes and places of amusements. Only bakers and chemists are allowed to remain open. The Chinese workmen at the railway shops have gone out in sympathy with the Russian workers and the same thing has occurred at several Russian-owned mills, but otherwise all Chinese and Japanese stores remain open as well as the market.
The main street in Pristan, the Kitaiskaya, is a surging but orderly mass of people all wondering what is going to happen next.
and soldiers are marching through Strong patrols of Chinese police the principal streets to put down any disorder should it occur, but this is unlikely. In front of the Employees' Club is a strong body of soldiery, whilst the meeting that is going on is being attended by several Chinese officials. Strong patrols are also placed in the railway workshops area to protect the plant from any damage. At the railway station itself all is quiet. Practically all railway employees have vanished from its precincts, and there are but few civilians, though in the third class waiting room a crowd of Chinese, including many women and children, are patiently seated on the floor awaiting the next train. General Horvath is still confined to his bed with influenza and refused to see the deputation from the conference.
The strike extends the whole of the length of the railway line in North " Manchuria and various trains have stopped at different stations along the line. Numerous Czech troop trains are held up along the line and so far there are no indications that the railwaymen will give them right of way. The Czech authorities are willing to wait a day or so, but it is unlikely that they will consent to any long delay.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.