RUSSIA RESENTS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 472, 2 April 1909, Page 5

RUSSIA RESENTS.

« BERLIN REJOICES. NO ENGLISH ACREEMENT WANTED. WILL ISVOLSKY RESIGN ? (by telegram—mess association—corißionT.) London, March 31. Thero is intcnso bitterness throughout Russia against Germany's ultimatum, which "Tho Times" correspondent reports amounted to a threat of an Austro-German invasion. There aro persistent rumours that M. Isvolsky, Russian Foreign Minister, is resigning. M. HomiakofF, President of tho Dnma, declared that Russia would forget this Mow ovon less easily than she would forget tho Berlin Treaty. Excepting tho "Berliner Tageblatt" (a Liberal journal), all the German newspapers rejoice at the success of the "mailed fist" policy in the Balkans, and discourago any understanding with England in regard to a naval policy.

THE ENEMY WITHIN THE GATES.

iA GERMAN HOST OF SEVEN MILLIONS IN RUSSIA. "There aro certain facts little talked of in England, because little known, but which have been brought to light recently through the activity of the leaders of the Panslavist movement, "and should be kept well in mind by students of the Near East problem of to-day." A German Occupation. The above statement is made by "A Fiancial Correspondent" of tho "Daily Mail," and ho proceeds to say that there exists in llussia, in the heart of her European territory, and particularly in her towns, something more than "a German invasion," literally "a German occupation." It is estimated that there aro thus settled in Russia a German host of over seven million—to give figures, 7,250,000— who aro "to a large extent under militafy organisation," and who are mostly grouped in the western provinces, where there is most fear of invasion. Lord Roberts has stated that the 80,000 Germans now in England in various capacities, and all trained soldiers, would be a serious factor in the event of Germany getting 100,000 invaders across the Channel. What then must Russia's position bo with a land frontier and 7,250,000 of the invader in her midst f The total is made up of 2,000,000 Germans, mostly of Prussian origin, distributed in 2755 colonics in Russia, and 5,250,000 Germanspeaking Jews, "whose national sympathies at least—to avoid all discussion on ethnological points—are German." A great 'point is that this German host has established itself in 31,6-10 square miles of land, and also controls "by far the greater portion of the trade of the country.'" The correspondent of tho "Daily Mail" states: Nationality Maintained. The paramount position hold by German tradesmen in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Odessa, Lodz, and the other great commercial cities is too well known to need emphasising here. It is more interesting to note the progress of German influence in less known districts, where it amounts almost to an autonomy. This is particularly* the case along the Lower Volga, where the German residents elect civil magistrates who scarcely ever speak a word of Russian in the exercise of their functions. It Is very noteworthy how the various German colonies are kept attached by political ties and organisations to their country of origin. In the Vistula and Baltic Provinces entire German villages have been received as immigrants en masse; the site of their new home is always i some point of strategic importance on Russian territory, and they are generally financed for the enterprise by certain of tho Berlin banks. Inspected by German Officers, '.' le Vistula German social and sociopolitical institutions have flourished for some years past, gymnastic clubs, cycling clubs, singing clubs, even rifle clubs, the members of which are drilled to the use of the service weapon and_ regularly inspected bv German officers. This all takes . place on Russian territory and undei* the full observation of the impassive Russian authorities, who seem to attach no significance to the fact that whole regiments of German riflemen march unrestrictedly through tho villages of Russian loland, courting public sympathy and enthu-' siasm with their stirring chorus of- the "Wacht am Rhein." To use a cant phrase of the dav, the Germans in Russia "lead their own life''; they hold their little "imperiuin in imperio" without molestation of aay sort. They have their own newspapers, their own churches, their own theatres, their own banks, their own schools and system of education. The political organisation of the German residents under the control of tha great centralised club knoivn as the "Altdeutspher Vorband" would deserve an essay for itself.