A tragic echo of the revolution in the Caucasus is
heard in the appeal of the Georgian women " to the women of free • countries" published in last Saturday's Times. It will be remembered that the outbreak at Tiflis last December led to the recall of the Viceroy, Count Vorontsoff-Dashkoff, on the ground of weakness, and the despatch of General Alikh'anoff to reduce the Georgians to subjection. This task was accom- plished in a few weeks, but at what cost to the prestige of the Russian Government may be gathered from the appeal of the Georgian women. According to their statement, four towns and two hundred villages have been destroyed and burned by Cossacks; those of the inhabitants who did not escape to the
hills were ill-treated, imprisoned, and shot, while women and gills of eleven or twelve years were subjected to wholesale outrage. "All these wrongs and woes," continues the appeal, "have been inflicted merely because these women joined with their husbands and brothers in welcoming with enthusiasm a new era of peace and liberty." The issuers of the appeal state that they are ready to give convincing proofs of their accusations before an independent Commission of Inquiry. In any case, it is to be hoped that the Duma, which did such good service by its investigations into the Bialystok massacres, will take steps to inquire into the accuracy of these terrible charges.
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