Ambassador Meyer to the Acting Secretary of State.
St. Petersburg, August 6, 1906.
Sir: I beg leave to confirm my cables sent on the afternoon of August 3 and on the morning of August 5, reading as follows:
The general strike predicted for Monday has already commenced.
Strikes commenced here Friday. All tram cars stopped and most of the river boats. Railroads still running. Will know Monday probably as to what extent general strike can be put into effect.
I had previously learned that the general strike had been fixed for Monday. This referred to the action of the steam railways but, contrary to expectations, the employees of the street railways and river boats commenced to go on a strike Friday afternoon. Saturday some of the mills shut down. By Sunday morning a few of the river boats were running again and one or two tram cars.
It is now felt that the strikes on the railroad will not be successful, coming as they do after the failure of the insurrection of the sailors and troops at Helsingfors and Kronstadt.
I have, etc.,